A3 segment run in style - how to determine booking class?
 

It seems to become more and more difficult to figure out the actual booking class when bookings flights via airline websites (e.g., LH, SK). How does this work on A3? If I'm doing a segment run and want to be able to upgrade, I need to avoid booking classes U, P and T - which is kind of hard if I don't know which booking class I'm actually buying.

I suppose an indirect way of going about it is comparing the miles shown for the "go light" or "saver" fare with the "flex" fare - if the miles are the same, then the booking class should be upgradeable. Is that correct, and is there a different/better way of figuring this out/forcing specific booking classes? I suppose one can always go via the A3 call center (particularly since one needs to call them anyway to upgrade), but will that trigger an additional charge?

You only need to avoid U, P and T in "GoLight". All Flex fares are upgradeable. The booking class is actually very easy to find when making a booking on the A3 website. Once you've selected the flights you want, click the down arrow next to "FLIGHTS" on the right hand side of the screen and you will be presented with the booking class. If you want to force a flight into a higher booking class, the only option is to ring A3 to book. There's a €20 fee for offline bookings.

There's lots of really good info on booking classes and upgrade coupons in the Seat upgrade coupons thread.

Hope that helps and that you're able to get your segments done in style. :)

Only P,U,T fares under GoLight are non-upgradeable. That means that every flex and saver fare should be upgradeable regardless of the booking class.

Also, the A3 website lets you easily verify the booking class: in the search results screen, once you have selected a flight, you can click on the arrow appearing at the right part of the screen, next to "flights" and the booking class will show.

Finally, you can always go via the call center to select a specific class, but for every reservation made that way there is a 20 euro fee.

Edit: Apparently gpb_croppers63 was faster :)

Thanks both! I had not realized what the arrow did - had tried just about everything else on the website.

Also, good to know that "saver" will always be upgradeable regardless of booking class!

Well, it looks as if, at the moment, it's simply not possible to combine cheap fares and upgradeability - all the cheap ones book into one of the "forbidden" booking classes in go light. For example, in the current sale, CPH - RHO return in October can be as little as €130,-, but if one wants to upgrade, at least on the website it's €190,- (flex). So Agean are essentially saying that the "free" upgrade vouchers are not really intended for segment runs. Not blaming them, just sayin'.

You can buy he saver instead of flex, just not the go light