Seat upgrade on Virgin Atlantic flight to LHR from LAX - possible?
Jul 16, 2008, 12:48 pm
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,214
Seat upgrade on Virgin Atlantic flight to LHR from LAX - possible?
I booked on Expedia and was assigned seat 37K (window). That was the closest seat to the front I could find. Now, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to getting upgrades, so any and all advice would be welcome. All I really want is a power jack for my laptop in case I can't fall asleep. Is there a procedure for requesting an upgrade? And is it even possible given that I bought on Expedia or does that not matter?
TIA!
TIA!
Jul 16, 2008, 4:06 pm
#3
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Jul 16, 2008, 5:48 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
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Hi and a warm welcome to FlyerTalk.
When you arrive at the airport to check-in you need to ask if there are seats available in Premium Economy and if so how much it would cost to upgrade your ticket. If there are seats available then VS will tell you how much an on the day of departure upgrade fee will cost (think expensive).
I'm sure you already know but VS will not give you a free upgrade simply for asking. If you booked your ticket on Expedia then it shouldn't matter at all (I assume you will earn some FF miles right?).
When you arrive at the airport to check-in you need to ask if there are seats available in Premium Economy and if so how much it would cost to upgrade your ticket. If there are seats available then VS will tell you how much an on the day of departure upgrade fee will cost (think expensive).
I'm sure you already know but VS will not give you a free upgrade simply for asking. If you booked your ticket on Expedia then it shouldn't matter at all (I assume you will earn some FF miles right?).
Jul 16, 2008, 10:26 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,214
Hi and a warm welcome to FlyerTalk.
When you arrive at the airport to check-in you need to ask if there are seats available in Premium Economy and if so how much it would cost to upgrade your ticket. If there are seats available then VS will tell you how much an on the day of departure upgrade fee will cost (think expensive).
When you arrive at the airport to check-in you need to ask if there are seats available in Premium Economy and if so how much it would cost to upgrade your ticket. If there are seats available then VS will tell you how much an on the day of departure upgrade fee will cost (think expensive).
I'm sure you already know but VS will not give you a free upgrade simply for asking. If you booked your ticket on Expedia then it shouldn't matter at all (I assume you will earn some FF miles right?).
Jul 17, 2008, 1:28 am
#6
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Most airlines won't upgrade people unless they are a) willing to pay, b) there aren't enough seats in that particular cabin ( op-ups - operational upgrades) or c) very rarely, you can charm your way into an upgrade. With the emphasis on the 'very rarely' and it helps to be a top tier elite.
US based airlines may also offer upgrades to their elites as a matter of course, no European airline has a policy of doing this officially, and no-one does it transatlantically. There are things you can do to increase your chances of an op-up (like earning elite status - which comes way before dressing nicely!), but it doesn't follow that the airline will need to upgrade anyone on a particular flight.
US based airlines may also offer upgrades to their elites as a matter of course, no European airline has a policy of doing this officially, and no-one does it transatlantically. There are things you can do to increase your chances of an op-up (like earning elite status - which comes way before dressing nicely!), but it doesn't follow that the airline will need to upgrade anyone on a particular flight.
Jul 17, 2008, 1:35 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2003
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IF they're offering cash upgrades on the day, it'll likely be in the order of £500 - £1,000 one way from PE to Upper. However, as others have said, it'll be purely down to how busy the flight is.
Jul 17, 2008, 4:39 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
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Personally, I never upgrade with cash, especially for ex-UK departures. I just can't afford it.
Jul 17, 2008, 8:59 am
#9
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Jul 17, 2008, 9:00 am
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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I can't say exactly how much but it's much more than $100 I can assure you! From Economy to Premium Economy one-way I think it's going to cost anything between £300 to £500, maybe more?!
Personally, I never upgrade with cash, especially for ex-UK departures. I just can't afford it.
Personally, I never upgrade with cash, especially for ex-UK departures. I just can't afford it.
Well, good to know all this, thanks for everyone's help. I'll let you know how it goes
.
Jul 18, 2008, 5:56 pm
#12
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Yeah, that's definitely going to be too rich for my blood. Oh well, might as well try to figure out a way to get some sleep.
Jul 26, 2008, 11:39 am
#14
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I was on 007 LHR-LAX a couple of months ago and the economy load was light enough that I got four seats to myself in row 48 or so. Stretched out and went to sleep for hours -- far better than PE. I'd considered trying to upgrade but was very glad I hadn't, especially having now seen the PE seats.
Aug 5, 2008, 6:30 pm
#15
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I was on 007 LHR-LAX a couple of months ago and the economy load was light enough that I got four seats to myself in row 48 or so. Stretched out and went to sleep for hours -- far better than PE. I'd considered trying to upgrade but was very glad I hadn't, especially having now seen the PE seats.
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