Virgin upper - bidding for it
Discussion
Some of us are off to NYC and, when checking our seats earlier, Virgin offered me the opportunity to upgrade to Upper Class for £3500.
I ummed and ahhed for a bit and thought, "hey, what the heck, it's only £3500". Clicking through on the offer, it turns out that it's £3500... per person. The sum of this exceeds the current cost of flights, the hotel cost and a good chunk of spending money. I cannot justify it.
There is the option however to bid for a seat. Has anyone done this?
I realise that bidding may consign me to the "A bit Council" thread, but I am not proud.
Louis Balfour said:
it turns out that it's £3500... per person.
Yes, and? Oh right, you're serious. This is the second time in as many days someone has publicly admitted their reluctance (or heaven forbid, inability) to pay the necessary to ensure a pleb-free vacationing experience, and I'm starting to wonder if PH should perhaps implement some form of tiered forum membership to stop this place going to the dogs.
Your, YB (BA Executive Club 'Blue' member with well over 100k avios don't you know)
In a more useful sense, log onto the Virgin Atlantic website after booking and check how much it is to upgrade. I did this for some upcoming USA flights and the cost to upgrade was less than the minimum bid on the bidding system - weird glitch perhaps but worth a look. Failing that Virgin split economy on some aircraft and you can often pay a little more and get into a smaller section midway down the aircraft instead of being at the very back in amongst people smoking and sitting on crates of chickens no doubt.
djc206 said:
It’s common with a lot of airlines. Never bid the absolute minimum, loads will do that. Never bid the next increment up, loads of people will do that thinking that everyone will have bid the minimum, bid the next increment up.
Damn it now I've got to bid above the next bid above the next bid above the next bid above the minimum 
Yes - bid before, on three flights I think - generally a couple of increments above minimum - never failed, good luck
yellowbentines said:
Louis Balfour said:
it turns out that it's £3500... per person.
Yes, and? Oh right, you're serious. This is the second time in as many days someone has publicly admitted their reluctance (or heaven forbid, inability) to pay the necessary to ensure a pleb-free vacationing experience, and I'm starting to wonder if PH should perhaps implement some form of tiered forum membership to stop this place going to the dogs.
Your, YB (BA Executive Club 'Blue' member with well over 100k avios don't you know)
In a more useful sense, log onto the Virgin Atlantic website after booking and check how much it is to upgrade. I did this for some upcoming USA flights and the cost to upgrade was less than the minimum bid on the bidding system - weird glitch perhaps but worth a look. Failing that Virgin split economy on some aircraft and you can often pay a little more and get into a smaller section midway down the aircraft instead of being at the very back in amongst people smoking and sitting on crates of chickens no doubt.
It makes me feel poor and like I should have worked harder at school.
Louis Balfour said:
yellowbentines said:
Louis Balfour said:
it turns out that it's £3500... per person.
Yes, and? Oh right, you're serious. This is the second time in as many days someone has publicly admitted their reluctance (or heaven forbid, inability) to pay the necessary to ensure a pleb-free vacationing experience, and I'm starting to wonder if PH should perhaps implement some form of tiered forum membership to stop this place going to the dogs.
Your, YB (BA Executive Club 'Blue' member with well over 100k avios don't you know)
In a more useful sense, log onto the Virgin Atlantic website after booking and check how much it is to upgrade. I did this for some upcoming USA flights and the cost to upgrade was less than the minimum bid on the bidding system - weird glitch perhaps but worth a look. Failing that Virgin split economy on some aircraft and you can often pay a little more and get into a smaller section midway down the aircraft instead of being at the very back in amongst people smoking and sitting on crates of chickens no doubt.
It makes me feel poor and like I should have worked harder at school.
Why anyone would spend 7k extra to go to and from new york is beggars belief tbh. Plain f
king stupid and i bet you will find the majority of those doing it cant actually afford it (by afford i mean they don't notice they are paying for it) but they like to make out they can so they dont have to sit with the 'plebs' 
I mean seriously, a family of 4 could expect to pay 28k on top
really? Like your self i feel i should have worked harder at school
m3jappa said:
Louis Balfour said:
yellowbentines said:
Louis Balfour said:
it turns out that it's £3500... per person.
Yes, and? Oh right, you're serious. This is the second time in as many days someone has publicly admitted their reluctance (or heaven forbid, inability) to pay the necessary to ensure a pleb-free vacationing experience, and I'm starting to wonder if PH should perhaps implement some form of tiered forum membership to stop this place going to the dogs.
Your, YB (BA Executive Club 'Blue' member with well over 100k avios don't you know)
In a more useful sense, log onto the Virgin Atlantic website after booking and check how much it is to upgrade. I did this for some upcoming USA flights and the cost to upgrade was less than the minimum bid on the bidding system - weird glitch perhaps but worth a look. Failing that Virgin split economy on some aircraft and you can often pay a little more and get into a smaller section midway down the aircraft instead of being at the very back in amongst people smoking and sitting on crates of chickens no doubt.
It makes me feel poor and like I should have worked harder at school.
Why anyone would spend 7k extra to go to and from new york is beggars belief tbh. Plain f
king stupid and i bet you will find the majority of those doing it cant actually afford it (by afford i mean they don't notice they are paying for it) but they like to make out they can so they dont have to sit with the 'plebs' I mean seriously, a family of 4 could expect to pay 28k on top
really? Like your self i feel i should have worked harder at school
m3jappa said:
Louis Balfour said:
yellowbentines said:
Louis Balfour said:
it turns out that it's £3500... per person.
Yes, and? Oh right, you're serious. This is the second time in as many days someone has publicly admitted their reluctance (or heaven forbid, inability) to pay the necessary to ensure a pleb-free vacationing experience, and I'm starting to wonder if PH should perhaps implement some form of tiered forum membership to stop this place going to the dogs.
Your, YB (BA Executive Club 'Blue' member with well over 100k avios don't you know)
In a more useful sense, log onto the Virgin Atlantic website after booking and check how much it is to upgrade. I did this for some upcoming USA flights and the cost to upgrade was less than the minimum bid on the bidding system - weird glitch perhaps but worth a look. Failing that Virgin split economy on some aircraft and you can often pay a little more and get into a smaller section midway down the aircraft instead of being at the very back in amongst people smoking and sitting on crates of chickens no doubt.
It makes me feel poor and like I should have worked harder at school.
Why anyone would spend 7k extra to go to and from new york is beggars belief tbh. Plain f
king stupid and i bet you will find the majority of those doing it cant actually afford it (by afford i mean they don't notice they are paying for it) but they like to make out they can so they dont have to sit with the 'plebs' I mean seriously, a family of 4 could expect to pay 28k on top
really? Like your self i feel i should have worked harder at school
The fury of the iconic powerfully built director as he turns left only to find a group of tattooed long haired noisy musicians have invaded his sanctuary .
egor110 said:
m3jappa said:
Louis Balfour said:
yellowbentines said:
Louis Balfour said:
it turns out that it's £3500... per person.
Yes, and? Oh right, you're serious. This is the second time in as many days someone has publicly admitted their reluctance (or heaven forbid, inability) to pay the necessary to ensure a pleb-free vacationing experience, and I'm starting to wonder if PH should perhaps implement some form of tiered forum membership to stop this place going to the dogs.
Your, YB (BA Executive Club 'Blue' member with well over 100k avios don't you know)
In a more useful sense, log onto the Virgin Atlantic website after booking and check how much it is to upgrade. I did this for some upcoming USA flights and the cost to upgrade was less than the minimum bid on the bidding system - weird glitch perhaps but worth a look. Failing that Virgin split economy on some aircraft and you can often pay a little more and get into a smaller section midway down the aircraft instead of being at the very back in amongst people smoking and sitting on crates of chickens no doubt.
It makes me feel poor and like I should have worked harder at school.
Why anyone would spend 7k extra to go to and from new york is beggars belief tbh. Plain f
king stupid and i bet you will find the majority of those doing it cant actually afford it (by afford i mean they don't notice they are paying for it) but they like to make out they can so they dont have to sit with the 'plebs' I mean seriously, a family of 4 could expect to pay 28k on top
really? Like your self i feel i should have worked harder at school
The fury of the iconic powerfully built director as he turns left only to find a group of tattooed long haired noisy musicians have invaded his sanctuary .
We do as a couple earn pretty bloody well, i feel we have done and are doing ok.
But when i see people taking business class flights or going on regular expensive holidays, buying expensive clothes, buying expensive watches regularly, buying cars like range rovers or similar which appear to lose a grand a month or so i start to feel like i have seriously f
ked up somewhere down the line For me its not a jealousy thing, i am genuinely pleased to see people do well, its more a case of how the f
k have you done it m3jappa said:
For me its not a jealousy thing, i am genuinely pleased to see people do well, its more a case of how the fk have you done it
Start/ own your own business. If it does well, the money snow balls after a while. Nothing like working for a company. (and don't have kids if you want a head start). k have you done it Griffith4ever said:
m3jappa said:
For me its not a jealousy thing, i am genuinely pleased to see people do well, its more a case of how the fk have you done it
Start/ own your own business. If it does well, the money snow balls after a while. Nothing like working for a company. (and don't have kids if you want a head start). k have you done it I own businesses and have done fairly well, though nothing amazing.
But I never cease to be amazed by the people I meet on holidays that I have really had to stretch myself to afford.
Equally though - why worry about it? You aren’t paying for them, they aren’t paying for your holiday.
Biz class is generally £2k ish rtn pp to the Americas. Allegedly it’s cheaper in the Virgin & BA sales, however, they always appear to be the same price to me. The upgrades at the airport are usually about £500-£1000 pp per leg upto biz/Upper.
If you can afford it, hurrah, if you can’t you can’t. We all have our own lives to live and the one lesson I have learnt is that the grass is rarely greener/A N Others life is rarely the happy lark it may appear looking in.
Biz class is generally £2k ish rtn pp to the Americas. Allegedly it’s cheaper in the Virgin & BA sales, however, they always appear to be the same price to me. The upgrades at the airport are usually about £500-£1000 pp per leg upto biz/Upper.
If you can afford it, hurrah, if you can’t you can’t. We all have our own lives to live and the one lesson I have learnt is that the grass is rarely greener/A N Others life is rarely the happy lark it may appear looking in.
Louis Balfour said:
Griffith4ever said:
m3jappa said:
For me its not a jealousy thing, i am genuinely pleased to see people do well, its more a case of how the fk have you done it
Start/ own your own business. If it does well, the money snow balls after a while. Nothing like working for a company. (and don't have kids if you want a head start). k have you done it I own businesses and have done fairly well, though nothing amazing.
But I never cease to be amazed by the people I meet on holidays that I have really had to stretch myself to afford.
Perhaps they blow everything on their annual extravegance. I know some people do. They spend nowt on cars and booze etc, and then chuck £20k at a 2 week holiday without blinking, then return to a very modest life at home.
In contrast, I just spent around £7k for two months in Thailand for me and the mrs (that is everything - the lot inc. 6 or so internal flights - I use one card only so easy to keep track), plus £3500 on flights return flights to the UK, which I think is fairly modest for 2 months of heaven. You can very easily spend £10k on 2 weeks all inclusive in the Maldives and thats not aiming anywhere near the top.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Wednesday 15th March 09:19
Edited by Griffith4ever on Wednesday 15th March 09:20
djc206 said:
Louis Balfour said:
DeejRC said:
Biz class is generally £2k ish rtn pp to the Americas. .
It's working out nearer £8kpp rtn.He’s right though the US is normally sub £2k return if you book 6+ months out.
Edited by Voodoo Blue on Wednesday 15th March 14:25
Louis Balfour said:
DeejRC said:
Biz class is generally £2k ish rtn pp to the Americas. .
It's working out nearer £8kpp rtn.As it happens, I have some Virgin flights booked so have been following this thread with interest. Frankly it looks to me as though the starting point for bidding is so high you might as well just make up your mind whether you're willing to pay the price for Upper Class and get it booked.
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