20 yr Qantas FF and NEVER been upgraded... are upgrades like Rainbow Unicorns??

[timster]

Have only been op-uped once with Qantas. Numerous times with BA. Never with AA.

No op-up from Qantas ever.
20 year QP, mostly while working for several very large corporate customers who only allow Y. Several long hauls a year. About 10 RTWs in that time. No status except short time silver.

Op-upped by KLM from Y to J on my one and only flight with them !
Op-upped by BA from Y to Y+ for BKK-LHR.
Both without asking.

Used to get Y exit rows with Qantas 9 times out of 10 just by asking (I'm tall-ish) .. sometime given at checkin, sometimes in QP ... until Qantas decided to make money off them by selling to shorter pax. Asked at check-in about op-up a few times when no exit rows available - never got one. Single traveller, always well dressed - no jeans or sports shoes .. ie better than most Qantas J pax !? ;-)

 

[Awesom Andy]

always well dressed - no jeans or sports shoes .. ie better than most Qantas J pax !? ;-)

They thought you might look out of place? :shock:

 

[Janeski]

They DO exist!!!!!!!! Oh happy days!!! Flying Int'l in 10 days so I shall let you know...

 

[UP4014]

So from this feedback, I AM more likely to see a rainbow unicorn than ever get an upgrade... esp as I'm a lowly Bronze and travelling on a sale fare.... ahhhh but a girl can dream!!

Been very interesting hearing everyone's stories.. I really did think that loyalty would be slightly better rewarded.... esp for FF. I wonder do airlines go," Yes, I know we have a few extra Business Class meals in the trolley but really cannot be bothered to upgrade anyone" ???? Or if there ARE meals on board and there ARE spare seats.. is the most "rewardable" passenger ALWAYS upgraded?? curious

But with your level of flying it may not look like you've been loyal.

matt

 

[AIRwin]

They DO exist!!!!!!!! Oh happy days!!! Flying Int'l in 10 days so I shall let you know...

As both harvyk and richie9x pointed out, best not to have too high a hope so you won't end up disappointed if it doesn't happen...

 

[Fantic125]

They DO exist!!!!!!!! Oh happy days!!! Flying Int'l in 10 days so I shall let you know...

They certainly do! I've had 3 from QF so far this year;

March, QF128 (HKG-SYD), Y+ > J,
April, QF127 (SYD-HKG), Y+>J,
April, QF747, (SYD-ADL), Y > J...

 

[simongr]

So bit of a random question.. I've been a Qantas FF for 20 yrs (can't believe I'm ageing myself so much) and in that time I've been an on/off Silver but never Gold member. I've had Qantas Club membership.. again on/off.. and usually take anywhere between 4-10 flights per year domestic and occasionally international. In that time I have NEVER been offered an upgrade... I'm flying to HK in a few weeks and trying to decide if I should push my luck and ask for an upgrade on check in (i'm travelling solo)... OR are they like rainbow unicorns and only appear for the truly lucky (or serious Frequent Flyer...)?????

On that ratio you have about 160 flights over the past 20 years. I have been with QFF since 2001 (post Ansett) and in the past seven years I have taken 246 flights on QF. Of those I was in the highest cabin (i.e. J DOM) 56 times by my choice and 4 times by QF's choice. Which means I have taken 186 flights and not been upgraded.

It does help to dress nicely and be polite at all times.

Although I agree we should all be polite at all times - I don't think has any impact on if you get upgraded.

If I tallied my intl flights on qf, I think I get an op up around 20pc where there could be an upgraded cabin. Yes, they do happen and I have been very lucky.

Domestically, its less than 5pc....

That is a quite offensive level of upgrades!

Looking at history and tally:

Current status: Platinum One
Lifetime Status Credits: 13,645
Years with the QFF program: 10 (4.5 active)
Operational Upgrades: 4 domestic

 

[jamesatfish]

To add to the data set:

Current status: Platinum
Lifetime Status Credits: 14,000+ (QF stop showing it after LTG is reached, and I don't keep track myself)
Years with the QFF program: 14
Operational Upgrades: 1*

*Just to show you how random op-ups can be, the only time I've ever been upgraded was CHC-SYD with Air NZ in the mid-90s. I was a teenager travelling with my family (2 adults, 2 children), all zero status non-FF members, booked on cheap travel-agent-special Economy fares. All 4 of us were upgraded to upper deck J.

I joined QFF about 3 years later, have been WP for the last 6 years but have never since been upgraded without having spent points to do so.

 

[Anna]

I'm also a 20 year QFF and in that time I have earned over 12,100 SCs with 4 or 5 international op-ups both as SG and WP and 1 international op-down as a PS (on a classic J award last century). Have never had a domestic op-up that I can recall. Have had plenty of points upgrades both international and domestic and have also requested plenty of points upgrades that were not granted (both international and domestic - knockbacks seem rarer as a WP - but they still do occur).

The only one that was given to me at check-in was the op-down. The rest I knew about before getting to the airport.

What this thread is telling me is that compared to other carriers QF is very well managed as to loadings and generally does not need to hand out upgrades because it has mismanaged its loadings.

 

[Uncle BJ]

Asking for an upgrade at check in is a waste of time, my understanding of Qantas and its systems mean the front line staff have very little control over that area and are unlikely to have the permissions to change a passengers cabin class.

I'm afraid I can't agree with this - I was travelling recently on QF from CNS-MEL with my mother who turned on the charm at check-in and said 'I'm travelling in J but my son is in Y and I think it would be much nicer to have him next to me in J - don't you?' and out came 2 x J boarding passes. She did the same thing a few years ago on a BA flight from IAD-LHR when I was on a deeply discounted Y ticket and she was in J, and as a result I found myself seated next to her. She and I were QF NB both times. My view is that the line 'I don't have the authority' is a convenient (and understandable) response to an upgrade request at check-in.

 

[medhead]

My view is that the line 'I don't have the authority' is a convenient (and understandable) response to an upgrade request at check-in.

Also a true response if they really don't have the authority.

In both of your examples, it really depends on who is doing the check in. Having grown up in Cairns, I used to know airline staff at the airport. An appropriately senior person who just happened to see us at the airport one day, and was able to get my father onto a flight immediately instead of having to wait for the standby checking process when he was flying to BNE when my grandmother had her first stroke. This happened not by request but was offered after making general conversation about why he was at the airport.

 

[Janeski]

I'm finding all the feedback fascinating.. so much so that I'm almost thinking of putting a survey together... not sure for what purpose...more out of interest, as there appears to be such a broad variety of experiences in terms of OP upgrades's.. it makes me wonder.. why the upgrades ... are they just better looking????... as it does not appear to be solely based on FF status.....

 

[markis10]

I'm finding all the feedback fascinating.. so much so that I'm almost thinking of putting a survey together... not sure for what purpose...more out of interest, as there appears to be such a broad variety of experiences in terms of OP upgrades's.. it makes me wonder.. why the upgrades ... are they just better looking????... as it does not appear to be solely based on FF status.....

You would see a big difference between upgrade pre Altea vs Post Altea.

 

[Uncle BJ]

I'm finding all the feedback fascinating.. so much so that I'm almost thinking of putting a survey together... not sure for what purpose...more out of interest, as there appears to be such a broad variety of experiences in terms of OP upgrades's.. it makes me wonder.. why the upgrades ... are they just better looking????... as it does not appear to be solely based on FF status.....

I like the idea. It will be important for respondents to include photos so as to track any correlation between aesthetic appeal and upgrade likelihood.

 

[medhead]

I'm finding all the feedback fascinating.. so much so that I'm almost thinking of putting a survey together... not sure for what purpose...more out of interest, as there appears to be such a broad variety of experiences in terms of OP upgrades's.. it makes me wonder.. why the upgrades ... are they just better looking????... as it does not appear to be solely based on FF status.....

3 of my operational upgrades can only have been based on quantifiable factors, like status. In one case, I did online check in and could only select a business seat, the other 2 involved my boarding pass when printed at the gate having a business seat number on them instead of the economy seat. Of those later 2, one involved an oversold economy cabin IMO, the other was a special promo upgrade given under the qantas domestic boss' name. Of the remaining upgrades, in one case they wanted my economy seat for a couple or something. They had no idea who I was, didn't page me or anything and my gate boarding docket just printed out with a different seat number. The last one the lounge desk offered to upgrade me as a flight to BNE was cancelled and they were moving people onto my flight. That was just pure randomness at the lounge desk, plus being a platinum.

I haven't counted the 2 upgrades I got as make up for the Qantas grounding, those were extraordinary upgrades given under special circumstances.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I'm afraid I can't agree with this - I was travelling recently on QF from CNS-MEL with my mother who turned on the charm at check-in and said 'I'm travelling in J but my son is in Y and I think it would be much nicer to have him next to me in J - don't you?' and out came 2 x J boarding passes. She did the same thing a few years ago on a BA flight from IAD-LHR when I was on a deeply discounted Y ticket and she was in J, and as a result I found myself seated next to her. She and I were QF NB both times. My view is that the line 'I don't have the authority' is a convenient (and understandable) response to an upgrade request at check-in.

Why doesn't your mother buy you a J ticket? Doesn't she love you?

 

[Pvcmenace]

Flying from Mel to Ool back when I first joined QFF in 2001 got an Opup as the flight was over sold, I actually turned it down and offered it to someone else as I wanted to sit with my travelling companions. Thats my only experience.

 

[Fantic125]

I'm finding all the feedback fascinating.. so much so that I'm almost thinking of putting a survey together... not sure for what purpose...more out of interest, as there appears to be such a broad variety of experiences in terms of OP upgrades's.. it makes me wonder.. why the upgrades ... are they just better looking????... as it does not appear to be solely based on FF status.....

Certainly wouldn't be down to looks in my case.......

Just did a quick tally of my QF only flights over the past 4 years, and out of the 187 flights I've been upgraded 10 times.

6 times, Y > J
3 times, Y+ > J,
1 time, Y > Y+.

Looking at all my flights over the same 4 years, from 273 flights I've been upgraded 14 times total.

 

[Uncle BJ]

Why doesn't your mother buy you a J ticket? Doesn't she love you?

I guess her philosophy was 'why pay for J when you can have it for free?'.

Sadly she didn't even pay for the Y tix - I bought them myself.

 

[Anna]

I'm afraid I can't agree with this - I was travelling recently on QF from CNS-MEL with my mother who turned on the charm at check-in and said 'I'm travelling in J but my son is in Y and I think it would be much nicer to have him next to me in J - don't you?' and out came 2 x J boarding passes. She did the same thing a few years ago on a BA flight from IAD-LHR when I was on a deeply discounted Y ticket and she was in J, and as a result I found myself seated next to her. She and I were QF NB both times. My view is that the line 'I don't have the authority' is a convenient (and understandable) response to an upgrade request at check-in.

I also once got an international upgrade because my mother asked for it. I didn't count that one.

I think we need to consider 3 categories of upgrade:

- op up
- points upgrade
- maternal upgrade

OP, I suggest you get your mum to ring up and request that you get upgraded.