Auctioning of business class seats
Apr 8, 2018, 10:42 am
#61
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
Folks, a reminder that we debate the issue here, not the person. This discussion has turned too far towards the latter. Pull back, please.
/mod
/mod
Apr 8, 2018, 1:54 pm
#62
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: OTP/KRK
Programs: M&M FTL, Miles+Bonus Gold
Posts: 664
As an A3*G member increased miles to Business Class rates would definitely make the auction more attractive because there isn't much else that appeals to me for the price, but if I were a little short of qualification miles the upgrade might make all the difference. Does anyone from Aegean read this forum!? 
Apr 21, 2018, 9:28 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
As an A3 newbie, just got my first bids accepted for WAW-ATH-WAW (min. bid of €50 for each)... only to find that A3 awards miles according to the original booking class. 
Foolish of me to believe that their Plusgrade equivalent might work the same way as it does on SK and LH!
Foolish of me to believe that their Plusgrade equivalent might work the same way as it does on SK and LH!
Apr 21, 2018, 10:12 am
#64
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,339
That is as expected though. And i have to say that 50 euro on that route is pretty good! You’ll get the full business experience on the ground (lounge, priority) and in flight (including the same meals one would get on the longer flights).
Apr 21, 2018, 12:19 pm
#65
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
True. And the other advantage is that I can access the lounges without having to show my KF Gold Card, and thereby avoid the risk of the lounge dragon changing the FFP without telling me (which happened to me at WAW recently).
Apr 21, 2018, 1:36 pm
#66
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,899
EUR50 for that sector is exceptional value. The lowest I ever got with SK was EUR65 for a shorter sector and although it earned miles at double rate the onboard product is of course inferior to what A3 offer and often with no lounge either. If they had 2 x miles it would be too good to be true.
Apr 21, 2018, 3:32 pm
#67
Original Poster
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
On a 50 EUR bid upgrade, perhaps. I'm not so sure though, the additional miles would not cost them much.
For *G members these upgrades are not so attractive, if you're getting the extra baggage, lounge, and priority benefits anyway. I can't imagine a reason why I would want to bid for an upgrade unless I were short of miles and the upgrade offered more. As it is, that's not going to happen. I'll stick to the upgrade coupons thank you very much.
For *G members these upgrades are not so attractive, if you're getting the extra baggage, lounge, and priority benefits anyway. I can't imagine a reason why I would want to bid for an upgrade unless I were short of miles and the upgrade offered more. As it is, that's not going to happen. I'll stick to the upgrade coupons thank you very much.
Apr 22, 2018, 3:32 am
#68
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,339
...but to use the upgrade coupons you'll have to spend anywhere between 35 and 60 euro to buy up from Light to Flex. Plus the coupon itself (which has a value too).
The nice thing of these upgrades is that they can be applied to the cheapest light fare. While the coupons cannot. Of course, if you have to book flex anyway (or book a higher fare class because the flights are full) then the coupons may come out cheaper - but in some cases I would think that these buy ups are right up there in value
The nice thing of these upgrades is that they can be applied to the cheapest light fare. While the coupons cannot. Of course, if you have to book flex anyway (or book a higher fare class because the flights are full) then the coupons may come out cheaper - but in some cases I would think that these buy ups are right up there in value
Apr 22, 2018, 5:21 am
#69
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
...but to use the upgrade coupons you'll have to spend anywhere between 35 and 60 euro to buy up from Light to Flex. Plus the coupon itself (which has a value too).
The nice thing of these upgrades is that they can be applied to the cheapest light fare. While the coupons cannot. Of course, if you have to book flex anyway (or book a higher fare class because the flights are full) then the coupons may come out cheaper - but in some cases I would think that these buy ups are right up there in value
The nice thing of these upgrades is that they can be applied to the cheapest light fare. While the coupons cannot. Of course, if you have to book flex anyway (or book a higher fare class because the flights are full) then the coupons may come out cheaper - but in some cases I would think that these buy ups are right up there in value
Normally, as a *G I only bid for upgrades on EU flights to get the extra mileage (I do this with SK to get 200%, for instance), but what you say above means I might try again in future.
Apr 22, 2018, 5:27 am
#70
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
EUR50 for that sector is exceptional value. The lowest I ever got with SK was EUR65 for a shorter sector and although it earned miles at double rate the onboard product is of course inferior to what A3 offer and often with no lounge either. If they had 2 x miles it would be too good to be true.
The online option is relatively new, isn't it, so maybe people will get good deals until they tune the parameters to be a bit stricter. SK used to be a good deal on Plusgrade but then they changed to make it often ridiculously expensive (for my ARN-HKG flight, the minimum upgrade bid from Plus to Biz was greater than the cash difference in flight tickets which were still available for direct booking!).
Apr 22, 2018, 1:32 pm
#71
Original Poster
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
...but to use the upgrade coupons you'll have to spend anywhere between 35 and 60 euro to buy up from Light to Flex. Plus the coupon itself (which has a value too).
The nice thing of these upgrades is that they can be applied to the cheapest light fare. While the coupons cannot. Of course, if you have to book flex anyway (or book a higher fare class because the flights are full) then the coupons may come out cheaper - but in some cases I would think that these buy ups are right up there in value
The nice thing of these upgrades is that they can be applied to the cheapest light fare. While the coupons cannot. Of course, if you have to book flex anyway (or book a higher fare class because the flights are full) then the coupons may come out cheaper - but in some cases I would think that these buy ups are right up there in value
Apr 22, 2018, 1:51 pm
#72
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: 39000ft
Posts: 956
Does anybody have any indication on what defines the eligibility of the upgrade? I have 3 upcoming flights in Y (all international to/from ATH) but when I try my booking codes @ the webpage I get the message that my flight is not eligible. Booked in T, S, L.
Apr 23, 2018, 4:24 am
#73
Original Poster
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
Does anybody have any indication on what defines the eligibility of the upgrade? I have 3 upcoming flights in Y (all international to/from ATH) but when I try my booking codes @ the webpage I get the message that my flight is not eligible. Booked in T, S, L.
I don't think they will offer these upgrades on the routes where they know they can sell the seats in J.
Apr 23, 2018, 4:29 am
#74
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: OTP/KRK
Programs: M&M FTL, Miles+Bonus Gold
Posts: 664
I have a question as well... im planning my trip to KRK and I see that in Economy I can book seat 1A, but in the same time they are selling biz tickets on that specific flight. If I have a ticket in Economy, K/S booking class, and I redeem an upgrade voucher and noone is buying a biz class ticket, what is the possibility that A3 will not accept my upgrade request? I am asking because somehow it makes sense not to accept it, it will be weird to block biz cabin just for a pax whos using a voucher to upgrade...
Apr 23, 2018, 5:07 am
#75
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PAS, Paros Greece
Programs: A3 *G
Posts: 1,372
I have a question as well... im planning my trip to KRK and I see that in Economy I can book seat 1A, but in the same time they are selling biz tickets on that specific flight. If I have a ticket in Economy, K/S booking class, and I redeem an upgrade voucher and noone is buying a biz class ticket, what is the possibility that A3 will not accept my upgrade request? I am asking because somehow it makes sense not to accept it, it will be weird to block biz cabin just for a pax whos using a voucher to upgrade...
Last edited by Knobbgb; Apr 23, 2018 at 5:13 am