V-Flyer

Is it possible that by both my Mum and I checking multiple times a day to see if there are upgrades available in UC through a dummy miles booking that Virgin is not releasing those seats because they think there's a huge demand for them?

All the dates around ours are available and there appear to be seats available when I look in flightstats so just wondering if we're perhaps unwittingly skewing things out of our favor?

i don't think their IT systems are that sophisticated

I know how you feel, I'm sure they're watching us...

Reward seat allocation is a dark art and a total mystery.

But what's more likely is either Virgin's modelling predicts they will sell enough revenue seats, or there WERE Gs available at some point but you were beaten to them.

Either way all is not lost - keep checking regularly as Gs can and do pop up any time, or if all else fails ask at the airport ticketing desk on the day as if there are still unsold seats in UC they're often happy to accept miles for them.

My answer would be no - because your searches will just be a drop in the ocean of enquiries!

If anything, you might actually expect the opposite of what you fear - the higher the demand for reward seats, all other things being equal, the harder the airline should look at whether or not to release them -- better to grab the fuel surcharge, and release some of the deferred revenue in the miles, than to fly with the seats unsold...

Welcome mandeeuk

You aren't sabotaging yourself.

I recently had 2 x M fares outbound which I immediately upgraded to PE upon purchase. I checked frequently & the Upgrade Fairy finally shone upon me within 2 weeks of the outbound date, & I bagged 2 G fares, a day after each other.

Keep checking.

Don't give up hope.

May the Upgrade Fairy wave her wand for you.

Keep us posted.

R-P

Thanks so much for your responses! Love reading the forum posts and having so many knowledgeable travelers about. I'm so annoyed that I didn't work around upgrades in the first place as we were flexible on dates, but you live and learn. Hopefully, the upgrade fairy has us in her sights! I'll keep you posted.

And, I do still kindof feel like they're watching me and they smell the desperation!

mandeeuk wrote:Thanks so much for your responses! Love reading the forum posts and having so many knowledgeable travelers about. I'm so annoyed that I didn't work around upgrades in the first place as we were flexible on dates, but you live and learn. Hopefully, the upgrade fairy has us in her sights! I'll keep you posted.

And, I do still kindof feel like they're watching me and they smell the desperation!

I'm feeling the same doubts - am checking daily and have been for some weeks for two Gs on the overnight back from EWR on 20 October. I keep deleting my browsing history but I've still wondered whether "they" are aware. Paranoid? Moi?

Keep looking mandeeuk, as I will, and fingers crossed we'll both be successful.

Im glad you posted this as the thought had crossed my mind many times yesterday, day before, day before that, etc...as I checking for my up coming flight.

Here's hoping for availabitly

I check 3 or 4 times a day at the moment.

and they read this forum so now they definitely know what you are up to. You stand no chance now, mark my words.

Ha! Waving at the powers that be!

Actually FC told me that dummy bookings DO muddy the waters--so if I do one and it shows availability and then I quick-trot call FC to book--it shows up as claimed. Not sure how long it takes to release the unbooked seat but it would be helpful to know!