Icelandair now offering bids to upgrade 10 days before flight
Aug 29, 2017, 9:11 am
#91
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Delta SM, Marriott Plat , Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*, IHG Spire
Posts: 259
KEF-IAD Cleared
Upgrade cleared again from KEF to IAD from Economy to Economy Comfort. Bid $120 a person which was the lowest or second lowest (can't remember now) available. It's on their 767.
I'm not sure if it's going to be a Saga seat with Y+ service, like the outbound or if I'll be in the actual Economy Comfort seats. But regardless, the Saga lounge alone was worth the money. It's really nice and also just fits the airline better than any lounge I can remember. Shower, food, booze and several different areas that make the space feel bigger than it is.
I'm not sure if it's going to be a Saga seat with Y+ service, like the outbound or if I'll be in the actual Economy Comfort seats. But regardless, the Saga lounge alone was worth the money. It's really nice and also just fits the airline better than any lounge I can remember. Shower, food, booze and several different areas that make the space feel bigger than it is.
Sep 4, 2017, 10:36 pm
#93
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Flying IAD-KEF in a couple days, then KEF-BGO a few days later. Any suggestions into how much I should bid? Are the intra-Europe flights always this packed?
IAD-KEF
8 seats free in Y+, 18(?!) seats free in J
- Looks like rows 5 and 6 are still open in Business
KEF-BGO
4 seats free in Y+, 9 seats free in J
My introductory bids for Y+ are:
- $160 (mid-yellow) for IAD-KEF
- $180 (beginning of dark green) for KEF-BGO
I'm willing to bid more on the KEF-BGO flight, because I'd like to try the new Saga Lounge.
IAD-KEF
8 seats free in Y+, 18(?!) seats free in J
- Looks like rows 5 and 6 are still open in Business
KEF-BGO
4 seats free in Y+, 9 seats free in J
My introductory bids for Y+ are:
- $160 (mid-yellow) for IAD-KEF
- $180 (beginning of dark green) for KEF-BGO
I'm willing to bid more on the KEF-BGO flight, because I'd like to try the new Saga Lounge.
Sep 6, 2017, 12:54 pm
#94
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Update, my IAD-KEF upgrade bid cleared at T-73.
I was not expecting it to clear an hour early, which is unfortunate, because I was planning on lowering my bid at the last minute. Rows 5 and 6 are still marked as Business. I called IcelandAir, and they are unable to assign me to those rows. Looks like I will just have to wait until the day before or the day of, and see if rows 5 & 6 will be re-classified as Economy Comfort.
I think $160 for Y+ upgrade (if I don't get the Saga seats) won't be worthwhile. I would have been happier with $120.
I was not expecting it to clear an hour early, which is unfortunate, because I was planning on lowering my bid at the last minute. Rows 5 and 6 are still marked as Business. I called IcelandAir, and they are unable to assign me to those rows. Looks like I will just have to wait until the day before or the day of, and see if rows 5 & 6 will be re-classified as Economy Comfort.
I think $160 for Y+ upgrade (if I don't get the Saga seats) won't be worthwhile. I would have been happier with $120.
Last edited by iluvdoco; Sep 6, 2017 at 1:01 pm
Sep 7, 2017, 8:39 pm
#95
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
I was originally assigned to Row 11 in Y+, but while checking the seatmap this evening, noticed that:
a) Y+ had been rezoned to include Rows 5 & 6 (but rows 5 & 6 were shown as being occupied)
b) J was almost full except for 4 seats!
I called IcelandAir. Even though Rows 5 & 6 were shown as being occupied, they were able to assign me to 6D and 6F. Woohoo! Thanks everyone for your help!!
a) Y+ had been rezoned to include Rows 5 & 6 (but rows 5 & 6 were shown as being occupied)
b) J was almost full except for 4 seats!
I called IcelandAir. Even though Rows 5 & 6 were shown as being occupied, they were able to assign me to 6D and 6F. Woohoo! Thanks everyone for your help!!
Sep 12, 2017, 9:11 pm
#96
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,916
YVR-KEF Sept 15: bid C$320 pp for Saga, just above the minimum, top of red zone. Didn't really expect to get it, but wasn't prepared to pay any more for this product. It cleared today ^. Hope it's worth it.
Also bid C$135, also just above the minimum, top of red zone, for Economy Comfort, which obviously was declined.
Also bid C$135, also just above the minimum, top of red zone, for Economy Comfort, which obviously was declined.
Jul 8, 2018, 12:56 am
#98
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 35
Updated Class Up info
There’s some outdated Class Up info here so I thought I’d share some recent experiences and data points.
First, Icelandair has done away with PE, so Class Up is exclusively about upgrading to Saga business class.
Second, I noticed that if there were 5+ open seats, a MINIMUM bid will get you business class. For example, I put in a slightly-above minimum bid for DEN-KEF at $360, with 6 open seats several days
before departure. I was cleared T73 hrs, which is the absolute soonest you’ll get cleared. I also bid the minimum for my dad and brother on flights IAD-KEF, with 8 open seats, and they cleared about T70 (can’t explain for the few hour delay).
So my takeaway: if there are 5+ open seats, bid the minimum and you’ll almost definitely get the upgrade. The little gauge that shows your bid likelihood as red, orange, yellow, and green is complete horsecrap - all three of my ugrades cleared with blood-red, minimum bids.
Third and finally is the real question: is it worth it? I was deeply unimpressed by the experience. The seats are fine (US domestic first) and for that, plus enhanced service, it’s worth paying some premium. But that’s where the benefits end. Saga Lounge in KEF doesn’t allow arrival access, which seemed silly, as it’s post-immigration and relatively empty in the morning. I’m not aware of any other benefits, besides lounge access, which provides added value if you need it.
I think it DOES make sense to bid if 1) you have a long flight and can submit a reasonable minimum bid (mine required a minimum of $355, which was prob overpriced, but for 7.5 hours I’ll take it) and 2) you have reason to use the lounge, eg, you have a long layover. Otherwise, don’t bother. Iceland is a European hayseed backwater and its airline is reflective of that. So keep expectations very low, don’t spend too much, and you’ll be fine.
CONCLUSION: fly Icelandair and go for the Class Up upgrade if it’s cheap. You’ll probably get the upgrade unless the cabin is fully booked (or close). Otherwise, fly a different airline if you want businesses class. Icelandair kind of blows.
First, Icelandair has done away with PE, so Class Up is exclusively about upgrading to Saga business class.
Second, I noticed that if there were 5+ open seats, a MINIMUM bid will get you business class. For example, I put in a slightly-above minimum bid for DEN-KEF at $360, with 6 open seats several days
before departure. I was cleared T73 hrs, which is the absolute soonest you’ll get cleared. I also bid the minimum for my dad and brother on flights IAD-KEF, with 8 open seats, and they cleared about T70 (can’t explain for the few hour delay).
So my takeaway: if there are 5+ open seats, bid the minimum and you’ll almost definitely get the upgrade. The little gauge that shows your bid likelihood as red, orange, yellow, and green is complete horsecrap - all three of my ugrades cleared with blood-red, minimum bids.
Third and finally is the real question: is it worth it? I was deeply unimpressed by the experience. The seats are fine (US domestic first) and for that, plus enhanced service, it’s worth paying some premium. But that’s where the benefits end. Saga Lounge in KEF doesn’t allow arrival access, which seemed silly, as it’s post-immigration and relatively empty in the morning. I’m not aware of any other benefits, besides lounge access, which provides added value if you need it.
I think it DOES make sense to bid if 1) you have a long flight and can submit a reasonable minimum bid (mine required a minimum of $355, which was prob overpriced, but for 7.5 hours I’ll take it) and 2) you have reason to use the lounge, eg, you have a long layover. Otherwise, don’t bother. Iceland is a European hayseed backwater and its airline is reflective of that. So keep expectations very low, don’t spend too much, and you’ll be fine.
CONCLUSION: fly Icelandair and go for the Class Up upgrade if it’s cheap. You’ll probably get the upgrade unless the cabin is fully booked (or close). Otherwise, fly a different airline if you want businesses class. Icelandair kind of blows.
Last edited by Babybluejeans; Jul 8, 2018 at 1:05 am
Sep 17, 2018, 10:42 am
#100
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: New York
Programs: BAEC Silver, &c.
Posts: 446
To add another data point: I flew Icelandair (JFK-KEF) at the end of August, and my Classup bid-- for both me and my partner-- of $225 each was accepted three days out. At that point, more than half of the Saga cabin was empty, and the flight left with a couple of empty Saga seat. The flight seemed fairly lightly loaded overall (the guy in the first row of economy had it all to himself). I think bidding started at $215, I probably could have saved $20 by booking the minimum, but even still, it was a decent deal, especially since the underlying fare was very, very cheap.
To the question of was it worth it? I'd say yes, especially if you're traveling as a couple, because then you've got 2x2 seating. Lounge access (at JFK, via the BA club lounge) was useful, especially since traffic and security was faster than expected so we had quite a bit of time to kill, and Mr Turn Around is capable of drinking his fair share of pre-flight and in air champagne (it's on request in the Club lounge, and the FAs were very generous in bringing new mini bottles of Nicolas Feuillatte throughout the flight.) It's not a flat bed, and the flight is too short to get much decent sleep, but I'm glad we upgraded.
To the question of was it worth it? I'd say yes, especially if you're traveling as a couple, because then you've got 2x2 seating. Lounge access (at JFK, via the BA club lounge) was useful, especially since traffic and security was faster than expected so we had quite a bit of time to kill, and Mr Turn Around is capable of drinking his fair share of pre-flight and in air champagne (it's on request in the Club lounge, and the FAs were very generous in bringing new mini bottles of Nicolas Feuillatte throughout the flight.) It's not a flat bed, and the flight is too short to get much decent sleep, but I'm glad we upgraded.
Jan 21, 2019, 6:53 pm
#101
Join Date: May 2008
Location: "the world is my country"
Programs: Alaska 100K (aka OWS)
Posts: 811
UPDATE, as this is the only thread that I can find with a history of Class Up bids -
Flying SEA-KEF-CDG tomorrow. Purchased economy lite ticket at $399 round trip (who goes to Iceland in January!) There were about 12 seats empty in SAGA. Bid just over minimum (upper edge of red) and bid was accepted 72 hours out.
For us, it's worth it because as Alaska frequent flyers, we get NO miles for flying economy lite. So along with a more comfy seat and lounge access, we'll also get 125% miles. Total cost for a SAGA class ticket from SEA-KEF-CDG was about $700 o/w, gaining 11,291 miles each way flown SAGA but zero if flown economy lite.
Flying SEA-KEF-CDG tomorrow. Purchased economy lite ticket at $399 round trip (who goes to Iceland in January!) There were about 12 seats empty in SAGA. Bid just over minimum (upper edge of red) and bid was accepted 72 hours out.
For us, it's worth it because as Alaska frequent flyers, we get NO miles for flying economy lite. So along with a more comfy seat and lounge access, we'll also get 125% miles. Total cost for a SAGA class ticket from SEA-KEF-CDG was about $700 o/w, gaining 11,291 miles each way flown SAGA but zero if flown economy lite.
Jan 25, 2019, 7:22 pm
#102
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 136
Flying IAD to KEF at end of Jan. This time of year the loads are very light to Europe in January so I bid the minimum offer.
Prior there was only 1 confirmed seat in Saga. Then at T-72 hours the range of my bid changed from red to yellow range and I did not change my bid. Then at T-71 hours I was upgraded.
In between the moving from red to yellow and getting the upgrade I did try to check back and see if I could offer a lower bid but the minimum remained the same at $210 each way.
Prior there was only 1 confirmed seat in Saga. Then at T-72 hours the range of my bid changed from red to yellow range and I did not change my bid. Then at T-71 hours I was upgraded.
In between the moving from red to yellow and getting the upgrade I did try to check back and see if I could offer a lower bid but the minimum remained the same at $210 each way.
Last edited by trentmidds; Jan 25, 2019 at 7:43 pm
Feb 17, 2019, 6:39 pm
#103
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: ATL/KEF/HEL
Programs: AY Silver, BA Silver, FI Saga hopeful
Posts: 63
At this point it should be pointed out that the current premium to buy business class fare outright, is about 200-250USD per leg over economy standard.
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DJ
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DJ
Last edited by docjones; Feb 27, 2019 at 7:05 pm
Mar 19, 2019, 11:19 pm
#104
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 4
Update, two hours on the phone with customer service got me nowhere. One tweet and problem was fixed in 5 minutes
Has anyone ever had their bid accepted but the credit card declined the upgrade charge due to perceived fraud? I just went through this and 5 minutes after being approved for an upgrade already had my credit card turned back on but icelandAir customer service said they cant book the upgrade because it's too late to submit a new request even though there are seats available in Saga and the initial request was approved.
Any ideas on how to save the upgrade?
Has anyone ever had their bid accepted but the credit card declined the upgrade charge due to perceived fraud? I just went through this and 5 minutes after being approved for an upgrade already had my credit card turned back on but icelandAir customer service said they cant book the upgrade because it's too late to submit a new request even though there are seats available in Saga and the initial request was approved.
Any ideas on how to save the upgrade?
Last edited by forcemm; Mar 20, 2019 at 7:36 am Reason: New info
Apr 21, 2019, 3:09 am
#105
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AY Plat Lumo+LTG, FI Gold, DL Silver, BA, SK, AX Plat, Priority Pass, Marriott Ambassador & others
Posts: 634
I have an upcoming FI booking in economy where Expertflyer shows availability as J9 Y4. In this thread it is suggested that upgrade bids would be accepted at T-72, but is this the case if Y gets to be sold out before that? Would FI process upgrades before T-72 to make additional seats available in Y or would they just overbook Y and upgrade at T-72?