Originally Posted by
CPMaverick
There are actually a couple good options. The 9-wide 777s that DL and VA have on this route are above average for a Y class experience. And VA tends to have a very good soft product. VA also offers cash upgrades (bidding process)to Premium Economy and Business (space available of course). PE will be around $500 pp each way and J will be around $1500 pp each way. Not a bad way to get a J seat if you can't get an award.
I couldn't find a clear answer to this, but if booking award flights on VA (using either DL or SQ), would we still be eligible to bid for upgrades?
Originally Posted by
CPMaverick
This is generally a slow travel time to Australia. There is no Thanksgiving in Oz of course, so it's just a regular weekend but so close to Christmas/summer that few Australians would be traveling. Couple that with few US business travelers traveling to Oz around this time, and your odds are definitely better than average. Unfortunately, these flights are typically full in J so no guarantees even with the favorable dates.
I was hoping to hear that the flights wouldn't be too busy since it's only an American holiday. Do Y seats normally fill up during this time too? Besides expertflyer, are there any other ways of checking how many seats or fares have been sold on a flight? I know seat maps aren't accurate since not everyone is immediately assigned a seat after buying a ticket.