Virgin Upgrade?

[Guest]

Hi everyone, has anyone ever managed to get a free upgrade to PE with virgin? If so how did you do it?

[Cantcook]

If you’re travelling alone, have gold or even silver status and the economy cabin is completely full, you maybe lucky.

Sob or even happy stories don’t work at checkin, and if they ever have, it would have coincided with some form of operational reason.

[DoubleDisney]

No, but we were offered an upgrade at £250 each at the airport which was MUCH better that price quoted on phone before we went. PE was nice.

[Kraken]

Virgin have a policy of no free upgrades, unless if is required for operational reasons. So as above, you need to be travelling alone, in an over-sold cabin & have Flying Club status - ideally gold, but silver is better than nothing. Sometimes the operational upgrades only happen at the boarding gate - they scan your pass and the light goes red and you get the "magic beep" and a new boarding pass.

If you want a paid upgrade (either by paying cash or using Flying Club miles) then ask at the airport as there are often some very tempting deals on the day. Equally there are some crazy prices quoted sometimes - a friend was offered a Premium Economy to Upper class one-way upgrade at Disney Springs for £850 (and the agent made it clear the price was Sterling, not USD). Oddly enough at that price he stayed in Premium Economy.

Also, if you want to buy upgrades in advance of travel, do the upgrade when Virgin have a sale on as the price will be based on the sale fare (as long as your travel dates fall within the validity period of the sale fares). I know of people who have done Economy - Premium Economy upgrades this way and they have paid under £100 extra each for a return upgrade.

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by Kraken

Virgin have a policy of no free upgrades, unless if is required for operational reasons. So as above, you need to be travelling alone, in an over-sold cabin & have Flying Club status - ideally gold, but silver is better than nothing. Sometimes the operational upgrades only happen at the boarding gate - they scan your pass and the light goes red and you get the "magic beep" and a new boarding pass.

If you want a paid upgrade (either by paying cash or using Flying Club miles) then ask at the airport as there are often some very tempting deals on the day. Equally there are some crazy prices quoted sometimes - a friend was offered a Premium Economy to Upper class one-way upgrade at Disney Springs for £850 (and the agent made it clear the price was Sterling, not USD). Oddly enough at that price he stayed in Premium Economy.

Also, if you want to buy upgrades in advance of travel, do the upgrade when Virgin have a sale on as the price will be based on the sale fare (as long as your travel dates fall within the validity period of the sale fares). I know of people who have done Economy - Premium Economy upgrades this way and they have paid under £100 extra each for a return upgrade.

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I've done a thread on here this evening about a good deal I got for upgrading from Premium Economy to Upper Class on my return Virgin flight from MCO to Gatwick in September - £185.85. I occasionally check my booking to see if there are any changes, I happened to do so this evening and saw that upgrade price and went for it. They're doing the outbound flight for £451 upgrade but my funds won't stretch to it plus I'm happy with my PE seat for the outbound journey. The thing I like the look of in UC is that the seat opens flat into a bed - I have trouble sleeping when I'm travelling and I'm hoping this might help.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Of course there is the flip side to the coin ref downgrades. Two people didn't get their UC seats today on the plane we were on as the seats were broken so where they got put I don't know!

Normally those who have booked with Miles as happened to us last year when we got bumped to PE.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by THE_WH1TES

Hi everyone, has anyone ever managed to get a free upgrade to PE with virgin? If so how did you do it?

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I believe VA are strict regarding upgrades now. We upgraded from economy to PE at Man Airport, Nov 2012, for £254pp. VA had a £199 offer on for LGW, and whilst the PE cabin was only half full and the check-in lass asked her Supervisor, the £254 Man upgrade price was firm.

[Cinderellas]

We had a free upgrade from economy to premium economy about 5 years ago. Haven’t a clue why but we were told at the boarding gate that they unfortunately had to move us to premium economy I was ecstatic! There were three of us me, DH and DS. This was the first time in PE and we loved it that much we now only fly in premium courtesy of VA miles

[MrsBrown]

How to I check upgrade price via the app? I could see it before and checked every so often, but virgin updated the app and now I can't work out where upgrade price would be? Thanks

[MrsMoney]

Originally Posted by Andybear

The thing I like the look of in UC is that the seat opens flat into a bed - I have trouble sleeping when I'm travelling and I'm hoping this might help.

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It does make a huge difference. I sleep so much better when I'm flying in upper on a business trip as opposed to economy or PE on a personal one 😊 Unfortunately our budget won't stretch to UC for our own holidays as I am usually travelling with my husband and two kids - Always on the look out for a good upgrade with miles though.