Originally Posted by
serfty
Do a search and find those flight which have business award availability, book em in PE on the Sale and and upgrade.
Ross this (hopefully) was to get some positive input on small things Velocity could possibly look to do to add to make the Platinum Tier even more special.
You appear to have not read what I posted.
Booking a PE fare at any price to the USA is
waste of time if there is no upgrade inventory for Platinum much less anyone else and there is
not in the month of October that I just checked.
That is the POINT ..... have a wider fare bucket for
Platinum upgrade inventory as UA and others do.
And/or offer some Systemwide Certificates to Platinum to use (as their USA airline competitors have done for years) when they
DO book a minimum fare class like PE.
Or, failing that empower gate agents to upgrade on the day with miles if loads are light.
Originally Posted by
ozstamps
I was looking at a Premium Economy to LAX on Virgin for a few $1000 apiece.
Indeed I thought it might make sense to book them, and hope for a supported upgrade in some way.
Did the smart Elite thing and phoned FIRST to find what days the points upgrade inventory was still there , and knowing that, I’d then book the tickets.
Get some trissy sounding guy on the Platinum phone line who says “upgrades seats to the USA are rare Sir”. (Tell me something I did not know pal.) So as we were flexible up to a week or so either side, asked him to look. He sees nothing for MONTHS!
So I stupidly say – well if I book a flight in paid Premium Economy, and the Business cabin is only partly full on day of travel, as a Platinum I am assuming on day of fight I can use miles to upgrade THEN?
“No sir Virgin NEVER allows that – we just do not do that”
HUH??????
Maybe the twerp was wrong, I do not know, but Virgin lost $8,000 of my cash money right there, and it went to another carrier. That seems dumb to me. A pile of my miles off their books and $6000 in the bank … who turns away that kind of business in a tight market?
UA used to have special 1K award and upgrade inventory buckets even for domestic coach. For tight travel weeks it was a godsend - again another published benefit that really helped and zero real cost to UA as they controlled it.