Economy - PE Upgrades...Silly Question

Hi,

I'm a Flying Club Red member making my first trip since joining FC and am flying LHR-JFK in September, booked into N with the wife (in N due to trip booked via ebookers). When I get to the aiport, I'm thinking of treating us an upgrade to PE (one-way) to start our trip off.

Basically, the questions I'm asking are:

1) Being in N and not having booked with the airline, will I be able to upgrade at all?
2) How much would I roughly be looking at paying to upgrade?
3) Do upgrade opportunities get offered if I check in online?

I'm really sorry that these are bone questions. I've never looked at an upgrade before and I'm quite ignorant of the whole process, etc.

Any help that can be thrown in my direction is greatly appreciated.

[Neil]

Hi and welcome to the site.

N is the lowest fare code and therefore it makes it really tricky to upgrade before you get to the airport, and impossible to do so with miles. However, at the airport it is pretty much anything goes, quite often they have on the day deals offering upgrades to PE, and if they have them and you are willing to pay the price then your fare code is irrelevant. Price wise, I am not 100% sure on this, but I imagine it would be around the 150-250 price range, although others might be able to advise better on this. Upgrades are not available at OLCI stage.

Of course, all of the above is depending on how full your flight is, a full or nearly full PE cabin will probably result in nothing being offered, but it is always worth a question.

Enjoy your flight.
Neil

Hi Rugger Mad,

Have you checked your booking online? Occasonally there is an offer to upgrade online for a special price.

[Nottingham Nick]

When you get the check in.The agent will have (or have access to) a sheet which seems to be produced daily.

The sheet has a grid on it listing each flight, and the price for an upgrade. This varies depending on the class you are already booked in.

The fatc that the sheet is produced daily (or seems to be) would indicate to me that the keener they are to move people up, the lower the offers may be. That is just a guess though. [;)]

Nick

quote:Originally posted by Neil
Of course, all of the above is depending on how full your flight is, a full or nearly full PE cabin will probably result in nothing being offered, but it is always worth a question.


Conversely, just because a cabin is nearly empty doesn't necessarily mean they will automatically offer reasonably priced upgrades. On our flight to ORD at Easter they had only 7 seats taken in UC, but still wanted at least 1500 each to upgrade from PE...

It's always worth the asking - secure in the knowledge that at least you're showing willing to pay something rather than trying to blag a free one.

Paul

The only silly question is the one that isn't asked.

quote:Originally posted by jafleming
Hi Rugger Mad,

Have you checked your booking online? Occasonally there is an offer to upgrade online for a special price.


Only if you have booked direct with VS, If you do the right thing to save money and book through an agent then this option isn't offered as changes and upgrades have to be processed by the booking agent until the day of departure when it is all done at the airport...

D'oh! I missed the critical 'via E-bookers' part in the OP!!