Mar 9, 2015, 6:33 am
Last edit by: Gnopps
*** MOD NOTE: Please do not remove ***
A friendly reminder that Flyertalk is not a marketplace, and nothing may be offered (or solicited) for sale or barter within the general forums - which includes offering vouchers for free. For those with sufficient posts and length of membership, trading/exchange is allowed solely within Coupon Connection, and then only in accordance with the specific rules of that forum.
Please do not attempt to solicit, sell or trade upgrade vouchers within this forum. Posts will be deleted and the members concerned potentially subject to disciplinary action. **Please note that this includes directly using the PM system to do so without first posting in Coupon Connection**. Thanks for your co-operation.
A friendly reminder that Flyertalk is not a marketplace, and nothing may be offered (or solicited) for sale or barter within the general forums - which includes offering vouchers for free. For those with sufficient posts and length of membership, trading/exchange is allowed solely within Coupon Connection, and then only in accordance with the specific rules of that forum.
Please do not attempt to solicit, sell or trade upgrade vouchers within this forum. Posts will be deleted and the members concerned potentially subject to disciplinary action. **Please note that this includes directly using the PM system to do so without first posting in Coupon Connection**. Thanks for your co-operation.
Criteria
- You must be travelling on A3 or OA metal - codeshares are not included.
- The original ticket must be issued on either A3 (390) or OA (050) ticket stock.
- Only revenue (paid) tickets, in fare classes other than U, P & T on a GoLight fare basis, can be upgraded, but not redemption tickets.
- All flights on the ticket must be on A3 or OA metal.
- There must be award availability in I-class for the upgrades to clear. You can check this by logging in to M&B then going to https://en.aegeanair.com/milesandbon...t/spend-miles/ The results page will initially be a calendar. To see Business availability, you have to click through to the next step. (You can also use a free or paid tool such as ANA website, UA website (looking for saver award space), Aeroplan, AwardNexus or ExpertFlyer to check for availability.)
- One coupon per person per journey leg is required - so, for example, TXL-ATH-SKG and return via the same route would require four coupons per person.
- Anyone can be upgraded using the coupons - you do not have to be travelling on the same booking or even the same plane.
Procedure
- Call A3 to request the upgrade. The phone numbers are listed at https://aegeanairlines.custhelp.com/ (most of them should go to the same call centre in Greece).
- If successful, a new ticket will be issued (with a new number). The PNR will remain unchanged.
- You are liable for any extra taxes applicable to Business Class (e.g. APD from the UK). Sometimes this gets charged, sometimes it doesn't - if it's due and you're not charged because the agent forgets, you've just been lucky.
- If there's no immediate I-class availability, you can ask to be waitlisted for upgrade. The ability to waitlist was reported to have been removed in August 2016, but was again possible in September. Check with the agent - option available on May 2018.
- in case you requested to be waitlisted for upgrade and want to check if the customer care agent made the changes on your booking you can check the reservation on checkmytrip.com (click here), the leg you requested the upgrade will be shown here as Waitlisted.
- If you wish to upgrade one segment of a multi-segment trip (e.g. XXX-ATH-YYY) and there is availability on the leg you wish to upgrade, you may still have to be waitlisted due to married segment issues. The process of clearing the waitlist is somewhat confusing and may result in frustration due to the availability seeming to disappear but in reality, this may mean that the segments have been "unmarried" and the availability has been allocated to your reservation. See post 2272 and the update in post 2294 for more details.
Benefits
- No matter what the fare basis of the original ticket, you receive full Business Class benefits after upgrade.
- This includes lounge access (useful if you're upgrading someone other than yourself who has no status, or if you've run out of Silver lounge vouchers) and full baggage allowance (it applies for first leg as well, in case you are upgraded only on the 2nd leg of your trip - confirmed on the etix).
- Because the ticket books as a redemption, the free car hire is not included.
Mileage/segment earning
- You will earn at the underlying rate of your purchased ticket in economy, not at a business class rate. Because status miles are awarded, this also counts as a segment for re-qualification purposes.
- The flights may credit automatically, but may take longer to credit than tickets that have not been changed. They may also credit as 0 miles, and later change to the correct rate. If the flights have not credited properly after a few weeks then calling A3 will rectify this rapidly.
Expiry
- The vouchers expire at the end of your membership year - they do not carry over, even if status is retained. A new set is issued every year.
- It is the date when you use the voucher that matters. It can upgrade a flight that takes place after expiry as long as you apply the voucher before.
- On upgrade from Silver to Gold, any remaining Silver upgrade coupons expire, but they are replaced by four Gold ones which expire at the end of the Gold membership year.
BEWARE
- Once you have upgraded your seat, your ticket will be reissued. Suddenly, this ticket may be VERY expensive to change. If, for instance, you later decide to travel on a different date, you will probably be required to rebook into Business, even if Economy was available for new bookings. A3 will charge you the difference from your original Economy fare to a NEW Business fare. Plus fees, taxes and whatnot. Update 18/08/2021: this appears to no longer be the case, as an upgraded ticket was changed and the underlying Economy fare was used for the upgraded segments. The coupon was "removed" from the old dates and "reapplied" to the new dates.
- Coupons will not be returned/reinstated. Once a coupon is applied, it is gone for good (the T&Cs printed on the coupons allow for date and time changes, but not route changes).
- If you want to provide your coupons to upgrade a friend's travel, it is advisable to call in yourself. Your friend can call in if they know your name, birthdate, M&B-number and the email address associated with your account. That means: Anyone who knows these particulars can use your coupons without your knowledge. They do NOT need the coupon numbers.
- Crediting upgraded segments to another program will likely fail, as it will be reported as I-class. It may be possible to retro-claim the miles.
Seat upgrade coupons
May 28, 2023, 1:53 pm
#2611
Join Date: Apr 2022
Programs: A3 Silver, DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 138
They definitely know how you upgraded. The fare code is set to "LUPG" indicating a 'free' coupon upgrade. I don't think they typically would rebook in this way unless there is also I-class availability on the alternative flight. AurelAF96 do you happen to know the fare/class for the new LH flight?
May 28, 2023, 4:14 pm
#2612
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Paris/Milan
Programs: Flying Blue Platinium; All Gold, A3 Gold, Safar Flyer Gold (OW Sapphire)
Posts: 312
They definitely know how you upgraded. The fare code is set to "LUPG" indicating a 'free' coupon upgrade. I don't think they typically would rebook in this way unless there is also I-class availability on the alternative flight. AurelAF96 do you happen to know the fare/class for the new LH flight?
But don't know on LH side, i'll let you know when miles will be credited
May 28, 2023, 11:16 pm
#2613
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 491
If a PNR has been split in order to apply upgrade coupons, don't the affected passengers get emails from Aegean, both about the split as well as the upgrade coupons?
I'm assuming one passenger would still be on the original PNR and a new PNR would be created for the "split" passenger.
Got my answer A problem occurs if all passengers dont have an attached email. When the pnr is split, only the one email on file is notified.
I'm assuming one passenger would still be on the original PNR and a new PNR would be created for the "split" passenger.
Got my answer A problem occurs if all passengers dont have an attached email. When the pnr is split, only the one email on file is notified.
Last edited by znke252; May 29, 2023 at 7:57 pm
May 29, 2023, 5:19 am
#2614
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,376
May 29, 2023, 6:05 am
#2615
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Paris/Milan
Programs: Flying Blue Platinium; All Gold, A3 Gold, Safar Flyer Gold (OW Sapphire)
Posts: 312
No i just enter in my booking again and saw in French write Type de Tarif : J/J
So i'm guessing in english it's Class J/J
On LH BP it was write C but i'm guessing it just to tell on which class i'm flying
See below:
The I class was the seat coupon upgrade
So i'm guessing in english it's Class J/J
On LH BP it was write C but i'm guessing it just to tell on which class i'm flying
See below:
The I class was the seat coupon upgrade
May 29, 2023, 7:50 am
#2616
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: BRU
Programs: A3 *G & FB G
Posts: 644
They definitely know how you upgraded. The fare code is set to "LUPG" indicating a 'free' coupon upgrade. I don't think they typically would rebook in this way unless there is also I-class availability on the alternative flight. AurelAF96 do you happen to know the fare/class for the new LH flight?
Best case scenario means that you'll get a ticket with an 'expensive' fare class (C, J, Z). I've had a ticket from HKG to FRA on miles on LH metal, which was rebooked to Z class due to IRROPS.
It is a lottery however, because let's say you're flying LH and there is P fare availability, it could be very possible you'll get a ticket in P class, which is also non-earning on A3. Another scenario is that they'll rebook you in a fare class equivalent to an award ticket as mentioned earlier. However, I have seen some posts here on FT A3 forum of people who had a business class ticket on A3 with an upgrade voucher, had IRROPS, and were rebooked on another airline with a fare class that is earning miles.
May 29, 2023, 10:42 am
#2617
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: A3 gold, BA silver, IHG platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 51
Can confirm that at least during IRROPS your booking class can change. 2 data points:
1) 3-4 years ago, on a LHR->ATH->SKG all-A3 metal ticket the LHR->ATH segment was late so I missed the last ATH->SKG departure. As I had upgraded all the 2 segments with coupons, they rebooked me for the first flight next day in business, and I think it was even a full-C fare which would indicate I got booked into whatever booking class was available at that point. This last segment also earned me the full C-class miles
2) Maybe 6 years ago(time flies!) I had a SFO->MUC->LHR flight with LH metal on a lowly K fare (low econ). Due to strikes in MUC my flight got cancelled 10 hours before departure. I was rebooked into a full Y fare, and earned in A3 M&B the miles for a full Y ticket.
1) 3-4 years ago, on a LHR->ATH->SKG all-A3 metal ticket the LHR->ATH segment was late so I missed the last ATH->SKG departure. As I had upgraded all the 2 segments with coupons, they rebooked me for the first flight next day in business, and I think it was even a full-C fare which would indicate I got booked into whatever booking class was available at that point. This last segment also earned me the full C-class miles
2) Maybe 6 years ago(time flies!) I had a SFO->MUC->LHR flight with LH metal on a lowly K fare (low econ). Due to strikes in MUC my flight got cancelled 10 hours before departure. I was rebooked into a full Y fare, and earned in A3 M&B the miles for a full Y ticket.
May 29, 2023, 2:33 pm
#2618
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SOF
Programs: A3 Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 849
This is very simple. When airlines rebook - they always use the highest booking class for the cabin you're traveling in. That doesn't mean they pay the highest price. The logic is simple - every airline uses their fare classes differently - some airlines have Premium Economy, Basic Economy, etc., so it's hard to match one booking class to another. Thus, it's a standard practice to use the highest booking class, which is usually uniform across airlines, for Economy - Y. That doesn't mean that airlines pay each other the full price of a Y ticket. Also, because of arrangements, availability, it may be that only Y has availability and no other booking classes. Instead of checking every single available booking class - the logic is that if there is availability, Y will show it. For other cabins, similarly. Yes, the mileage posts as the new booking class but that doesn't mean that if the one-way rate for the flight is 2,000 Euros, that's what the airline pays. They have agreements between each other for displaced passengers and the rates are defined. The new booking class has nothing to do with it - it's a matter of convenience to find availability.
May 30, 2023, 12:18 pm
#2620
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,376
That's great. Very lucky and probably a loss for Aegean. While airlines do exchange flight coupons (tickets) in case of irrops, I don't think that LH would honor a free upgrade that Aegean did for their FFP members. So Aegean likely paid for that (Though of course unclear how much. Probably not full fare).
May 30, 2023, 8:45 pm
#2621
Join Date: Apr 2022
Programs: A3 Silver, DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 138
Flying RHO-ATH-NAP, and applied upgrade coupon on ATH-NAP segment. Despite the fact that there is I award space on Expert Flyer, and ATH-NAP bookable as an award flight, A3 waitlisted the flight. I am aware that they sometimes waitlist for a few days when other segment (RHO-ATH in my case) has no I award availability, but it has been over a week, and the upgrade hasn’t been processed. Should I call A3 again and press them to process the upgrade?
May 30, 2023, 8:59 pm
#2623
Join Date: Apr 2022
Programs: A3 Silver, DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 138
The flights aren’t until August, do they wait longer to validate the upgrade if the flight isn’t in the near future? I don’t mind waiting for upgrade, I am just afraid that the award space will be taken by someone else, there is only 1 award seat left.
May 30, 2023, 11:23 pm
#2625
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Paris, France
Programs: A3*G, Accor ALL Gold
Posts: 598
I would definitely call Aegean to secure the seat.