Has anyone discovered a VA UpgradeMe offer Sweet Spot?

Has anyone discovered a VA UpgradeMe offer Sweet Spot?

Flying Per-Syd and back in November. Bidding range each way is $350 to $500. Never done this before. The first flight so far has only one confirmed occupied seat in business (According to Expertflyer).

I was thinking of offering just over the minimum "Good" price ($405) but is that too much or too little?

To get an idea of value, fare difference between Saver and Business is $1494 (or $1230 from Flexi to Business)

Stats that might be relevant after I read the terms of service: One passenger, Velocity Platinum, never bidded before, A330 aircraft, upgrading from Saver Q (AMEX annual freebee).

My only other option is 30,000 points each way (too much!). Platinum complimentary upgrades don't apply. I have already spoken to the GCC about both.

Thanks!

I meant I want to offer just over the lowest price in the "Great" range:

$350-360 = Weak

$365-380 = Fair

$385-395 = Good

$400-$450 = Great

$455-500 = Excellent

Hello,

I have found the system to be a bit tricky! You have to really consider how many seats are available in Business approximately 14 days out from departure. If there are plenty of seats left, then you have a great chance of getting the upgrade. Things to consider, 1. availability 2. fare class 3. amount 4. status. Since you are a Platinum, the most weight is in your favor to approve the bid. Since you are bidding from Saver level, however, this will not most likely cancel out your velocity status as bids from flexis are looked at having more weight. I think your choice of bidding in the 'Great' range is spot on. I wouldn't go any less as you are bidding from a Saver Fare. Yet, since you are Platinum, you have a better chance than anyone else with lower status and bidding lower amounts.

My personal experience = I am Velocity Platinum and have used the bidding system for flights to LA and on Coast to Coast and have had success almost every time. I always bid at the base of 'Good' and I always get at least "L" class which is the cheapest fare under Flexis (Y B H K L). When I have not been successful, I usually use a complimentary platinum upgrade at the lounge prior to departure by being really nice especially when Reward seats arent available at that point. The lounge manager has always made exceptions particularly at the Sydney and Melbourne lounges. That only works if you have a flexi fare though so a Saver Q fare can only be upgraded using points or through bidding.

I hope your bid is successful! Good luck!

Thanks Sean. I was trying to apply logic as best I could, but without the benefit of any personal experience. I'll stick with the plan of just inside the "Great" range and see how that goes.

I guess it all depends.

I have offered Aud$350 once, PER to SYD, just as a test, it was on a Saver Light fare, which to my understanding, does not or should not have been able to get the oomph to Business by Upgrade Me.

So, I was a bit suspicious, but guess what, at Aud$350, they accepted it, and I got to try VA from PER to SYD a few months ago.

So, to sum up, even offering Aud$350 can work, the J class on the 330 XFE wasn't that full, so it still had quite a nice ambience and feeling, of not being too crowded.

Try Aud$350 once and see what happens.

On a separate note, just to let you know, PER the VA lounge is a bit of a disappointment, food ok, drink ok, but you can't look out onto the tarmac or runway, the window is all opaque! 

Its like as if they dont want you to be able to see outside.

The signage wasn't also all that flash, no big wordings, VA lounge for eg.

If you didnt know, you would have gone up the escalators to the departure gates, but the VA lounge is on the ground floor, its on the left prior to the escalator or lift to the departure gates.

I guess, if your plane is a 330, its a great experience, if you plane is 737, and you get J, better still.  For PER, the VA lounge is a secondary consideration.  Do you consider Aud$350 or more, enough to have extra space on the plane?

EDIT: if they was an edit field, you are already VA WP, so would have access as it is to the VA lounge, and would probably already know what PER VA lounge is like.

Thanks Andrew. Yes, already familiar with the tired looking Perth lounge (eagerly anticipating the new one at the new pier), but your advice is good for anyone just browsing. I usually book flexi and upgrade with points, or just book business saver if I need a status boost. This is the first time I've got a free flight from AMEX and want to explore different upgrade paths. The PER-SYD flight is more important. It's the 11:35pm one after a day of work, after which I have a 2 hour train ride ahead of me when I arrive, so all I really want out of Business this time is SLEEP.

I think I bet $340 on a saver light fare from BNE to PER a few weeks ago and I got the upgrade. It was on XFA though and the business cabin only had 2 others in it. Still great though and I was pleasantly surprised to get offer accepted. 

But I think the upgrade me bid is a good idea and I think QF could try something similar.