It is not surprising that EB has increased the price in points for stand-by upgrades, as the possibilites of earning points thorugh credit cards has increased. What is more important is that it is now possible to request upgrades in advance (30 days before) and getting it confirmed 24 - 48 hours before departure. The cost in points is lower than the *uogrades, and it is valid in most classes, including K and W whiche are often the cheapest booking classes, and those classes most likely to be used for IC travellers who can plan their travel in advance. A major disadvantage is that one has to travel with a SK ticket number (117-stock). Thus one cannot travel on LH outbound and on SK for the return.

As the window for the upgrade to clear overlaps the Optiontown window, and Optiontown still is listed as a possibility on the Norwegian SAS page, one wonders how this will affect Optiontown, and what the priority will be between the two types of upgrade instruments. Would it be safe to request both, or does one risk having to pay double, both points and money, for the same upgrade?