Award upgrades when travelling on separate pnr's

[GCC]

We are planning a trip next year, and it looks like Mrs GCC and family will fly one way, meet me in the UK and we'll all fly home together.

I will link bookings and would then apply for an award upgrade, but I understand that my WP status will only apply to all of us if we are on the same pnr.

I'm not sure though exactly how this works in practice. Does it mean our whole family group is processed on the basis of the lowest status held - Mrs GCC and toddler are both bronze. Or does the fact that I am WP have some bearing on our place in the upgrade queue? Is it possible that my upgrade request is successful and the rest of the family's declined?

Would love to hear from anyone who has had experience getting award upgrades in these circumstances, or any tips for how to maximise the chance of getting the whole group upgraded when travelling on 2 pnr's.

 

[DeKa]

You have no control over who will get the upgrades. There is nothing you can do if you aren't all on the same PNR (where the upgrade is an 'all or nothing' .. everyone on the PNR gets it, or no one does).
What tends to happen to me is MrsDeKa gets an upgrade to business, and I get nothing, or to Premium Economy, even though for much of our travelling I am the only one with status.
To be honest, having separate PNRs is probably better .. you may get a combination of Business and Premium Economy if the plane is very full.

 

[atreides]

It would be great if linked PNRs were eligible for linked upgrades...

 

[GCC]

To be honest, having separate PNRs is probably better .. you may get a combination of Business and Premium Economy if the plane is very full

Not that good with a 3 year and a 6 month old, unfortunately.

 

[legroom]

You have no control over who will get the upgrades. There is nothing you can do if you aren't all on the same PNR (where the upgrade is an 'all or nothing' .. everyone on the PNR gets it, or no one does).
What tends to happen to me is MrsDeKa gets an upgrade to business, and I get nothing, or to Premium Economy, even though for much of our travelling I am the only one with status.
To be honest, having separate PNRs is probably better .. you may get a combination of Business and Premium Economy if the plane is very full.

Good to know

I was just about to post a similar question.

In my case, I was tied to an existing voucher left over from a cancellation early in 2012 while Mrs Legroom / Son travel on a separate PNR (out of necessity).

I was advised - in another post asking about linking PNRs - to call QF and ask for TCP (to complete party).

What it will lead to (the TCP) I have no idea but it sounds good linking the two separate PNRs together.

Like the OP, I have higher status than the rest of the family.

 

[DeKa]

Good to know

I was just about to post a similar question.

In my case, I was tied to an existing voucher left over from a cancellation early in 2012 while Mrs Legroom / Son travel on a separate PNR (out of necessity).

I was advised - in another post asking about linking PNRs - to call QF and ask for TCP (to complete party).

What it will lead to (the TCP) I have no idea but it sounds good linking the two separate PNRs together.

Like the OP, I have higher status than the rest of the family.

I have had a situation where the TCP was entered, and one of us received the upgrade (the one with NO status) and I did not. The points were my points (if that makes any difference). The take away from that is the TCP has no impact on upgrades.

 

[Travel Guru]

All a TCP is, is a note in each booking advising the carrier/carriers that 2 or more people on separate PNR's are travelling together, that's about as far as it extends and doesn't have any of the benefits upgrade or otherwise that being on the one single PNR'S would.

TG