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
Oct 29, 2015, 8:39 am
#736
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
I flew Aegean a week ago. MUC-ATH-SKG-ATH-ARN, booked economy and upgraded to business with my 4 coupons. I haven't got any miles, yet.
Is it 100% sure that when I have used the coupons I still earn miles for the original booking?
Tried to retro claim as well but the website said the class was not eligible. So strange.
Is it 100% sure that when I have used the coupons I still earn miles for the original booking?
Tried to retro claim as well but the website said the class was not eligible. So strange.
.Ring now - your credits will be sorted within a couple of days at the most, more likely a couple of hours. The agents are well-versed in the issue now and these unravel themselves quickly.
Oct 29, 2015, 11:26 am
#737
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: MAN,TLV
Programs: Silver:BA,VX,AB, QF. Gold:A3,RJ,AZ,GF, EY,SPG,Marriott,Choice, Carlson. Dia/Plat:HH,IHG,BW,Accor
Posts: 1,965
I once called them 2 days after my upgraded flights, and the agent refused to forward the request for manual credit because it was to close to the flight date. But I think that depends on which agent you get.
Oct 29, 2015, 1:13 pm
#738
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,339
And i would agree with that. For me the automatic credit has worked fine for upgraded flights, though it takes about a week for the flights to credit. I suspect they have some kind of application that checks every week or so for these cases to automatically credit them - flights that are not upgraded do seem to credit faster.
Oct 31, 2015, 9:37 am
#739
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: AY+ Plat, A3*G
Posts: 672
I had the fastest coupon upgrade redemtion today. The whole call included waiting was 2:52min to upgrade 2 passengers. Agent once again spoke perfect english and promised to send new ticket by email.
Now have to wait until 26/11 to get new vouchers to also upgrade inbound.
Now have to wait until 26/11 to get new vouchers to also upgrade inbound.
Nov 2, 2015, 12:28 pm
#741
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Zürich area, Switzerland
Programs: *A-A3-*S, *A M&M FTL *S, EI-Green, AccorGold
Posts: 71
Good for you AxelB, I'm a little later than you and nothing yet so I've sent a politely and appreciatively worded email through the system now and gotten a reference number confirmation.
Will update here on resolution/developments.
Take care y'all....MF
Will update here on resolution/developments.
Take care y'all....MF
Nov 2, 2015, 12:31 pm
#742
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Zürich area, Switzerland
Programs: *A-A3-*S, *A M&M FTL *S, EI-Green, AccorGold
Posts: 71
I had the fastest coupon upgrade redemtion today. The whole call included waiting was 2:52min to upgrade 2 passengers. Agent once again spoke perfect english and promised to send new ticket by email.
Now have to wait until 26/11 to get new vouchers to also upgrade inbound.
Now have to wait until 26/11 to get new vouchers to also upgrade inbound.
, I just LOVE their authentic salads with the really tasty Kalamata olives and Feta, and the substantial coffees. I somehow missed out on an Ouzo last trip
Nov 4, 2015, 9:07 am
#743
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: homeless 2.0
Programs: A3 Gold, LH FTL
Posts: 1,065
Just a datapoint: I had my M&M number on the reservation of a coupon upgraded A3 segment and it appeared as a business A3 flight in my M&M statistics with no mile earning of course, and later I could just retro claim it to M&B.
Nov 6, 2015, 3:17 pm
#744
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
I just found out that, after a seat upgrade, it becomes super expensive to change the ticket. Because you now MUST rebook into Business AND pay the total difference between what you paid for Economy originally and the NEW price of Business.
That is because they do not just upgrade your seat, as may happen with a gate upgrade, but they reissue your ticket. It is now a Business ticket, but, usually, with a ridiculously low price. Any change triggers the fare difference to business, plus taxes, fees and because-we-can-charges.
I have edited the Wiki accordingly.
Also, I have added a warning about how easy it is to empty somebody else's reservoir of upgrade coupons.
That is because they do not just upgrade your seat, as may happen with a gate upgrade, but they reissue your ticket. It is now a Business ticket, but, usually, with a ridiculously low price. Any change triggers the fare difference to business, plus taxes, fees and because-we-can-charges.
I have edited the Wiki accordingly.
Also, I have added a warning about how easy it is to empty somebody else's reservoir of upgrade coupons.
Nov 7, 2015, 2:31 am
#745
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PAS, Paros Greece
Programs: A3 *G
Posts: 1,372
I just found out that, after a seat upgrade, it becomes super expensive to change the ticket. Because you now MUST rebook into Business AND pay the total difference between what you paid for Economy originally and the NEW price of Business.
That is because they do not just upgrade your seat, as may happen with a gate upgrade, but they reissue your ticket. It is now a Business ticket, but, usually, with a ridiculously low price. Any change triggers the fare difference to business, plus taxes, fees and because-we-can-charges.
I have edited the Wiki accordingly.
That is because they do not just upgrade your seat, as may happen with a gate upgrade, but they reissue your ticket. It is now a Business ticket, but, usually, with a ridiculously low price. Any change triggers the fare difference to business, plus taxes, fees and because-we-can-charges.
I have edited the Wiki accordingly.
Nov 7, 2015, 4:20 am
#746
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,339
I don't think it is supposed to work like either case.
When you upgrade your ticket is issued in 'I' class. This is the star alliance award fare. An award fare should never be changeable into a paid-fare, since that means miles will be earned - which is not supposed to happen with award flights. In sokolov's case they probably simply offered him a paid upgrade from the original economy fare to a regular business fare.
The second option, 'returning' the voucher; I have read that this happened to somebody in the first weeks/months that voucher upgrades are possible. However I believe that the vouchers now say that this is not allowed. Once issued, means used.
How it is supposed to work, in my opinion:
The underlying (economy) fare is rebooked, into economy, following its original fare rules. Then, the voucher that was applied to the original flight, can be applied to the new flight if there is availability in I class. Is there no availability, then you will lose the upgrade.
When you upgrade your ticket is issued in 'I' class. This is the star alliance award fare. An award fare should never be changeable into a paid-fare, since that means miles will be earned - which is not supposed to happen with award flights. In sokolov's case they probably simply offered him a paid upgrade from the original economy fare to a regular business fare.
The second option, 'returning' the voucher; I have read that this happened to somebody in the first weeks/months that voucher upgrades are possible. However I believe that the vouchers now say that this is not allowed. Once issued, means used.
How it is supposed to work, in my opinion:
The underlying (economy) fare is rebooked, into economy, following its original fare rules. Then, the voucher that was applied to the original flight, can be applied to the new flight if there is availability in I class. Is there no availability, then you will lose the upgrade.
Nov 7, 2015, 11:49 am
#748
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,894
The only instance I have seen them given back is with intervention from a sales Rep due to someone being ''valuable'' to A3 and ATH based with weekly commutes.
That is not to say that if another Gold raised a case / complaint with A3 that they would not do the same. We do need more feed back from Joe Soap Gold members.
That is not to say that if another Gold raised a case / complaint with A3 that they would not do the same. We do need more feed back from Joe Soap Gold members.
Nov 7, 2015, 11:55 am
#749
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
She explained it twice.
I had not been given that warning before, and this was the fourth time I called to upgrade a flight. I assume they had a case with a disenfranchised customer, so she warned me explicitly.