tcxdegsy From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2006, 500 posts, RR: 1 Posted (1 year 8 months 2 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 2555 times:
One thing I found interesting and useful last year when I flew around US & Canada, was that AC offered special prices for available upgrade seats at the time of Online or Airport Checkin machines.
Any chance of BA offering this in the future - a great way of securing some last-minute extra revenue and filling some spare WTP/ Club/ First seats that may be spare, especially on overbooked fights. It could reduce the need for some free upgrades to squeeze in some standby Economy passengers?
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lhr380 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (1 year 8 months 2 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 2506 times:
Quoting tcxdegsy (Thread starter): Any chance of BA offering this in the future - a great way of securing some last-minute extra revenue and filling some spare WTP/ Club/ First seats that may be spare, especially on overbooked fights. It could reduce the need for some free upgrades to squeeze in some standby Economy passengers?
No need to do it on the SSK, its offered online when your checking in, and also when you get to the check in desks. Subject to Loads you can go up one cabin for a set fee.
genybustrvlr From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 256 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (1 year 8 months 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2275 times:
This is basically free money for the airlines. Premium seats are held to as much as 3 hours before the flight, depending upon airline. The seat is going to fly empty or with a free upgrade at that point so it doesn't hurt to put it on sale for a nominal fee to help recover costs. The value varies widely. I've seen offers ranging from $50 - $700 and the various offers did not necessarily correlate to the product or flight distance.
steve6666 From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 356 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 8 months 2 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2223 times:
BA have done this in the past. I remember turning up to Gatwick back in 06/07 and them offering £99 upgrades on each segment for Euro Traveller - Club Europe, and I have seen them doing this at Newark a couple of times, again back around the 05-07 time frame.
Thing is, I think BA's involuntary upgrade system (ie, only if required by Y/Y+/J being oversold) creates different incentives than those used more commonly in North America - where is seems the most senior elite will be upgraded until all seats in the front cabin is taken. If I were managing the BA system, I would not do this often - it would end up cheapening the front cabins as people used to the offer would end up buying the cabin below and pay for upgrades - at cheaper rates than the true differential between the price of each cabin - at the airport.
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Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 4, posted (1 year 8 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2146 times:
Quoting genybustrvlr (Reply 2): This is basically free money for the airlines.
The seat is going to fly empty or with a free upgrade at that point so it doesn't hurt to put it on sale for a nominal fee to help recover costs.
Absolutely NOT correct. Any sort of upgrade will downgrade the premium product. Why book an expensive premium ticket when you can get it for cheap later. Of course it's "free money" in the very short run, but in the long run it makes no sense at all. Imagine you're running a food stall and in the evening when you close you give away all the leftovers (or sell them for cheap). Would anybody still buy your food in the last hour before you close? No, they'd just wait till they get it for free.
This is one of the reasons why Lufthansa is such a successful airline. because they almost never upgrade anyone without a really good reason.
Soren
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