Bid Upgrade Offer But No Seats!

I know there is a similar topic out there for this so please do link the two if you need to.

Logged on this morning to my FC account just to have a nosey.

Due to fly out to MCO with family for Christmas on the 18th December. Flying out PE and returning UC. When I booked, I tried to fly us UC both legs but was told that UC was chockablock full. I've checked on flightstats.com probably once every week or so (looking for all sorts of things) and UC seats have never once shown on our flight. Not overly bothered about not flying out PE as it is a day flight and to be honest, the money I saved has gone on other things for when we are in the States anyway!

This morning the loads for UC are showing as J/0 C/0 D/0 I/0 Z/0 which (in my mind) means there are no upgradeable seats and more to the point, no bookable UC seats remaining regardless of class!!

I know that some seats might not be taken due to personal circumstances or cancelled tickets but just seems an incredibly pointless exercise to even offer it. Or am I being overly critical here?!

If anyone is interested, the lowest bid upgrade is £935 and the slider maximum is £3000.

I think you might be a tad critical.

But to ensure I understand - do you mean that FlightStats shows no seats in J but you are being offered an upgrade?

There could be lots of reasons - a group booking that is about to cancel, previous form of booked passengers etc, aircraft change etc.

Whilst I was typing, I was thinking to myself, you sound like a moaning minnie so apologies if it comes across like that! It was more a curiosity thing than anything else!

Was thinking more that it is strange than anything else!

Flightstats showing no seats at all in any class in UC on that date. And the Bid Upgrade has only just appeared.

Maybe it is just an "across the board" addition to the MMB page? And yes, do agree, that things change!

I also think that it's a good way of ensuring UC remains full even if there are last minute cancellations.

Much harder to sell a seat at last minute, so VS are creating a waiting list of people willing to pay.

Thanks Sealink!

I also think that it's a good way of ensuring UC remains full even if there are last minute cancellations.

Much harder to sell a seat at last minute, so VS are creating a waiting list of people willing to pay.

That is a really good idea actually.... something VS would come up with though? ii) They will have now...

Perhaps if you offered a £3k bid they would find you a seat?! And bump down someone else who hadn't paid as much?!

Just a thought, certainly no way to run an airline. Although I am sure other CEO's would find it palatable if it meant increased revenue per seat.

I assume you're on the later LGW flight - the VS15?

In which case it's showing as sold out if you try to book UC with cash online - so yes it does seem very odd to offer the bid to upgrade facility - maybe it just does it by default whether or not seats are available and if a flight's full it'll just reject all bids. A bit daft though.

Perhaps if you offered a £3k bid they would find you a seat?! And bump down someone else who hadn't paid as much?!

Just a thought, certainly no way to run an airline. Although I am sure other CEO's would find it palatable if it meant increased revenue per seat.

That's not what VS are doing....!

Same thing on my booking. Bid offers welcomed for both legs but the return leg (UC) is full. We are in PE both ways and I think its correct to say VS are trying to build up a list of PAX willing to upgrade. Makes sense from a business point of view and even posting a bid at the minimum level does give you a small chance of an upgrade

I understand that sealink! And I wasn't suggesting that vs would even contemplate such an eyebrow raising revenue scheme! Thank god because I think my uc cabin is almost full for the vs43 tomorrow. My G seat would be the first to go.

But that's not to say it wouldn't be possible! Or for other airlines to do so.

Perhaps if you offered a £3k bid they would find you a seat?! And bump down someone else who hadn't paid as much?!

Just a thought, certainly no way to run an airline. Although I am sure other CEO's would find it palatable if it meant increased revenue per seat.

Except that VS would have to refund that unfortunate 75% of their total fare as part of EU261/2004.

Except that VS would have to refund that unfortunate 75% of their total fare as part of EU261/2004.

Silenced

Slightly different but Flighstats is showing UC full on a future flight I have but if you do an enquiry on the VS website it offers UC fares for the dates albeit at a huge cost

That frequently happens - all airlines overbook as there'll inevitably be cancellations and no-shows on most flights.

The trick is correctly predicting how many, to avoid either having empty seats or having to bump people off. I assume they have computer models to do that - but clearly they won't always get it right.

I haven't read the T and Cs about bidding but is it binding? ie if you bid the highest and at a latter date you win do you have to pay the upgrade price?

I haven't read the T and Cs about bidding but is it binding? ie if you bid the highest and at a latter date you win do you have to pay the upgrade price?

Yes it is binding