Different Treatment as an Upgrade Customer

[Keftetha]

I can assure you that staff can most definitely fly J internationally.

You're given an economy BP upon check-in. If there's availability and provided you are in compliance with the staff travel dress code that BP will be swapped at the gate for one in the J cabin.

Ewing,

Thanks, but I never said staff can never fly in J internationally. You are correct regarding the process, however, prior to receiving your J BP you need to have booked in J and paid for it through staff travel. You CANNOT just pay for an economy seat and then rock up to the counter and ask for a J seat.

Happy Landings.

 

[TheInsider]

Ewing,
Thanks, but I never said staff can never fly in J internationally.

Staff pax? Not sure what you mean by that. As in for staff travellers? I can guarantee you that no staff traveller has ever been upgraded into J domestically or internationally for that matter.

VA's international J class travel is more flexible than what QF's is.

Business on Qantas/Jetstar services require at least 7yrs service. VA AFAIK, when ever you get the staff travel benefits.

 

[Ewing]

Ewing,

Thanks, but I never said staff can never fly in J internationally. You are correct regarding the process, however, prior to receiving your J BP you need to have booked in J and paid for it through staff travel. You CANNOT just pay for an economy seat and then rock up to the counter and ask for a J seat.

Happy Landings.

I misunderstood your post. My apologies

 

[serfty]

Ewing,

Thanks, but I never said staff can never fly in J internationally. You are correct regarding the process, however, prior to receiving your J BP you need to have booked in J and paid for it through staff travel. You CANNOT just pay for an economy seat and then rock up to the counter and ask for a J seat.

Happy Landings.

How does it work then?

I was on a 77W flight new years eve with half the Business seats unallocated 61 minutes before the flight.

At T-60 every seat became allocated, even though it was still showing J7 C7 D7 I7 ... those seats were occupied by VA staff and families.

I became surrounded by a pilot and his family. I happily swapped seats to keep them together as a unit. Having a chat it turned out they had economy seats but waitlisted for spare J seats an hour before scheduled departure. I was told a late booking revenue PAX could have displaced any of them.

 

[Keftetha]

Yep that's about right. At -60 on an international flight the flight closes and the seats get released to staff. The system follows a first come first serve basis on clearing staff in order of booking date and by class. If it looks like there are enough seats on the flight that the staff members will definitely be able to travel on that flight, the system spits out an economy seat to allow the pax to clear customs. Once they go through and everything is closed then by the time they get to the gate, their "upgraded" (read original booked class) will be waiting for them.

Hope that helps.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Hope that helps.

So VA staff take precedence over non-staff? Every time?

 

[serfty]

So VA staff take precedence over non-staff? Every time?

No - any or all of those VA staff could be sipping their PDB and have their BP revoked should a paying Business customer arrive.


They are not "safe" until the doors close.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

No - any or all of those VA staff could be sipping their PDB and have their BP revoked should a paying Business customer arrive.


They are not "safe" until the doors close.

I was thinking more of a non-staff complementary upgrade, rather than paying customer. I assume a non-staff paid upgrade (be it cash or points) would take priority, but what about just the old fashion ODU? Staff benefit out guns status benefit? VA has a limited record of "good-will" upgrades apart from genuine operational upgrades (like on over sold flights), so it seems staff have preference, or is it a first in best dressed type arrangement?

 

[Keftetha]

Correct. If you have secured your seat, be it cash or points, you will be put ahead of everyone on staff travel. When ground crew are dealing with oversold flights, unless there are actual no shows at the time of flight closing, only then will a staff member be issued with a ticket.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Correct. If you have secured your seat, be it cash or points, you will be put ahead of everyone on staff travel. When ground crew are dealing with oversold flights, unless there are actual no shows at the time of flight closing, only then will a staff member be issued with a ticket.

Are you saying that staff only get an upgrade on oversold flights or any flights with spare J seats? Is the procedure for an op-up, 1st option staff, 2nd option status or vice versa or first in best dressed?

 

[Keftetha]

No. Domestically, staff are unable to book a J seat whether there's spare seats on it or not. Internationally they are able to pre book the seats and pay for it. However, it will only be confirmed by the system once the flight closes leaving maximum time for any revenue based passenger to book the seat. If a revenue passenger turns up at 1min prior to flight closing and wants to buy a J seat that passenger will then bump all other staff down the list of seats available.

The same rule also applies to passengers buying seats in a higher class (from PE to J for example).

So to answer your question, an "op-up" will be based by status then by revenue pax. With staff not having an option of an "upgrade".

Hope that makes sense.

 

[LGW]

I would be disappointed if I had any type of J/F boarding pass, (with the exception of at the gate op-up) and received what I perceived to be different treatment from a paid fare.

My company (luckily) has a J policy for all >3hours and F for >8 hours for senior management, but if I did a points upgrade I'd expect the level of service based on cabin of travel, not fare paid.

 

[medhead]

No. Domestically, staff are unable to book a J seat whether there's spare seats on it or not. Internationally they are able to pre book the seats and pay for it. However, it will only be confirmed by the system once the flight closes leaving maximum time for any revenue based passenger to book the seat. If a revenue passenger turns up at 1min prior to flight closing and wants to buy a J seat that passenger will then bump all other staff down the list of seats available.

The same rule also applies to passengers buying seats in a higher class (from PE to J for example).

So to answer your question, an "op-up" will be based by status then by revenue pax. With staff not having an option of an "upgrade".

Hope that makes sense.

The question was comparing an op-up to a Y customer with status with the staff who get they J seat confirmed at T-60. So for international flights, not domestic.

 

[Keftetha]

The same rules apply in the case of an op-up. It is no different.

 

[medhead]

The same rules apply in the case of an op-up. It is no different.

So a status related op-up will be given to a customer ahead of a staff member getting their paid for staff travel business seat?
It appears to be different because staff can buy business seats for international.

 

[Keftetha]

So a status related op-up will be given to a customer ahead of a staff member getting their paid for staff travel business seat?
It appears to be different because staff can buy business seats for international.

Yes absolutely. I have seen instances when the staff traveller has been on board the aircraft having a champagne in J only to be kicked off prior to the doors closing due to an op-up.

It's the joy of staff travel.

 

[N860CR]

Yes absolutely. I have seen instances when the staff traveller has been on board the aircraft having a champagne in J only to be kicked off prior to the doors closing due to an op-up.

It's the joy of staff travel.

It's also worth nothing that VA staff pay quite a premium for a chance of a J upgrade (far more than it is at QF).

I'm trying to understand what the concern is here however all I can guess is that the feeling is status passengers should all be given free upgrades to business at T-60 if there are spare seats?

 

[Milefest]

I would be disappointed if I had any type of J/F boarding pass, (with the exception of at the gate op-up) and received what I perceived to be different treatment from a paid fare.

My company (luckily) has a J policy for all >3hours and F for >8 hours for senior management, but if I did a points upgrade I'd expect the level of service based on cabin of travel, not fare paid.

And arguably you've spent more $ on earning those points than those paying a full cash fare.

 

[bam71]

So a status related op-up will be given to a customer ahead of a staff member getting their paid for staff travel business seat?
It appears to be different because staff can buy business seats for international.

The staff pay for the CHANCE that a business seat will be available after all commercial considerations are taken into account. Just because they have a J ticket, it is a SUBLOAD ticket, it does not guarantee a seat in the J cabin.

 

[medhead]

It's also worth nothing that VA staff pay quite a premium for a chance of a J upgrade (far more than it is at QF).

I'm trying to understand what the concern is here however all I can guess is that the feeling is status passengers should all be given free upgrades to business at T-60 if there are spare seats?

It's probably about gauging the consideration given to status versus staff. I know, as a Qantas platinum, that I've missed out on a space available upgrade (it's a thing they offer) because of a staff upgrade. That might be a unique situation but staff were given preference.

And arguably you've spent more $ on earning those points than those paying a full cash fare.

It's not a particularly strong argument. Points can only ever be considered to offer a small percentage of a return for the cash cost of accumulating the points.