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
Nov 19, 2018, 5:08 am
#1816
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germany
Programs: *G, OWS
Posts: 214
Received the message that one of the flights has been upgraded so I'm holding at 2 Upgraded and 2 waitlisted.
Strangely enough for the 1 waitlisted flight I received a email offer to bid for an upgrade and EF is showing 3 I class seats available.
Isn't open I class space the only prerequisite for an upgrade?
Strangely enough for the 1 waitlisted flight I received a email offer to bid for an upgrade and EF is showing 3 I class seats available.
Isn't open I class space the only prerequisite for an upgrade?
Nov 19, 2018, 7:46 pm
#1819
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Programs: A3 *G
Posts: 349
Just booked a ticket on an OTA and it came up as Economy "J" class. I thought this was strange, but booked it anyway.
I checked on the Aegean website and it is indeed an economy ticket and is listed in J class.
I asked for upgrade availability and there is some, but they said J class is not one they sell, it is exclusively for tour operators and is not upgradeable.
The terms of the ticket don't make any mention of J class not being upgradeable and the ticket number does begin 390.
Anyone encountered this before?
I checked on the Aegean website and it is indeed an economy ticket and is listed in J class.
I asked for upgrade availability and there is some, but they said J class is not one they sell, it is exclusively for tour operators and is not upgradeable.
The terms of the ticket don't make any mention of J class not being upgradeable and the ticket number does begin 390.
Anyone encountered this before?
Nov 19, 2018, 10:56 pm
#1820
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,566
If a ticket in J fare is indeed only sold to tour operators, it does really make sense that it is not upgradable: the actual "contract" is between the tour operator and A3 and not between you and the airline (you have a contract with the OTA!). Moreover, if you check A3's web site, in the description of coupon-upgrades it states: "Free, award, group, charter flights and barter tickets, are not eligible for this offer". The tour operator "intermediate" makes this a ticket for a charter or a group flight, at least in Aegean's "mind". Finally, I just wonder whether the OTA had the right to actually sell this kind of ticket to an individual passenger, but this is something that is entirely between him and the airline.
Nov 20, 2018, 2:11 am
#1822
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germany
Programs: *G, OWS
Posts: 214
All tickets are booket in booking classes allowing for an upgrade (otherwise I assume they wouldn't waitlist me for an upgrade).
By now all flights except the Sunday flight showing 3 spots in I class have been upgraded
Edit:just saw that the waitlist for that flight has been removed...
By now all flights except the Sunday flight showing 3 spots in I class have been upgraded
Edit:just saw that the waitlist for that flight has been removed...
Last edited by frogster; Nov 20, 2018 at 2:27 am
Nov 20, 2018, 5:48 am
#1823
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: 39000ft
Posts: 956
I actually recently came across a J-fare. It shows only on expedia. See attached. I don't see how this is a "tour-operator" flight. Anyone can book it (It's for 18th of December).
The price is really cheap (maybe cheaper than P?) and acc. to M&B it credits 100% accrual!
PS. By the way I always thought that J was a booking class related to business class...
The price is really cheap (maybe cheaper than P?) and acc. to M&B it credits 100% accrual!
PS. By the way I always thought that J was a booking class related to business class...
Nov 20, 2018, 6:56 pm
#1824
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,566
Certainly not a charter flight, but a group fare: a substantial number of seats "sold" to Expedia by A3, perhaps? Flights to DUS are available for booking on A3's site as well for a similar price (56.69) but they're in P fare class.
Nov 20, 2018, 11:37 pm
#1825
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: A3*G, Marriott Gold, Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium
Posts: 856
Random question for you experts: does anyone know whether a booking for 2 adults and a lap infant requires 2 or 3 coupons? I'm guessing (and hoping!) 2, as it would seem very harsh to require a 3rd for a lap infant who won't get any of the J class benefits. I'm probably booking flights in the next day or 2 so would like to be forearmed before ringing A3 about this. Not that there's any availability on the flights I want at the moment anyway due to the new upgrade bidding system but it's always worth a shot. 
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Nov 21, 2018, 1:48 am
#1826
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
Random question for you experts: does anyone know whether a booking for 2 adults and a lap infant requires 2 or 3 coupons? I'm guessing (and hoping!) 2, as it would seem very harsh to require a 3rd for a lap infant who won't get any of the J class benefits. I'm probably booking flights in the next day or 2 so would like to be forearmed before ringing A3 about this. Not that there's any availability on the flights I want at the moment anyway due to the new upgrade bidding system but it's always worth a shot. Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!1) buy 2 adult tickets only
2) upgrade the tickets
3) add the lap infant once upgraded
positif: that way you're sure it takes only 2 coupons
negatif: the infant ticket may be a bit more expensive since it's based on a business class ticket
Again, all this is hypothetical. maybe others with experience in this can chime in on that.
Nov 21, 2018, 1:54 am
#1827
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: A3*G, Marriott Gold, Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium
Posts: 856
No experience with this, but my guess would be, in that order:
1) buy 2 adult tickets only
2) upgrade the tickets
3) add the lap infant once upgraded
positif: that way you're sure it takes only 2 coupons
negatif: the infant ticket may be a bit more expensive since it's based on a business class ticket
Again, all this is hypothetical. maybe others with experience in this can chime in on that.
1) buy 2 adult tickets only
2) upgrade the tickets
3) add the lap infant once upgraded
positif: that way you're sure it takes only 2 coupons
negatif: the infant ticket may be a bit more expensive since it's based on a business class ticket
Again, all this is hypothetical. maybe others with experience in this can chime in on that.
Thanks very much for the suggestion though! 
Nov 21, 2018, 2:21 am
#1828
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
Now that's an interesting idea. I hadn't thought of that. The only issue is that the flights are next June and it appears that all will be waitlisted for upgrades so I'd be nervous of not adding the lap infant until the waitlist clears in case something went wrong and she wasn't able to fly with us. Somehow I think her mum would be less than amused with me. Thanks very much for the suggestion though!
Thanks very much for the suggestion though! What I would do is check that the flights you pick has already 2 I tickets in its inventory. And then call the right agent, explain the situation and book it over the phone (with a fee
), upgrade it right away, and add the lap child after that.
Nov 21, 2018, 5:51 am
#1829
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: 39000ft
Posts: 956
Sure, but J-availabilty apparently does not match the P-availability as far as I checked. And if J is giving 100% accrual it might be better than booking in P.
Nov 21, 2018, 7:23 am
#1830
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,566
Aside from the non-coupon-upgradability of J tickets, you're right as far as earning miles is concerned. The problem is, though, that you have to get them through an OTA and it is not certain that the OTA will be making them available. Unless, of course, this is a new A3 policy and all tickets bought from an OTA are in J. Nobody has reported this in this forum yet, so we have to wait till we have more data.