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 18, 2016, 1:45 pm
#1201
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: GVA
Programs: A3 *G, LX *G, AF *S
Posts: 761
None of the 2 Gold Family Members received an email. However, maybe they sent it only to the ones who still had open vouchers ? Those would be the only ones concerned immediately.
Oct 18, 2016, 4:48 pm
#1202
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Amsterdam
Programs: A3, BA, OZ,
Posts: 1,098
It's a bad "habit", I agree. So, once you find another program that satisfies you fully in terms of treating its loyal customers well (in the case of A3, most "loyal" customers fly four flights with them), please let us know: we'll all run to that program, not only from *A but also from ST and OW. 
Oct 18, 2016, 11:10 pm
#1203
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,473
MrsNWI has four remaining vouchers (as we used mine to upgrade a LON-ATH return earlier in the year) and definitely no e-mail.
Oct 21, 2016, 5:46 am
#1205
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,473
Oct 21, 2016, 9:29 am
#1206
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 48
Yes, I call the call centre to book the flight allow to upgrade, then I received the first email of the original ticket I saw the booking class P so I ring the call centre ask them why, they explain me because is felix P class, if u know that before I would save €20 to book on line, and if you find the cheapest flight like P class, then u choose Felix instead of Go Light next time.
Oct 21, 2016, 9:32 am
#1207
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
Yes, I call the call centre to book the flight allow to upgrade, then I received the first email of the original ticket I saw the booking class P so I ring the call centre ask them why, they explain me because is felix P class, if u know that before I would save €20 to book on line, and if you find the cheapest flight like P class, then u choose Felix instead of Go Light next time.
EDIT: Oh, I see it's changed on the website.....
''seat upgrade award is not eligible for the following booking classes: U, P, T, in GoLight ticket (Effective as of 20.10.2016).''
Hooray!!
Last edited by headingwest; Oct 21, 2016 at 10:06 am
Oct 21, 2016, 12:06 pm
#1209
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,473
. Well, certainly manageable and more equitable now, anyway.Wiki updated ...
Oct 21, 2016, 12:07 pm
#1210
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
It's definitely good news though, I'm already looking at new flights!
Oct 21, 2016, 2:11 pm
#1212
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50k, A3*G, UA*S, MR Titanium, HHonors Gold, Carlson Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 3,669
So how would this work if you get a multi-carrier A3-plated ticket? e.g. ATH-LHR-US/CA/Asia? Assuming you could get that plated on A3 stock, anyways
Oct 21, 2016, 11:03 pm
#1213
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,473
As an example, if you look for LON-ATH flights, those direct with A3 on A3 metal have all options available. Those with a leg on LH metal, even with an A3 codeshare number, only offer Flex and Business.
Oct 22, 2016, 12:19 am
#1214
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PAS, Paros Greece
Programs: A3 *G
Posts: 1,369
EDIT: Also, I just received the official reply to my complaint about this, which I assume is a standared reply that is sent to everyone who complained. It's interesting to note that this also confirms that upgrades are available in ALL flex fares (my bold). It also suggests booking S class and above fares through the website so that the upgrade availability can be checked and confirmed at the same time as the booking although it does NOT address my comment/request that the 20 Euro booking fee should NOT bve changed when a customer is calling to book a more expensive fare that is not available online.
Dear Mr. xxx,
Thank you very much for taking the time to address our department with your recommendations and notices, in relation to the use of your complimentary upgrade coupons’ privilege, as our Gold Miles+Bonus member, following the recent modification on respective policy and your communication with our Reservation Department.
Initially, we confirm from our end that the policy on the eligible booking classes for the Complementary upgrades has been modified, while the rules and conditions for the coupons’ use have been accordingly updated and relevant email communication forwarded to all eligible Miles+Bonus members.
Kindly note that although we fully understand your arguments, we would like to bring under your attention that each Loyalty program reserves the right to unilaterally alter at any time and with immediate effect, the flights and fares which are eligible for mileage accrual, as well as the booking classes that allow seat upgrade with vouchers or miles redemption. By all means, in the event that such a decision takes place, the relevant changes are immediately notified to our customers via our official web site (www.aegeanair.com) and any relevant printed material.
On these grounds, as soon as the commercial decision was announced, both the coupon and the web site have been updated accordingly. The service is used following the instructions and rules displayed on the coupon and therefore, our members are advised on the necessary prerequisites to be met for its application.
Please also note that, booking class “S” is the lowest Go-light fare, which is eligible for upgrade with seat upgrade vouchers. It should be though noted that the upgrade award is feasible in all fare categories (U,P,T included) in cases that the Economy class ticket has been booked under Flex fare category.
It is true that each time you book your tickets through our website: https://en.aegeanair.com/plan/book-a-flight/ or https://www.olympicair.com/en/Travel...ations/Tickets, you may issue your tickets only to the lowest available fares. Nevertheless, in case you wish to choose a specific booking class, please contact our Reservation Department at +30 210 62000 (24 hours service) and one of our colleagues will guide you on choosing the appropriate fare. In this case you may be informed, in advance, for the seat upgrade award availability, so as to be sure that your upgrade request shall be accomplished.
Mr. xxx, appreciating the initiative taken to bring your notifications to our attention, please do not hesitate to revert under our correspondence at any time, as it will be our pleasure to answer your questions and receive your valuable feedback on our provided services, while we look forward to welcoming you on board our flights in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxx
Thank you very much for taking the time to address our department with your recommendations and notices, in relation to the use of your complimentary upgrade coupons’ privilege, as our Gold Miles+Bonus member, following the recent modification on respective policy and your communication with our Reservation Department.
Initially, we confirm from our end that the policy on the eligible booking classes for the Complementary upgrades has been modified, while the rules and conditions for the coupons’ use have been accordingly updated and relevant email communication forwarded to all eligible Miles+Bonus members.
Kindly note that although we fully understand your arguments, we would like to bring under your attention that each Loyalty program reserves the right to unilaterally alter at any time and with immediate effect, the flights and fares which are eligible for mileage accrual, as well as the booking classes that allow seat upgrade with vouchers or miles redemption. By all means, in the event that such a decision takes place, the relevant changes are immediately notified to our customers via our official web site (www.aegeanair.com) and any relevant printed material.
On these grounds, as soon as the commercial decision was announced, both the coupon and the web site have been updated accordingly. The service is used following the instructions and rules displayed on the coupon and therefore, our members are advised on the necessary prerequisites to be met for its application.
Please also note that, booking class “S” is the lowest Go-light fare, which is eligible for upgrade with seat upgrade vouchers. It should be though noted that the upgrade award is feasible in all fare categories (U,P,T included) in cases that the Economy class ticket has been booked under Flex fare category.
It is true that each time you book your tickets through our website: https://en.aegeanair.com/plan/book-a-flight/ or https://www.olympicair.com/en/Travel...ations/Tickets, you may issue your tickets only to the lowest available fares. Nevertheless, in case you wish to choose a specific booking class, please contact our Reservation Department at +30 210 62000 (24 hours service) and one of our colleagues will guide you on choosing the appropriate fare. In this case you may be informed, in advance, for the seat upgrade award availability, so as to be sure that your upgrade request shall be accomplished.
Mr. xxx, appreciating the initiative taken to bring your notifications to our attention, please do not hesitate to revert under our correspondence at any time, as it will be our pleasure to answer your questions and receive your valuable feedback on our provided services, while we look forward to welcoming you on board our flights in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxx
Last edited by NWIFlyer; Oct 22, 2016 at 4:28 am Reason: Remove staff member name per FT privacy rules
Oct 22, 2016, 1:41 am
#1215
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
You might want to remove the name of the employee in that e-mail.
You're not suggesting that an airline actually listens to customers' complaints and acts on them, are you? That would be most refreshing indeed!!
You're not suggesting that an airline actually listens to customers' complaints and acts on them, are you? That would be most refreshing indeed!!