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Aer Lingus bid for Business Class

  • 08-09-2018 11:12am
    #1
    Wanderer2010
    Registered Users Posts: 6,657 ✭✭✭


    Im off to San Fran next May and ill be flying out on Sunday afternoon. Has anyone ever been successful bidding to get to 1st class? I was thinking of throwing an extra 750 euros as an offer, no more, does that sound reasonable?

    I was successful before going from Boston to Dublin by offering an extra 600 euros but San Fran is a longer flight, im looking for opinions from people who travel there regularly, how busy are Sunday flights etc?


Comments

  • #2
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,278 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    Im off to San Fran next May and ill be flying out on Sunday afternoon. Has anyone ever been successful bidding to get to 1st class? I was thinking of throwing an extra 750 euros as an offer, no more, does that sound reasonable?

    I was successful before going from Boston to Dublin by offering an extra 600 euros but San Fran is a longer flight, im looking for opinions from people who travel there regularly, how busy are Sunday flights etc?

    I’d imagine that quite a few business people fly Sunday’s to SF for multinationals based in Silicon Valley.


  • #3
    nsa0bupkd3948x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 783 ✭✭✭nsa0bupkd3948x


    I'm on 147 a fair bit on Sundays. Always pretty busy with tech guys so would imagine the bids would need to be higher to be successful in getting an upgrade to Business Class.

    I've never bid before so don't have any examples


  • #4
    California Dreamer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,492 ✭✭✭California Dreamer


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    Im off to San Fran next May and ill be flying out on Sunday afternoon. Has anyone ever been successful bidding to get to 1st class? I was thinking of throwing an extra 750 euros as an offer, no more, does that sound reasonable?

    I was successful before going from Boston to Dublin by offering an extra 600 euros but San Fran is a longer flight, im looking for opinions from people who travel there regularly, how busy are Sunday flights etc?

    I bid 550 on Orlando last year and was successful.


  • #5
    billy few mates
    Registered Users Posts: 6,920 ✭✭✭billy few mates


    To be honest I would rather put the €750 towards a hotel upgrade or several nights of fine wining and dining when I got there than a BC upgrade.
    But that's just me...


  • #6
    Locker10a
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,137 Mod ✭✭✭✭Locker10a


    billy few mates wrote: »
    To be honest I would rather put the €750 towards a hotel upgrade or several nights of fine wining and dining when I got there than a BC upgrade.
    But that's just me...
    Meh I’d go for the upgrade, if it’s a city break the hotel is only somewhere you sleep at night, the flight is somewhere you’ve to spend hours, I’d go for the upgrade especially for a day time flight where you’ll be awake, there’s great food and comfortable seats to be enjoyed, each to their own


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  • #7
    Wanderer2010
    Registered Users Posts: 6,657 ✭✭✭Wanderer2010


    Thanks for the replies so far. I suppose my absolute limit would be 800euros for bidding for San Francisco. if they don't accept that then I will just look for a comfy seat in economy and save my money. I wouldn't be willing to go higher than that but id be thrilled if they accepted it.


  • #8
    billy few mates
    Registered Users Posts: 6,920 ✭✭✭billy few mates


    Locker10a wrote: »
    Meh I’d go for the upgrade, if it’s a city break the hotel is only somewhere you sleep at night, the flight is somewhere you’ve to spend hours, I’d go for the upgrade especially for a day time flight where you’ll be awake, there’s great food and comfortable seats to be enjoyed, each to their own

    Like I said, maybe it's just me...


  • #9
    Cloudio9
    Registered Users Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭Cloudio9


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies so far. I suppose my absolute limit would be 800euros for bidding for San Francisco. if they don't accept that then I will just look for a comfy seat in economy and save my money. I wouldn't be willing to go higher than that but id be thrilled if they accepted it.

    In my experience if there’s a good bit of space, even a low ball bid will be accepted.

    I could never get bid upgraded coming back to ireland on Thursday/Friday night but would regularly get upgraded heading west.


  • #10
    Van.Bosch
    Registered Users Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭Van.Bosch


    Cloudio9 wrote: »
    In my experience if there’s a good bit of space, even a low ball bid will be accepted.

    I could never get bid upgraded coming back to ireland on Thursday/Friday night but would regularly get upgraded heading west.

    Yeah, it’s not a case of what they’ll accept. Once there is an empty seat they will give it to the highest bidder above the minimum, I’d guess 750 would be enough if there were spare seats. So in reality assuming a spare seat you are against fellow passengers.


  • #11
    goingnowhere
    Registered Users Posts: 4,131 ✭✭✭goingnowhere


    EI are happy to fly with empty seats in business, there is a 'value' they don't want to undermine in the product by accepting low ball offers.


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  • #12
    Wanderer2010
    Registered Users Posts: 6,657 ✭✭✭Wanderer2010


    goingnowhere wrote: »
    EI are happy to fly with empty seats in business, there is a 'value' they don't want to undermine in the product by accepting low ball offers.

    What range would be seen as low ball? Are we talking 300-500 as just an insult to them?


  • #13
    trellheim
    Registered Users Posts: 5,854 ✭✭✭trellheim


    EI are happy to fly with empty seats in business, there is a 'value' they don't want to undermine in the product by accepting low ball offers.

    But you can fly business with Airmiles ? I've done that in the past.


  • #14
    California Dreamer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,492 ✭✭✭California Dreamer


    billy few mates wrote: »
    Like I said, maybe it's just me...

    Maybe it is.


  • #15
    billy few mates
    Registered Users Posts: 6,920 ✭✭✭billy few mates


    goingnowhere wrote: »
    EI are happy to fly with empty seats in business, there is a 'value' they don't want to undermine in the product by accepting low ball offers.

    Do they not upgrade staff any more...?


  • #16
    California Dreamer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,492 ✭✭✭California Dreamer


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    What range would be seen as low ball? Are we talking 300-500 as just an insult to them?

    They generally have a lowest point and it has an indicator which shows the chances of you getting the upgrade. You won't be insulting anyone apart from a computer algorithm!! :D


  • #17
    Cloudio9
    Registered Users Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭Cloudio9


    goingnowhere wrote: »
    EI are happy to fly with empty seats in business, there is a 'value' they don't want to undermine in the product by accepting low ball offers.

    They’re happy to fly with empty seats in that they don’t upgrade frequent flyers like US airlines. However if someone is waving 400 snots under their nose they’ll grab it.


  • #18
    Steve
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 22,584 CMod ✭✭✭✭Steve


    I only ever flew with Delta back when I was doing lots of miles.

    1 in 4 transatlantics could be upgraded using miles, of the three left, generally I was given at least 1 free.

    Never had to pay a penny.

    Anyone frequently going to the states is nuts to even consider an Irish airline.


  • #19
    Third_Echelon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,889 ✭✭✭Third_Echelon


    Money would be better spent on the flight back to Ireland where you could actually get some sleep in Business Class.


  • #20
    micosoft
    Registered Users Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭micosoft


    Cloudio9 wrote: »
    They’re happy to fly with empty seats in that they don’t upgrade frequent flyers like US airlines. However if someone is waving 400 snots under their nose they’ll grab it.

    I've found EI to be pretty good at giving free status upgrades!


  • #21
    Kev11491
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭Kev11491


    If I was to bid to upgrade for a flight in February, at what stage will they let you know if you have been successful?


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  • #22
    California Dreamer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,492 ✭✭✭California Dreamer


    Kev11491 wrote: »
    If I was to bid to upgrade for a flight in February, at what stage will they let you know if you have been successful?

    Most likely 24 hours in advance of flight.


  • #23
    Cloudio9
    Registered Users Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭Cloudio9


    If the load is light you’ll probably have confirmation 4 or 5 days in advance.


  • #24
    Wanderer2010
    Registered Users Posts: 6,657 ✭✭✭Wanderer2010


    Well I made my bid-800 from Dub to San Francisco early next May. That's all I can do, im not willing to go higher than that.


  • #25
    steve-o
    Registered Users Posts: 903 ✭✭✭steve-o


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    Well I made my bid-800 from Dub to San Francisco early next May. That's all I can do, im not willing to go higher than that.
    How much it would cost to buy a business ticket right now? This far out, business to the west coast is typically about €500 more than economy.


  • #26
    Cloudio9
    Registered Users Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭Cloudio9


    steve-o wrote: »
    How much it would cost to buy a business ticket right now? This far out, business to the west coast is typically about €500 more than economy.

    You must be joking!


  • #27
    Kev11491
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭Kev11491


    It was around 1000euro more one way when I was booking LA for February.


  • #28
    steve-o
    Registered Users Posts: 903 ✭✭✭steve-o


    Cloudio9 wrote: »
    You must be joking!
    Sorry, you are right. If you only go as far as LA and SF, they don't offer the really competitive business fares. But if you connect onwards to other destinations around California then the business fares are much lower.


  • #29
    Kev11491
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭Kev11491


    Bid for DUB-LAX upgrade today, just wondering whats the story with avios for this? will they still give you the economy rate or put you on an increased rate?


  • #30
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Economy tier points, don't know if you get avios on the bid price


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