Ethiopian - new online upgrade auction
Mar 7, 2018, 7:17 am
#46
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Bids.....I would guess that less than 1% of the economy class passengers in a flight ever bid up to business class. (2.4 people / 246 people).
ET usually accepts the lowest bid, unless the cabin is full with cash passengers in business class.
I have a 90% success rate so far. 9/10 ADD-NRT via HKG.
The minimum bid of $270 is a steal for 16 hours westward and 14 hours eastward flight block time in a semi-flat bed.
For this route though, they have now raised the minimum bid to $350 after they realigned the flights.
Realign - Seems ET realized that ADD-HKG is a low paying route that is always packed in economy, and the tag legs to NRT/ICN are higher yield but with low pax numbers (most people get on/off at HKG).
So they split the flights, ADD-HKG separate from ADD-NRT via ICN. This new ADD-NRT via ICN route is $300 more than the previous pricing, and the upgrade fee is correspondingly higher.
fyi (link):
Addis Ababa – Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita eff 02JUN18 4 weekly 787-8 service, replacing Addis Ababa – Hong Kong – Seoul and Addis Ababa – Hong Kong – Tokyo routing. Overall frequency for Tokyo increases from 3 to 4 weekly
ET usually accepts the lowest bid, unless the cabin is full with cash passengers in business class.
I have a 90% success rate so far. 9/10 ADD-NRT via HKG.
The minimum bid of $270 is a steal for 16 hours westward and 14 hours eastward flight block time in a semi-flat bed.
For this route though, they have now raised the minimum bid to $350 after they realigned the flights.
Realign - Seems ET realized that ADD-HKG is a low paying route that is always packed in economy, and the tag legs to NRT/ICN are higher yield but with low pax numbers (most people get on/off at HKG).
So they split the flights, ADD-HKG separate from ADD-NRT via ICN. This new ADD-NRT via ICN route is $300 more than the previous pricing, and the upgrade fee is correspondingly higher.
fyi (link):
Addis Ababa – Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita eff 02JUN18 4 weekly 787-8 service, replacing Addis Ababa – Hong Kong – Seoul and Addis Ababa – Hong Kong – Tokyo routing. Overall frequency for Tokyo increases from 3 to 4 weekly
Last edited by Tokyoite; Mar 10, 2018 at 12:59 am
Mar 12, 2018, 8:39 pm
#47
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Japan
Programs: NH-SFC, SQ, UA, JL- JGC/Sapphire, AA, DL, IHG-Gold, SPG-Gold, Marriott-gold
Posts: 194
Recently I got an email from ET/ Ethiopian Airlines to encourage bidding.
My flight schedule is NRT-HKG return flight, payment was slightly above USD300 in total. However, minimum bidding for the sector HKG-NRT starts at USD345.... and no offer for NRT-HKG sector.
Ok, my answer is "absolutely no bidding"... What do you think..?
Last edited by kazuwox; Mar 12, 2018 at 8:47 pm
May 7, 2018, 2:45 pm
#48
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Mainz/Frankfurt, Germany
Programs: A3*G, UA PP, MR LTTE, was HH/D now Gold
Posts: 257
Anyone got a succesful bid to Europe? I am looking in particular for the upgrade pricing FRA / VIE - ADD return.
Revenue P Class is around 2100 / 1500 EUR to Tanzania or so, Eco around 500 EUR
Revenue P Class is around 2100 / 1500 EUR to Tanzania or so, Eco around 500 EUR
May 8, 2018, 1:30 am
#49
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
I have recent data points of GBP 630 minimum bid for LHR-ADD (includes additional airport taxes) and EUR 550 minimum bid for ADD-MXP. So FRA/VIE are probably in the same range of around EUR 500-600 each way.
May 11, 2018, 12:57 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YSJ, IAD, LLW/KGL
Programs: Aeroplan, ShebaMiles, SkyMiles
Posts: 123
Couple other data points from a trip I have in late June:
ET502 ADD-YYZ (and ET503 YYZ-ADD) minimum bid is $820 USD (though "offer strength" reads as strong, even with the minimum bid)
While ET876 LLW-ADD minimum is $170 (remains the same even with the upcoming change to a non-stop routing), ET877 ADD-LLW minimum is $270
ET502 ADD-YYZ (and ET503 YYZ-ADD) minimum bid is $820 USD (though "offer strength" reads as strong, even with the minimum bid)
While ET876 LLW-ADD minimum is $170 (remains the same even with the upcoming change to a non-stop routing), ET877 ADD-LLW minimum is $270
May 17, 2018, 1:12 am
#52
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
It looks like ET has tweaked the system now to vary the minimum bid depending on your booking class.
I was on the same flight as a colleague recently - him in "U" class and me in "H" class - and the system gave us different minimum upgrade bid options.
I was on the same flight as a colleague recently - him in "U" class and me in "H" class - and the system gave us different minimum upgrade bid options.
May 31, 2018, 12:47 am
#53
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 328
VIE-ADD and ADD-VIE have minimum bids of $ 450 (currently ~385€), ADD-SEZ and SEZ-ADD have minimum bids of $ 250.
Considering that ET has (from what I read) adequate legroom in their 787s and the flight is a short red-eye flight (departs 22:50 in Vienna, arrives 5:40 in ADD, flighttime 5:30), that price just seems way too high for me. With Austrian for example, pre-Premiumeconomy, the minimum bids for VIE-NRT/VIE-BKK were 300€ and 380€ respectively and that's a central european carrier and 11h flights. The short segments (~4h, but on a 738) seem more reasonable, but still too high for me. I would be willing to maybe pay 250€ for the long segment and 150€ for the short segment, but seems that won't be happening.
But I suppose ET will have their reasons for placing the minimum bid so high (maybe because of the SEZ routing, with SEZ being a "premium destination" of sorts? Or the value of the lounge, given the otherwise not so great airport?)
May 31, 2018, 1:12 am
#54
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 346
I felt exactly the same way about their upgrade price. It was $400 minimum for a 5hr BOM-ADD or ADD-JNB, when it's actually cheaper to simply book "P" class that doesn't earn you miles (for most FFPs). I think the great thing about upgrade is they'll upgrade to the booking class that makes you earn miles on many FFPs?
Also, I see a HUGE difference in service style between economy class and business class on ET. In economy, sometimes there are so many disinterested crew members who can't even smile. In business class though, crew is generally enthusiastic and really treat passengers with royalty - in fact one of my most memorable crew I had in business class was with ET. So there goes the big price difference. Hard product on ET C on certain aircraft is a lot to be desired for, but soft product can be really top-notch.
Also, I see a HUGE difference in service style between economy class and business class on ET. In economy, sometimes there are so many disinterested crew members who can't even smile. In business class though, crew is generally enthusiastic and really treat passengers with royalty - in fact one of my most memorable crew I had in business class was with ET. So there goes the big price difference. Hard product on ET C on certain aircraft is a lot to be desired for, but soft product can be really top-notch.
May 31, 2018, 1:36 am
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
"P" class is not always available though. I only see it as an option maybe 20-30% of the time since I am almost always booking within a week of departure. In that case, the upgrade auction is a welcome option to have.
Jun 2, 2018, 2:33 pm
#56
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Mainz/Frankfurt, Germany
Programs: A3*G, UA PP, MR LTTE, was HH/D now Gold
Posts: 257
how big was the difference at which route?
Jun 18, 2018, 2:18 am
#60
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Mainz/Frankfurt, Germany
Programs: A3*G, UA PP, MR LTTE, was HH/D now Gold
Posts: 257
Booked a oneway flight MBA-ADD-FRA in semi flexible H-class
my upgrade offers are (minimum bid):
MBA-ADD 125 EUR
ADD-FRA 435 EUR
is it worth paying the 435 EUR for a 7.5 h red eye flight?
any experiences?
my upgrade offers are (minimum bid):
MBA-ADD 125 EUR
ADD-FRA 435 EUR
is it worth paying the 435 EUR for a 7.5 h red eye flight?
any experiences?