An Example of how VOLATILE Air Fare Prices can Change

Last month, our air fares were approx. $1500 per ticket rt from Dulles to Barcelona and back for the cruise. We waited. First week in Jan, they dropped to $781.75 per ticket; we jumped on it.

 

The past couple of weeks we remembered flying business class over to Europe; huge difference in comfort, so we called Choice Air (RCL) tonight to see about upgrading from economy to first. Here's what happened.

 

There's a $300 per ticket "penalty fee" - we expected that. But nearly choked on this: there's an additional $4,082 PER TICKET to upgrade to first class. I told the agent "thanks, we'll try again later" so for clarification had DW call back, different agent, same price to upgrade.

 

We've upgraded before at the check-in counter prior to flying and have paid an additional $2-300 more for the upgrades. The sad thing is, I called American Airlines - she said she can't upgrade us because our tickets are bulk priced. I'm hoping I don't get the same answer the day we check in; still would like to upgrade, but the increases in price are insane. Kicking myself because we should've just booked first class the first time; lessons learned.

 

I guess we'll be sticking to economy and be happy, looking forward to the cruise!

Edited January 22, 2017 by johnjen

Last month, our air fares were approx. $1500 per ticket rt from Dulles to Barcelona and back for the cruise. We waited. First week in Jan, they dropped to $781.75 per ticket; we jumped on it.

 

The past couple of weeks we remembered flying business class over to Europe; huge difference in comfort, so we called Choice Air (RCL) tonight to see about upgrading from economy to first. Here's what happened.

 

There's a $300 per ticket "penalty fee" - we expected that. But nearly choked on this: there's an additional $4,082 PER TICKET to upgrade to first class. I told the agent "thanks, we'll try again later" so for clarification had DW call back, different agent, same price to upgrade.

 

We've upgraded before at the check-in counter prior to flying and have paid an additional $2-300 more for the upgrades.

It sounds like you got lucky with a cheap economy class ticket. About $4,000 per person for the fare difference between that and first class (assuming you really meant first class and not business class) sounds like it's in the right ballpark. So no surprises there, and certainly no reason to choke. That is how much first class tickets routinely cost.

 

Did you price a first class ticket to begin with? Was it substantially cheaper than $4,000 per person then?

 

When people will pay $4,000 round-trip (or more) for first class, the idea that you can call in and upgrade your very cheap economy ticket to first class for a couple of hundred dollars is (if you'll pardon the phrase) pie in the sky. The same applies for trying to upgrade on the day. Even if the airline is in the market for selling a cheap upgrade on the day just to fill empty seats (which is a big "if": many airlines would prefer to fly the seats empty for long-game market discipline reasons), I'd be surprised if any airline is going to sell you such an upgrade for any sum that's only three figures.

I totally agree with Globaliser. You got a good price on a consolidator fare. Those are typically bulk tickets, and frequently not upgrade-able.

 

And, what you were quoted for a first class fare is not unheard of at all. I am curious up that $300-400 upgrade at the gate you bought was domestic or international, and to business or first. Those happen occasionally, but I certainly would never expect, nor count on them.

 

And we fly business or first exclusively.

Edited January 22, 2017 by CruiserBruce

$781.75 per ticket; we jumped on it.

 

called Choice Air (RCL) tonight to see about upgrading from economy to first.

 

there's an additional $4,082 PER TICKET to upgrade to first class.

 

We've upgraded before at the check-in counter prior to flying and have paid an additional $2-300 more for the upgrades. The sad thing is, I called American Airlines - she said she can't upgrade us because our tickets are bulk priced.

 

By your logic, you paid less than $800 for coach, and expect to be able to upgrade to first class, on an international flight, for just $200-300 more, or a grand total of $1000-1100?? I'd call that beyond unrealistic. Do you have any idea how quickly those F seats would go if they initially sold for $1100? $4000 to upgrade sounds to me like a very normal upgrade price, given the difference in price between what you paid and what an actual F ticket would cost. But as the agent said, your cheapo fare rules don't allow the ticket to be upgraded anyway, so this is all an exercise in futility. Suggestion: Next time do a little more research on your tickets before purchasing. Better luck next time!

Edited January 22, 2017 by waterbug123

And, what you were quoted for a first class fare is not unheard of at all. I am curious up that $300-400 upgrade at the gate you bought was domestic or international, and to business or first. Those happen occasionally, but I certainly would never expect, nor count on them.

 

And we fly business or first exclusively.

 

It was an international leg from Dulles to Amsterdam on KLM. At the gate we managed to upgrade to first class for either 2-300 more; we took it. We typically fly overseas in business or first but for domestic we just do economy. Depends on the length of flight though.

 

So now we've learned from this. We don't fly all the time, if we do, it's mostly overseas since my dad lives in the UK and daughter lives in Belgium. Thanks everyone for this good response.

It sounds like you got lucky with a cheap economy class ticket. About $4,000 per person for the fare difference between that and first class (assuming you really meant first class and not business class) sounds like it's in the right ballpark. So no surprises there, and certainly no reason to choke. That is how much first class tickets routinely cost.

 

Did you price a first class ticket to begin with? Was it substantially cheaper than $4,000 per person then?

 

When people will pay $4,000 round-trip (or more) for first class, the idea that you can call in and upgrade your very cheap economy ticket to first class for a couple of hundred dollars is (if you'll pardon the phrase) pie in the sky. The same applies for trying to upgrade on the day. Even if the airline is in the market for selling a cheap upgrade on the day just to fill empty seats (which is a big "if": many airlines would prefer to fly the seats empty for long-game market discipline reasons), I'd be surprised if any airline is going to sell you such an upgrade for any sum that's only three figures.

 

Thanks, learned much from what you said here.

It was an international leg from Dulles to Amsterdam on KLM. At the gate we managed to upgrade to first class for either 2-300 more; we took it.

A small point which may seem to be verging on pedantry: KLM doesn't have first class, so you were probably upgrading from economy to business class. That has an effect on the dynamics of upgrades, on their availability and on their cost.

 

Even then, I would be surprised if any airline were to routinely upgrade economy passengers to long-haul business class for a couple of hundred dollars. That's the ballpark for upgrading someone from economy to premium economy - on a good day if they're lucky. (And AIUI KLM doesn't have a true premium economy product either in any event.)

How much do prices swing? I've seen both AA and UA have unannounced 1 and 2 day sales where prices for business class seats have swung $1500-$1600 round trip. Then poof, those prices are gone, never to be seen again! If you hesitated you lost!

It gets even more interesting. Just booked my dad on a rt flight from Glasgow to Dulles on Icelandair, he comes to the states three days after we get back home....his rt was $1900 saga class, which is first class....interesting. I booked and paid his ticket on our RCL card....more bonus points for me.

It gets even more interesting. Just booked my dad on a rt flight from Glasgow to Dulles on Icelandair, he comes to the states three days after we get back home....his rt was $1900 saga class, which is first class....interesting. I booked and paid his ticket on our RCL card....more bonus points for me.

 

UHmmm. You might want to check Sagaclass versus a US airline business class on a TATL. I don't think you are comparing apples to oranges.

Edited January 23, 2017 by buggins0402

UHmmm. You might want to check Sagaclass versus a US airline business class on a TATL. I don't think you are comparing apples to oranges.

Significant differences. Chief include: Barcalounger vs flat-bed. 757 vs twin aisle.

Significant differences. Chief include: Barcalounger vs flat-bed. 757 vs twin aisle.

 

Whoops..meant he is comparing apples to oranges...

Saga class may be the front of the plane, but that doesn't make it first class. Many airlines have 2 class airplanes internationally, and the "higher" class is not first class.

Saga class may be the front of the plane, but that doesn't make it first class. Many airlines have 2 class airplanes internationally, and the "higher" class is not first class.

 

No, Saga is first class.

From Seatguru:

 

Saga Class is Icelandair's Business Class cabin.

No, Saga is first class.

 

It is not like Business Class on the major airlines. There are no lie-flat seats. It is better than tourist, but is not even what you would call business class by today's standards.

From Seatguru:

 

Saga Class is Icelandair's Business Class cabin.

 

Thank CB, I stand corrected, we paid for the saga tickets, at least he's flying comfortable. His sense of humor kicks in when he was told his seat is all the way up forward, "at least I'll die right after the pilot if the plane goes down."

Edited January 23, 2017 by johnjen

Whoops..meant he is comparing apples to oranges...

And I was showing some of the ways apples are different than oranges....;)

 

All business class is not created alike. Nor executed as same.

 

Ditto for first, premium economy and coach.

 

Example for the evening: Intra-Europe business class on BA has a seat pitch smaller than most USA domestic coach products.

No, Saga is first class.

Saga Class is probably more like longhaul premium economy than either first class or business class. This is partly because few of Icelandair's flights could really be described as longhaul flights.

 

If you don't distinguish properly between first class, business class, premium economy and economy (eg if you still think that you got an upgrade to first class on KLM), then you will be liable to be unpleasantly surprised by what it costs when you do ask about travelling in first class.

Icelandair Saga:

 

International First Class:

 

You could probably fit half the FI J cabin in one of EY's F Apartments :D

And the EY Apartment is even smaller than their Residence.

And the EY Apartment is even smaller than their Residence.

 

If I was to give that a class it'd be "a class of its own" :D

I want a Residence experience on a Saga budget. What's wrong with these airlines not giving me what I want? ;) But Saga is still much better than the 3-4-3 economy on a UA 777, plus or no plus.

 

Re Choice Air: "I called American Airlines - she said she can't upgrade us because our tickets are bulk priced."

 

An example where Choice Air is not selling you the same ticket you can get from the airline website. How do you know which kind you're getting? Caveat Emptor.

It gets even more interesting. Just booked my dad on a rt flight from Glasgow to Dulles on Icelandair, he comes to the states three days after we get back home....his rt was $1900 saga class, which is first class....interesting. I booked and paid his ticket on our RCL card....more bonus points for me.

 

Do you know how much your RCL credit card points are worth? The last I looked, it was 1% (for everything except charges for RCI itself, which gives you 2%). If you used a 2% cash back card, you would be able to earn twice as much in CASH then use that to reduce the price of the cruise itself. http://www.royalcaribbean.com/dealsandmore/offer/visa.do.

Edited January 24, 2017 by frugaltravel

It gets even more interesting. Just booked my dad on a rt flight from Glasgow to Dulles on Icelandair, he comes to the states three days after we get back home....his rt was $1900 saga class, which is first class....interesting. I booked and paid his ticket on our RCL card....more bonus points for me.

Do you know how much your RCL credit card points are worth? The last I looked, it was 1% (for everything except charges for RCI itself, which gives you 2%). If you used a 2% cash back card, you would be able to earn twice as much in CASH then use that to reduce the price of the cruise itself. http://www.royalcaribbean.com/dealsandmore/offer/visa.do.

I thiink if you look at the actual words of Johnjen, the tickets were paid for as a credit card charge onto the RCI card, thus EARNING points. Not that the RCI points were used to pay for the Icelandic ticket.

 

Agree that this card is one that you MUST redeem on RCI to get any kind of reasonable return. Even then, you can at least equal it with a 2% rebate card. I have no idea if there is any kind of elite benefit from spend, or some RCI specific bonus to justify using the card.