New Virgin Thought Bubble - "make us a cash offer to upgrade your flight"
Oct 1, 2013, 11:24 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
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Posts: 32,330
New Virgin Thought Bubble - "make us a cash offer to upgrade your flight"
New Virgin Thought Bubble - "make us a cash offer to upgrade your flight"
Another reason the Platinum upgrade stickers will mean less to me. Those are the only real difference between Plat and Gold for us.
They will end up like United .. sell up at gate offered to anyone with a Visa card.
The website of course does not work as with most new Virgin thought bubbles .. untried by their clueless techies - tried it on an ADL booking this month and get error message.
Be interesting to see what the going rate will be.
===========
http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...1310_UpgradeMe
We are proud to offer you several opportunities to upgrade, so that you can experience the comfort and inclusions of our Premium Economy and Business Class cabins.
Virgin Australia’s upgrade suite, UpgradeMe, provides three options for upgrading cabin class: UpgradeMe Premium Bid, UpgradeMe Points and UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer.
UpgradeMe Premium Bid
Use our innovative request system, UpgradeMe Premium Bid, to make an offer for the chance to upgrade to a higher cabin class. You will be emailed about the success of your upgrade at least two days prior to your flight departure date.
Find out more about how you can upgrade via UpgradeMe Premium Bid.
UpgradeMe Points
Use your Velocity Points to request an upgrade. All Velocity Frequent Flyer members booked in a Flexi Fare can request to upgrade Virgin Australia domestic and international short haul flights. Velocity Gold and Platinum members booked in a Flexi or Premium Economy fare can also request to upgrade Virgin Australia international long haul flights to Los Angeles or Abu Dhabi. Successful UpgradeMe Points upgrades are confirmed upon request, subject to Reward Seat availability.
Find out more about how you can upgrade using Points via UpgradeMe Points.
UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer
Velocity Platinum members are entitled to four complimentary fare upgrades per year, from a Flexi fare to a Business Class seat on Virgin Australia domestic flights. UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer upgrades are confirmed upon request, subject to Reward Seat availability.
Find out more about how you can take advantage of complimentary fare upgrades via UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer.
Another reason the Platinum upgrade stickers will mean less to me. Those are the only real difference between Plat and Gold for us.
They will end up like United .. sell up at gate offered to anyone with a Visa card.
The website of course does not work as with most new Virgin thought bubbles .. untried by their clueless techies - tried it on an ADL booking this month and get error message.
Be interesting to see what the going rate will be.
===========
http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...1310_UpgradeMe
We are proud to offer you several opportunities to upgrade, so that you can experience the comfort and inclusions of our Premium Economy and Business Class cabins.
Virgin Australia’s upgrade suite, UpgradeMe, provides three options for upgrading cabin class: UpgradeMe Premium Bid, UpgradeMe Points and UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer.
UpgradeMe Premium Bid
Use our innovative request system, UpgradeMe Premium Bid, to make an offer for the chance to upgrade to a higher cabin class. You will be emailed about the success of your upgrade at least two days prior to your flight departure date.
Find out more about how you can upgrade via UpgradeMe Premium Bid.
UpgradeMe Points
Use your Velocity Points to request an upgrade. All Velocity Frequent Flyer members booked in a Flexi Fare can request to upgrade Virgin Australia domestic and international short haul flights. Velocity Gold and Platinum members booked in a Flexi or Premium Economy fare can also request to upgrade Virgin Australia international long haul flights to Los Angeles or Abu Dhabi. Successful UpgradeMe Points upgrades are confirmed upon request, subject to Reward Seat availability.
Find out more about how you can upgrade using Points via UpgradeMe Points.
UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer
Velocity Platinum members are entitled to four complimentary fare upgrades per year, from a Flexi fare to a Business Class seat on Virgin Australia domestic flights. UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer upgrades are confirmed upon request, subject to Reward Seat availability.
Find out more about how you can take advantage of complimentary fare upgrades via UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer.
Oct 1, 2013, 11:46 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
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Posts: 32,330
After reading through all 37 detailed rules of the offer, I then waded through the pages of FAQ.
http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...emium-bid/faq/
In THEORY all fare buckets seem eligible, but they of course do not say that.
We need a thread here I think logging ACCEPTED offers, and how they compare with 'The Offer Strength gauge' suggestion on their website.
It will probably be like those Priceline Hotel offers (where you get ONE chance to lowball) "Warning $256 a night in the Minimum you should bid for a 5 star Hotel in New York" - and you go ahead and bid $142 and you get it accepted most times!
Is there a minimum amount I must offer for an upgrade?
Each flight has minimum and maximum assigned offer value and your offer must lie between these two values.
How do I know what price to offer for an upgrade?
All flights have a range from which you can select the value you want to offer. The Offer Strength gauge, found on the offer page, can help you determine the strength or your offer. The gauge is to be used as a guide, not confirmation that your offer will be successful.
Am I entitled to the benefits of my upgraded cabin class?
If you are upgraded through UpgradeMe Premium Bid you will receive:
• An upgraded seat in a premium cabin class
• Complimentary food and beverage
• Complimentary in-flight entertainment
• Priority Check-in , Priority Baggage and Priority Boarding
• Access to the Virgin Australia lounge (available for domestic Business Class upgrades only)
http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...emium-bid/faq/
In THEORY all fare buckets seem eligible, but they of course do not say that.
We need a thread here I think logging ACCEPTED offers, and how they compare with 'The Offer Strength gauge' suggestion on their website.
It will probably be like those Priceline Hotel offers (where you get ONE chance to lowball) "Warning $256 a night in the Minimum you should bid for a 5 star Hotel in New York" - and you go ahead and bid $142 and you get it accepted most times!
Is there a minimum amount I must offer for an upgrade?
Each flight has minimum and maximum assigned offer value and your offer must lie between these two values.
How do I know what price to offer for an upgrade?
All flights have a range from which you can select the value you want to offer. The Offer Strength gauge, found on the offer page, can help you determine the strength or your offer. The gauge is to be used as a guide, not confirmation that your offer will be successful.
Am I entitled to the benefits of my upgraded cabin class?
If you are upgraded through UpgradeMe Premium Bid you will receive:
• An upgraded seat in a premium cabin class
• Complimentary food and beverage
• Complimentary in-flight entertainment
• Priority Check-in , Priority Baggage and Priority Boarding
• Access to the Virgin Australia lounge (available for domestic Business Class upgrades only)
Oct 2, 2013, 12:26 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
It's exactly the same as Air NZ's OneUp program, in other words it's Plusgrade rebranded.
In practice, it's a good way to use money for upgrades instead of points.
In the Air NZ version, a weighting is added of 10-50% for high status passengers.
In practice, it's a good way to use money for upgrades instead of points.
In the Air NZ version, a weighting is added of 10-50% for high status passengers.
Oct 2, 2013, 12:38 am
#4
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Oct 2, 2013, 3:09 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
It's the same thing.
I'm their version of Platinum, and of course their points are denominated as dollars.
If another non-status passenger bids $500 for a Trans-Pacific upgrade, I can outbid them with a $350 bid, as my bid is up weighted by 50%.
Supposedly.
But Plusgrade is an opaque product, and I'm not sure that I believe that it is really done that way - it's not as if anyone is overseeing the process.
I'm their version of Platinum, and of course their points are denominated as dollars.
If another non-status passenger bids $500 for a Trans-Pacific upgrade, I can outbid them with a $350 bid, as my bid is up weighted by 50%.
Supposedly.
But Plusgrade is an opaque product, and I'm not sure that I believe that it is really done that way - it's not as if anyone is overseeing the process.
Oct 2, 2013, 3:14 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
BTW
The Air NZ forum on FlyerTalk has a "OneUp" sticky, which is what they brand the exact same Plusgrade upgrade product as.
Just multiply everything by 80 and you pretty much have a conversion into Virgin points, or multiply by 0.8 and you have a conversion into A$.
The Air NZ forum on FlyerTalk has a "OneUp" sticky, which is what they brand the exact same Plusgrade upgrade product as.
Just multiply everything by 80 and you pretty much have a conversion into Virgin points, or multiply by 0.8 and you have a conversion into A$.
Oct 2, 2013, 4:03 pm
#7
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Just to note that on introduction, these "upgradeMe Premium" bids could only be applied to "Saver" fares and above.
The cheapest "Saver Lite" fares are not eligible.
http://www.velocityrewards.com.au/ap...emium-bid.html
The cheapest "Saver Lite" fares are not eligible.
http://www.velocityrewards.com.au/ap...emium-bid.html
What is UpgradeMe Premium Bid?
UpgradeMe Premium Bid is Virgin Australia’s new and innovative upgrade system. UpgradeMe Premium Bid allows all eligible guests – who have purchased Saver fare or above –to submit an offer for the chance to upgrade to a higher cabin class. Guests can choose the dollar amount they are willing to pay to upgrade to Premium Economy or Business Class, and are notified of the success of their offers between four and two days prior to their scheduled departure.
UpgradeMe Premium Bid is Virgin Australia’s new and innovative upgrade system. UpgradeMe Premium Bid allows all eligible guests – who have purchased Saver fare or above –to submit an offer for the chance to upgrade to a higher cabin class. Guests can choose the dollar amount they are willing to pay to upgrade to Premium Economy or Business Class, and are notified of the success of their offers between four and two days prior to their scheduled departure.
Last edited by serfty; Oct 2, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Oct 2, 2013, 5:21 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: QF Platinum (OW Emerald), VA Gold
Posts: 28
Saw this yesterday as well, but don't have any eligible flights atm. Interesting that they're going to display a min and max instead of just having them internally.
Since I can't go through the process yet I can't tell if their logos will be linking to internal servers or their javascript has lag, like the last time they re-launched a website while all the testers were getting coffee... ozstamps experience kind of suggests they snuck this one through as well though
Since I can't go through the process yet I can't tell if their logos will be linking to internal servers or their javascript has lag, like the last time they re-launched a website while all the testers were getting coffee... ozstamps experience kind of suggests they snuck this one through as well though
Oct 3, 2013, 12:16 am
#10
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Oct 3, 2013, 4:00 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,026
If you have a confirmed Coral Economy or Pearl Business Class ticket and your flight has seats available for potential upgrade, you will receive an email 10 days prior to departure from Plusgrade.
Both Air NZ & Etihad are signifcant shareholders in Virgin Australia. Who is the puppet master pulling the VA strings ?
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Oct 3, 2013 at 4:05 am
Oct 9, 2013, 2:29 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: WLG / WAS
Programs: DL PM, QF, UA, HH Gold, SPG
Posts: 135
I got the email earlier this week for an upcoming BNE-LAX flight, originally booked in PE. For kicks I went ahead and placed a really low bid. I wasn't expecting anything. Lo and behold, I got the upgrade today.
It now books into Z (originally O). I'm a bit concerned, because I'm crediting these flights to DL, and Z does not show up as a fare eligible for earnings. I'll take it up with DL later, but out of curiosity, what does Z get you in Velocity?
It now books into Z (originally O). I'm a bit concerned, because I'm crediting these flights to DL, and Z does not show up as a fare eligible for earnings. I'll take it up with DL later, but out of curiosity, what does Z get you in Velocity?
Oct 9, 2013, 4:49 am
#13
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Z is award fare business bucket - 'till end June this year it scored Business SC's with their now ended promotion. For upgrades, point earn was based on original fare bucket. here were no points for outright award bookings.
Oct 10, 2013, 10:36 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: GLA
Programs: AF/KL FB Plat 4L, VA Vel Silver, BA EC, LH M&M
Posts: 1,825
I got the email earlier this week for an upcoming BNE-LAX flight, originally booked in PE. For kicks I went ahead and placed a really low bid. I wasn't expecting anything. Lo and behold, I got the upgrade today.
It now books into Z (originally O). I'm a bit concerned, because I'm crediting these flights to DL, and Z does not show up as a fare eligible for earnings. I'll take it up with DL later, but out of curiosity, what does Z get you in Velocity?
It now books into Z (originally O). I'm a bit concerned, because I'm crediting these flights to DL, and Z does not show up as a fare eligible for earnings. I'll take it up with DL later, but out of curiosity, what does Z get you in Velocity?
Oct 13, 2013, 10:27 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Land of Oz
Posts: 948
I recieved an email late last week for travel ADL-PER for this thursday, minimum bid was $200 and max was $450, considering the minimum was $50 more than what i actually paid for the one way fare i didnt go for it.. If i could have bid $50 I definately would have gone for it..
Interestingly this flight has been swapped out for a 73W instead of the E190, its the only day changed for 2 weeks before and after for that flight and the plane isnt really looking all that full, curious as to why it was changed...
Do virgin offer any form of cheap paid upgrade at checkin to fill the J seats at all?
Interestingly this flight has been swapped out for a 73W instead of the E190, its the only day changed for 2 weeks before and after for that flight and the plane isnt really looking all that full, curious as to why it was changed...
Do virgin offer any form of cheap paid upgrade at checkin to fill the J seats at all?