sodaisei

I am NH Platinum with an upcoming NRT - JFK flight in economy. I am travelling with my wife and I really want us to get Premium economy seats.

Right now I cant select PY seats.

If seats are available when online check in starts (24 hours before the flight) supposedly I should be able to select those seats. I have never been able to get a PY upgrade despite being Platinum (too many diamonds...)

What strategy should I follow? Right now I haven't completed my passenger info on the reservation page so it automatically don't check me. For some reason I think if it does the automatic online check in it wont let me change my seats. Is this true? Should I actually fill my passenger details now and just log in into the system 24 hours before the flight after it checks me online automatically? Is there a possibility that PY upgrade is blocked only to do it per request in the airport?

I sound obsessed but if I don't get PY this time I think I am really dumping NH forever...

Formoz

PY upgrade is getting harder and harder to get.

As a SFC flying mainly TOK-West coast / HND-CDG/FRA I used to be able to score them right at the opening of online check-in 24h prior to departure about 90% of the time but since last year it is usually unavailable.
One ANA agent told me that even if there are seats available they cannot be assigned during online check-in but did not give me any reason. I suppose they block them for Diamonds checking in late but cannot be sure. Also the "Bid my price" offering made a lot of damage, plus ANA is marketing PY way more aggressively than before. Slightly cheaper price for tickets sold outside of Japan, message during the booking process reminding you you could get PY for an additional XXXXX JPY etc...

It kinda kills the advantage of being SFC but well I suppose they have a lot of customers willing to pay to get PY and lots of diamonds to keep happy...

Back to the topics, when not available during online check-in calling the SFC hotline helped me once. Otherwise go to the airport early and make the request at the counter. It now clears about 75% of the time while in the lounge.

Now as for automatic check-in from my experience it doesn't affect seat selection at all. Either PY has seats left and I can select them or it doesn't and then you're stuck in regular economy. Even with information registered I did sometimes get the lucky op-up upgrade to C class

Let us know if it cleared for you in the end.

Cheers!

Tokyoite

sodaisei

Thank you for your detailed answer, this is exactly what I wanted. I will complete the registration information and 24 hours before the flight will call them to see if they can assign me PY. If not, then I will try in the airport again.

Kirinknight

ksandness

When I booked NH on my most recent trip to Japan, I received an e-mail inviting me to bid on an upgrade to PY. Since the return flight is overnight, I bid what seemed reasonable for the NRT>SFO portion, and two days before departure, another e-mail told me that my bid had been accepted. I probably could have bid a bit less and still been accepted, because even then, PY was only about 3/4 full. But it was worth it. I was able to sleep 1) in a comfy chair 2) with no one next to me.

Formoz

Can you tell us how much you did bid ?

Kirinknight

ksandness

I bid US$325, but since the section was not full, I probably could have gotten by with less. However, since Kirinknight was rejected with only a slightly higher bid, I guess you have to take your chances.

GaijinEdokko

One of the Super Flyer Card (and also Platinum / Diamond) benefits is upgrades to Premium Economy.

From the English version of ANA's site:
" Members may travel in the Premium Economy Class if seats are available upon check-in at no additional charge, even when travelling with a non-eligible fare."

I have used this benefit several times when travelling on a paid economy class fare. And I realize it is subject to seat availability.

However, I was wondering if it also can be used for upgrading to Premium Economy on economy award travel. Could someone confirm?

Many thanks in advance.

GaijinEdokko

I realize the PY upgrade is no sure thing. But I am still wondering whether it is applicable to economy award travel.

Torode

It appears to be possible. A person on a Japanese blog who is an SFC member described successfully upgrading to PY on award economy tickets for a HND-FRA flight. Another Japanese blog casually mentions that "PY upgrade is available regardless of booking class, even for award tickets."

Tokyoite

The whole "free premium economy seat selection for AMC diamonds" is ending in September 2019.
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/amc/news/info/201810/py/

CPH-Flyer

That should probably get its own thread, though still plenty of time away before anything truly changes by 1st of April 2020.

sodaisei

WHAT!?

This is awful....