D bucket - is it both saver award & upgrade award?
Dec 2, 2010, 4:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 32
D bucket - is it both saver award & upgrade award?
Sorry guys, yet another upgrade question / possible OPW whinge... 
I'm booked to travel PER-LGW late march, and the entire route is upgraded using miles from Y to J. I'm currently looking at changing to late Jan instead.
Phoned up Emirates, and DXB-LON is doable, I can keep the upgrade aslong as I don't fly on the 380. However for PER-DXB, there's apparently no upgrades open in all of Jan & Feb.
Now, AFAUI, D class covers both upgrades and saver awards, and looking online through skywards business saver awards are available.
So what gives... has the agent got it wrong and is it worth a call back? I wasn't speaking to skywards just a regular agent.
Expertflyer seems to have lost the ability to search D class at the moment, I've already tried confirming on there.
I'm booked to travel PER-LGW late march, and the entire route is upgraded using miles from Y to J. I'm currently looking at changing to late Jan instead.
Phoned up Emirates, and DXB-LON is doable, I can keep the upgrade aslong as I don't fly on the 380. However for PER-DXB, there's apparently no upgrades open in all of Jan & Feb.
Now, AFAUI, D class covers both upgrades and saver awards, and looking online through skywards business saver awards are available.
So what gives... has the agent got it wrong and is it worth a call back? I wasn't speaking to skywards just a regular agent.
Expertflyer seems to have lost the ability to search D class at the moment, I've already tried confirming on there.
Dec 2, 2010, 4:51 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 32
Oops. Foot in mouth moment; just rechecked and they're all flex...
ETA: No they're not, one way searches only do flex. So original question still stands... with a possible addition of, and I know this is complete guesswork, if I'm going to have to waitlist what tends to be the better day of week.
ETA: No they're not, one way searches only do flex. So original question still stands... with a possible addition of, and I know this is complete guesswork, if I'm going to have to waitlist what tends to be the better day of week.
Last edited by Jem90; Dec 2, 2010 at 4:57 am
Dec 2, 2010, 4:52 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: OSL
Programs: BA Gold | SK Gold | A3 Gold
Posts: 4,553
Wait till closer to the date as upgrades should open up then. This works if your miles haven't expired and can be recredited for free.
ETA: Back to my original answer...
On EF are you sure you're using awards and upgrades, and not the regular flight availability?
Maybe you need to call and speak with a different agent?
If D is available, upgrades are available.
ETA again: Ok, I checked EF and there's some error. I wonder if the agent is coming up with the same error (the GDS is linked, right?) and just telling you there's no availability? If you try proceeding with a Saver redemption thru ek.com, does that work?
ETA: Back to my original answer...
On EF are you sure you're using awards and upgrades, and not the regular flight availability?
Maybe you need to call and speak with a different agent?
If D is available, upgrades are available.
ETA again: Ok, I checked EF and there's some error. I wonder if the agent is coming up with the same error (the GDS is linked, right?) and just telling you there's no availability? If you try proceeding with a Saver redemption thru ek.com, does that work?
Last edited by ung1; Dec 2, 2010 at 6:14 am
Dec 2, 2010, 7:57 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 32
Thought they were the same bucket; I'd quickly checked on ek.com a couple of days ago and it looked reasonably open so was a bit of surprise phone up and find it wasn't.
I've had a really good look now, the PER-DXB leg is fairly open in saver reward, and the DXB-LON leg is mainly flex rewards with the odd saver.
So it's pretty odd that the ek agent said DXB-LON was quite open and PER-DXB was the one not available.
With EF playing I'm hoping it's just a glitch. The miles used for DXB-LON expired back in May, and the PER-DXB one's expire end of Feb (different accounts...)
I'm a bit concerned if they end up refunding the miles they'll somehow manage to refund the expired portion.
I've had a really good look now, the PER-DXB leg is fairly open in saver reward, and the DXB-LON leg is mainly flex rewards with the odd saver.
So it's pretty odd that the ek agent said DXB-LON was quite open and PER-DXB was the one not available.
With EF playing I'm hoping it's just a glitch. The miles used for DXB-LON expired back in May, and the PER-DXB one's expire end of Feb (different accounts...)
I'm a bit concerned if they end up refunding the miles they'll somehow manage to refund the expired portion.
Dec 2, 2010, 1:15 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: AUS / DXB
Programs: BA Silver | AA LT Gold | EY Silver | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,838
Yeah, EF seems somewhat flummoxed by D and Z class lookups since last night. But yes, D is the inventory needed to book upgrade awards. I for Saver Awards? That's news to me....
Dec 2, 2010, 4:35 pm
#8
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741
We just called EK and they confirmed that D is both the upgrade and saver award business class. They also said that I couldn't be an award class because it's a revenue class.
Dec 3, 2010, 10:20 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: AUS / DXB
Programs: BA Silver | AA LT Gold | EY Silver | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,838
We fixed the issue with some Award searches earlier today so that should be working now.
We just called EK and they confirmed that D is both the upgrade and saver award business class. They also said that I couldn't be an award class because it's a revenue class.
We just called EK and they confirmed that D is both the upgrade and saver award business class. They also said that I couldn't be an award class because it's a revenue class.
Dec 6, 2010, 12:03 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: EK Gold, Etihad Gold, AA Gold, FlyingBlue Silver
Posts: 86
Dec 6, 2010, 4:33 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 32
Well, I was hoping to follow this up with saying all changed and successfully upgraded as D class is definitely upgrades, and space is available on both flights.
Changed the booking by phoning up EK in Melbourne and it's showing the change in MMB but not view/print my ticket. The upgrade is being done with Skywards Manchester though as that's where the generous holder of the miles is, and they can't do anything till MEL finish off the ticket re-issue, and they can't take over and re-issue it themselves instead.
Chase up on Friday - it'll be done tomorrow.
Saturday - it'll be done first thing monday.
Monday - should be done tomorrow.
Arrgh. Skywards MAN are holding the upgrades for now, but we're probably pushing our luck with getting the hold extended for another day each time this while MEL sort themselves out.
So it seems their systems aren't linked together quite as well as they could be, might explain why online changes aren't possible.
Changed the booking by phoning up EK in Melbourne and it's showing the change in MMB but not view/print my ticket. The upgrade is being done with Skywards Manchester though as that's where the generous holder of the miles is, and they can't do anything till MEL finish off the ticket re-issue, and they can't take over and re-issue it themselves instead.
Chase up on Friday - it'll be done tomorrow.
Saturday - it'll be done first thing monday.
Monday - should be done tomorrow.
Arrgh. Skywards MAN are holding the upgrades for now, but we're probably pushing our luck with getting the hold extended for another day each time this while MEL sort themselves out.
So it seems their systems aren't linked together quite as well as they could be, might explain why online changes aren't possible.