Originally Posted by
mediamonkey
Looking at booking a cash Y fare and upgrading to J with Avios on IAD to DUB. I will be transferring BA avios to AL.
1. Do I need a specific fare bucket for Y or will the basic economy be okay?
2. I know I need to email to request the upgrade, if there is currently avios availability in business, does that mean the upgrade will clear? I don’t want to buy a flight and then not be able to upgrade it.
1. There is no specific fare bucket according to the Aer Lingus website, so any kind of ticket would be okay.
2. If there is current Avios availability in business, it will mean you have a very good chance of it clearing. It's not guaranteed, but you have a far better chance this way than on a flight with no award seats available.
Either way, you'll have to be prepared to fly economy (which is actually not too bad on Aer Lingus) or to get a refund to a voucher if you are travelling before 30 September and the upgrade doesn't clear. You might also check the criteria for voucher refunds as I don't believe Basic fares qualify.
Good luck!