Are you flying with a Lufthansa Group airline? Here's how to get an upgrade
Upgrades are every traveler's dream. If the loyalty programs of hotel chains are very generous in this [...]
Swiss
Lufthansa
Brussels Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Star Alliance
Upgrades are every traveler's dream. If hotel chain loyalty programs are very generous in this regard, the same cannot be said of airline loyalty programs.
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Of course, in the United States the situation is completely different: If you have a status, The chances of traveling in a better seat than the one you booked are very high, and companies strategically promote loyal passengers to the unsold seats systematically.
It doesn't work that way in Europe, at least unless external factors intervene. I recently happened to fly Air France and KLM in planes filled to 100% and get promoted to business class thanks to my very valuable card Club 2000 in the Flying Blue program.
Upgrade fee with Lufthansa airlines
When you fly Lufthansa, or one of the group airlines (Swiss, Austrian and Brussels, you can go into the restricted area (or on the app) and check if you can get an upgrade and the different ways. Since ITA Airways will soon be flying codeshare with these airlines frequently, it is one of the things to know and take advantage of.
Depending on the type of route and carrier, there are several possibilities: for immediate payment or at auction.
In the case of the auction you bid and you will know shortly before takeoff whether or not you win the best seat. In the case of the immediate upgrade it is like the "buy it now" on ebay. You pay the required amount and get the class upgrade.
The system of theauction is present on many airlines, including ITA Airways: beware, however, that depending on the class of ticket you may not be entitled to this option.
In any case, it is good to remember: the points you will accumulate will be those related to the class of the ticket you originally bought.
Prices changing all the time
I soon have a series of flights with Lufthansa from Munich to Tokyo and with Swiss from Thailand: tickets taken in economy basic, Of course I am ready to travel tourist class (and review it), but the Poodle is always looking for how to travel better while spending as little as possible.
What I have learned over the years is that buy it now prices are not fixed and they are not even aligned with the minimum/maximums of the auction.
It would be logical to expect a lower base auction price than buy it now, just as certainty should cost more than the uncertainty of the auction process. However, this is not the case, just as I have already explained when I took the upgrade from the Maldives to Vienna with Austrian.
What is even stranger is that the prices keep changing over the weeks. A couple of days later, the same upgrade can also be increased (or decreased) of the 300%.
For example, I detached an upgrade from economy to premium economy with Swiss for only 180€., a really low figure-a few days after I bought the ticket. When I saw that price, I didn't let the opportunity pass me by, partly because. Swiss's new EP was on my wish list.
This is the price of upgrades with immediate payment that I had on Thursday, June 8. A minimum of 460€ to upgrade to premium economy and only 770€ for business class.
Unfortunately, LH's business class is not at all attractive on the A350, which will be used for the flight from Bavaria to Japan. The classic 2-2-2 configuration, stuff you just can't see (much less pay for) and that offers the same seats found on the 747.
PE is also not the best, but at the same price as what I paid for Swiss's might be worth the investment, especially for a 12-hour flight.
Two days later, the price of the same upgrade to business class jumped to 2,200 euros: a price that almost tripled, but still lower than the 2,600 euros I had seen when I took the Swiss flight upgrade.
All this while price - minimum and maximum - for the auction never changes. With some situations where the buy it now price is even lower than the minimum auction bid.
Last chance upgrade at check-in (or gate)
If you do not take advantage of the offers before check-in, there is always the option of requesting a quote directly at the gate. Indeed, if there are seats available it is often the gate agents directly who make the announcements with proposals to passengers waiting to board.
In conclusion
Free upgrades are mirages that sometimes turn into reality. Paid ones can be a great way to save money and travel better. A little caution: always take into consideration how much you have spent and do not exceed what was the cash price of the original ticket.
