Donna49

I have a flight on Icelandair in 10 day, and just received this e-mail from them:

ICELANDAIR CLASS UP is a service we´re offering, where you can make us an offer for a seat on either Economy Comfort or Saga Class.

Try your luck and you´ll only pay for the CLASS UP if the offer is accepted.
If the offer is not accepted, you´ll keep your original seat.

Travelling should be fun, so go ahead and add a little luxury to your life.
Icelandair

Still not convinced? This is how it works

The e-mail then has boxes describing what happens:

Box 1) Would you like to CLASS UP?


Box 2) Name your price to upgrade each leg of your flight, then click Continue.

Box 3)We'll notify you via email if your request for an upgrade has been approved. If your offer is accepted, you'll be billed for the upgrade. If not, you pay nothing and keep the seat you have.



Please review the Terms and Conditions that apply to offers made under the program. This email was sent to you by Icelandair. If you have any questions please contact us [email protected]
Reykjavik Airport
101 Reykjavik
ICELAND




This is a very interesting change......bid on a better seat....

Donna49

Some additional info about CLASS UP under "On Board" in the FAQ (scroll about 2/3 down):

http://www.icelandair.us/information...r-support/faq/

R7U

Did you make bid? If you did, then how much did you bid?

Donna49

I have not placed a bid as yet, as I can wait until 72 hrs prior to the flight to do so.

I have flown Icelandair on a regular basis for almost 20 years, and I have been a Saga Gold Card holder (top level in their FF program) since 2000. This card entitles me to a free upgrade, space permitting, but the upgrade is done at the airport at check-in.

In the 13+ years of flying Icelandair as a Gold Card holder, I have only missed an upgrade twice. But my upgrade comes from space available the day of the flight, and this bid process awards successful bidders 48 hrs prior, so my upgrade possibility could really diminish with this program.

Waiting to see how this all shakes out.

Braniff

Thanks Donna

Sad to see Icelandair joinng this trend. I can see this having the potential to devalue Saga Gold quite significantly. But as you said, lets see how they implement it....

Donna49

FWIW, snagged a gold card upgrade to Saga today, on FI 680 from SEA, but only 2 seats left.

Saga class has been selling quite well out of SEA the past year, and those last 2 seats have been the only Saga class seats available for a week or so.

Jessica, FI station mgr here said that the bid process has been doing well in some cities, but SEA flights are always close to capacity with paid sales, so bidding is not even an option on many flights.

Guess I lucked out in a number of ways; FI 680 has been cnx tomorrow.

garethlewis

is this upgrade option available to any saga club member regardless of level?

Donna49

The "bid to upgrade" is an option available to everyone, as long as your e-mail is in your reservation. But not all flights will have this option; FI makes the decision to offer upgrades for bid 10 days before the flight, based on capacity, on a flight by flight basis.

Saga Gold card holders get unlimited 1 class upgrades, space available, done the day of the flight at the airport.

Saga Silver card holders get a once a year, 1 class upgrade, made by calling reservations.

Info on "bid for upgrade" here:

http://www.icelandair.co.uk/informat...u-go/class-up/


Saga Gold and Silver card upgrade info here: click "upgrade between classes"

https://www.icelandair.co.uk/frequen...lver-sagagold/

garethlewis

thanks for clearing that up, I may just give them a call 2 weeks before my flight to see what the likelihood is of being offered.

short_black

Just got my offer and clicked on it. The lowest bid it will accept for just 3 of my 4 legs is 100% of my original fare. I think I'll pass.

garethlewis

100% isn't much of a selling point tbh

short_black

I like to think it's because I got a good fare!

NZOZ

I got a really good fare also so I have a feeling we would be in a similar situation.

yokozuma

Is this still running at all?

Had an economy flight booked for me in Economy, wondering if I can do this or is it possible to upgrade myself by calling them?

Donna49

Yes, it is still running. You should get an e-mail 10 days prior to your first flight, but not all flights have this option.

It changes on a day to day basis, depending upon markets and bookings.

But calling Icelandair will not help, as this entire program is setup up and run by PLUSGRADE.

Icelandair sets the parameters on incremental revenue gained, but the entire thing is run by this firm:

http://www.plusgrade.com/


For a general overview, as it applies to the airlines that use this service, look here:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/47892126