Do we know, can you upgrade reward economy bookings to biz w/ points?
May 13, 2024, 3:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: DTW
Programs: UR, MR, AA, DL, HH, IHG, Bonvoy
Posts: 41
Do we know, can you upgrade reward economy bookings to biz w/ points?
So when we were stuck booking tickets on the crappy Avios website, you couldn't upgrade an economy booking to biz w/ points. But you could upgrade a purchase from the Aer Lingus website to Biz w/ points. Now that we book everything on the Aer Lingus site, has anyone figured out if you can upgrade economy seats bought w/ Avios to business class using Avios? I'm looking at tickets for next year and several routes seemed to have not released any business class seats yet. But yet for this summer there are several available. So if I was to book economy now, I just want to know if I'll be able to upgrade.
May 14, 2024, 12:52 am
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,858
So when we were stuck booking tickets on the crappy Avios website, you couldn't upgrade an economy booking to biz w/ points. But you could upgrade a purchase from the Aer Lingus website to Biz w/ points. Now that we book everything on the Aer Lingus site, has anyone figured out if you can upgrade economy seats bought w/ Avios to business class using Avios? I'm looking at tickets for next year and several routes seemed to have not released any business class seats yet. But yet for this summer there are several available. So if I was to book economy now, I just want to know if I'll be able to upgrade.
Genuinely puzzled by people who want to upgrade rather than redeeming outright - particularly in this case where it seems you're not short of Avios, where you know a business seat is available, and there is no earthly reason to first book an economy ticket when what you want, can have, and can afford is a business ticket.
May 14, 2024, 12:17 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: DTW
Programs: UR, MR, AA, DL, HH, IHG, Bonvoy
Posts: 41
If you have the Avios required to book Economy, and you still have enough Avios left over to upgrade to business class, and if there are business class seats available for redemption now - why don't you just redeem into business class outright?
Genuinely puzzled by people who want to upgrade rather than redeeming outright - particularly in this case where it seems you're not short of Avios, where you know a business seat is available, and there is no earthly reason to first book an economy ticket when what you want, can have, and can afford is a business ticket.
Genuinely puzzled by people who want to upgrade rather than redeeming outright - particularly in this case where it seems you're not short of Avios, where you know a business seat is available, and there is no earthly reason to first book an economy ticket when what you want, can have, and can afford is a business ticket.
May 14, 2024, 3:01 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, Mucci
Posts: 2,093
If business class was available I would book it. 2 seats are open now. We have 3 traveling. So I can book 2 of them and want to know if I can upgrade the 3rd person later. Aer Lingus will let you upgrade w/ avios if you purchase your ticket with cash. So I'm asking if you can do it w/ an avios booking. In the past they said no since technically the avios booking wasn't directly through Aer Lingus.
You would not be able to book the third person in economy, for example, and then upgrade to business class. You would need, if an Avios seat became available in business class, to cancel the economy booking, and then book with points into business class.
So no, you can't upgrade an Avios reward booking in economy to one in business class - it's a cancel and rebook situation. Same deal as BA.