Guest Points, Business Class and Upgrade Bid
Jan 12, 2018, 4:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 4
Guest Points, Business Class and Upgrade Bid
Joined Etihad guest for a leisure return journey from Manchester to Abu Dhabi travelling out on the 4th Jan, back yesterday.
Bid for the upgrade to Business class on the way out for just over the minimum offer and was successful.
Did not bother for the way back (had already blown a prodigious amount on a week at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers club rooms and this wasn't an expenses paid visit!).
Lo and behold points are there for the trip back, but not the trip out. Have mailed to "claim" them even though my guest number is clearly on the booking.
In all fairness I am not that bothered if they do not add it, because their loyalty programme seems rather miserly and the points only last a year if I am reading things right?
As someone who does not fly business all the time I have to say I was disappointed by the lounge at Manchester - had to ask for drinks and the breakfast on offer was a buffet style affair. Appreciate it is a different terminal, but the 1903 lounge is far superior in every respect - freshly cooked food to order and discrete service if you want it.
On board was similarly underwhelming - the cabin was tired (777-300ER), the seats were adequate, but not hugely comfortable and the staff were pleasant enough, but I do not think I was asked if I actually wanted anything other than the food order shortly after take off for the rest of the flight. They missed my breakfast and the lunch when it came was adequate but nothing special. Really was not impressed by the choice of films or TV on the entertainment system - after watching the new Kingsman movie ("forget you"!) I ran out of things to watch and read a book.
OK - I paid (in total) around £850 each (original fare plus £525 + £75 tax upgrade bid) for this leg of the flight. Not the end of the world, and I feel what I had about reflected that, but if I had paid the fare quoted for an upfront business class booking (around £3500 return, so say £1750 per leg) I would have felt duped.
Have only really discovered this forum since taking that outward journey and having an abiding feeling of being underwhelmed. Have then read about the cuts to an airline I felt was going to be (from reputation) outstanding. Seems like we should have made this trip a year or two ago!
By contrast I have to say the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers was outstanding in every respect.
Bid for the upgrade to Business class on the way out for just over the minimum offer and was successful.
Did not bother for the way back (had already blown a prodigious amount on a week at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers club rooms and this wasn't an expenses paid visit!).
Lo and behold points are there for the trip back, but not the trip out. Have mailed to "claim" them even though my guest number is clearly on the booking.
In all fairness I am not that bothered if they do not add it, because their loyalty programme seems rather miserly and the points only last a year if I am reading things right?
As someone who does not fly business all the time I have to say I was disappointed by the lounge at Manchester - had to ask for drinks and the breakfast on offer was a buffet style affair. Appreciate it is a different terminal, but the 1903 lounge is far superior in every respect - freshly cooked food to order and discrete service if you want it.
On board was similarly underwhelming - the cabin was tired (777-300ER), the seats were adequate, but not hugely comfortable and the staff were pleasant enough, but I do not think I was asked if I actually wanted anything other than the food order shortly after take off for the rest of the flight. They missed my breakfast and the lunch when it came was adequate but nothing special. Really was not impressed by the choice of films or TV on the entertainment system - after watching the new Kingsman movie ("forget you"!) I ran out of things to watch and read a book.
OK - I paid (in total) around £850 each (original fare plus £525 + £75 tax upgrade bid) for this leg of the flight. Not the end of the world, and I feel what I had about reflected that, but if I had paid the fare quoted for an upfront business class booking (around £3500 return, so say £1750 per leg) I would have felt duped.
Have only really discovered this forum since taking that outward journey and having an abiding feeling of being underwhelmed. Have then read about the cuts to an airline I felt was going to be (from reputation) outstanding. Seems like we should have made this trip a year or two ago!
By contrast I have to say the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers was outstanding in every respect.
Jan 12, 2018, 5:15 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 540
Yep. Bid for upgrade or upgrade with miles changes the ticket to "I" class and their system has not been able to cope with that for years. It will even show up most times on the etihadguest webpage list of transactions with the zero miles recorded.
Jan 12, 2018, 6:09 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: homeless
Programs: QF Plat, KL Plat, TK Gold, WY Gold, Bonvoy Tit
Posts: 581
Welcome to FT! If you are interested in flying more Business Class in the future I can strongly recommend you check out this forum as well: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Jan 12, 2018, 2:59 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: DUB / DOH
Posts: 693
Both daily departures to MAN are currently 77W.
Regarding the onboard product, I really feel that unless you are flying 787 or A380, then business class has seen better days. A lot of airlines have that seat and I was never a massive fan. Unless you can get a window seat, I think it's a let down.
The business studio, while similar in design, is a better product all round and I feel they put more effort into it.
Regarding the onboard product, I really feel that unless you are flying 787 or A380, then business class has seen better days. A lot of airlines have that seat and I was never a massive fan. Unless you can get a window seat, I think it's a let down.
The business studio, while similar in design, is a better product all round and I feel they put more effort into it.
Jan 16, 2018, 10:17 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 17
depends on booking class. you can't upgrade booking class Z or I.
but even those fares have no upgrade eligibility, recently they let you bid for an upgrade. obviously they need cash.
Jan 17, 2018, 5:08 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Etihad Platinum
Posts: 19
But be aware that upgrading from Business to First is critical with Etihad: Last September, I bought a return ticket in J LHR>DAR for February/March.
I wanted to upgrade the flight AUH>LHR:
There were only 3 seats taken in F Class, but two of them came from an upgrade using miles. That was the maximum. So I was waitlisted. In the afternoon of Dec. 24, as a Xmas present, my return flight was postponed by 1 day because they cancelled the flight DAR>AUH on that original day. Now came the same game with the waitlist.
Due to the miles devaluation since Jan.15, I shall need more miles for the upgrade J>F if they deign me that grace - but NB only if F will not be sold out on that date
But if I don't get it - that doesn't matter to me. My last flight in F with them, FRA>AUH, was a catastrophe:
That Mr.Tim from Australia, free from any personality or emotion, treated us (3 passengers) like a nameless chain gang.
I'll use F because of the bed, only, and shall kindly ignore them all, having eaten and drunk well in the Lounge(s) at AUH.
Let me cite form the following - the author's nationality is American and German: Review: Etihad Airways Lounge London Heathrow Airport - One Mile at a Time
Quotation:
"While I’ve flown Etihad first class many times before I’m always excited when I board, since I never quite know what to expect. While Cathay Pacific is consistent (almost) to a fault, Etihad is all over the place."
End of the citation that hits the bull's eye!