WooHOO! I finally have some info to update this thread!


Last May I bought a dirt cheap MR fare to take a nice little 3-day mini-vacation to Cape Town. I paid $914 for PHX-LAX-AMS-CPT-AMS-LAX-PHX and I bought it through Delta but had to call in as the website was showing the flights as all DL-marketed but like $400 higher.However, it is on 006-ticket stock, and crediting to my SkyMiles account (lots of MQMs!). The long-haul legs booked into R Class on KLM, under the KLM Flight numbers.

Right after I booked I got the KL Record Locator and tried to see if I could Bid For An Upgrade. It let me, and I believe it was asking €289 but for some reason I didn't bid.

Well, I tried to do it again a few weeks later and I kept getting the Error Code and that my trip was no longer eligible for a bid.

Seeing that my flight is less than 7 days away I called DL last night to see what they were charging to UG to WBC and they told me that there were no more seats available for sale LAX-AMS-CPT.

So, this morning I checked the KL site and entered my info to try to Bid again and this time it let me! ^^ The starting bid is €309 and there were no bids. There are no other current bidders and I placed a Max Bid in the €400ish-range, as I would definitely pay $500 for an upgrade on an 11hr flight. (I have upgraded with Cash+Skymiles before on AMS-JNB-AMS).

I am a Delta Diamond Medallion with no Flying Blue Status (although I am a member).

I wish there was a way for me to bid on the AMS-CPT leg as I only have 1hr @ AMS once my flight lands--so I guess I will be running to the CL to try and buy my way up front to WBC.

So, the moral of this story is to check your flight 7 days before departure @ https://upgradeyourself.klm.com/ub/ub/login? even if you have not had the opportunity to bid due one of their Errors listed when you tried previously!

Hope this helps someone! And I will update the results next week!



EDIT: I have read some of these posts where it says that KL doesn't HAVE TO offer the seats when the auction closes; however, the email just got very clearly states:

Thank you for placing a bid on an upgrade! Bidding closes when check-in starts. If seats in Business Class are still available at that time, the highest bidder wins the upgrade.

Did KL change this?