Does Qantas Even Care About International Upgrades Anymore?

[kangarooflyer88]

This week, I was travelling on QF from SYD to CHC with the outbound on QF139 on Sunday and the inbound back today on QF136. I put in a request for a points upgrade for both. The outbound didn't clear since the J cabin was sold out several weeks ahead so it would've been nothing short of a miracle for me to even stand a chance of it clearing, and indeed the J cabin was full.

However, for the inbound, ExpertFlyer was showing J6 throughout the week and just before OLCI. At around OLCI I receive a text from Qantas saying the upgrade was unsuccessful as I had insufficient points (despite me having >50K points in my QF account at the time and it was just ~11K points as I was on a Flex fare). I called up QF right away and after the agent put me on hold for about 30 minutes she confirmed that yeah, the system messed up but they couldn't push through the upgrade since by then the stupid computer cleared everyone else and ExpertFlyer was now showing J1 (something that remained all the same to the end). I was then advised to speak with a check-in and gate agent at the airport to see if upgrade would clear since it was still showing J1. Fast forward to today, I get to the airport about 2 1/2 hours prior to departure, rock up to the check in desk and see if they could push through the upgrade, "sorry we can't do that. If you are upgraded they'll call your name at the gate." They never did call my name at the gate and when I visited the gate just prior to boarding they said, no can do. I shrugged and thought, oh well bad luck. Now I'm seated in seat 4F which isn't a bad seat on a 737, it's a nice window bulkhead seat with underseat storage - what more can you ask for? But here's the kicker, there was 1 seat unoccupied in J, the starboard side aisle seat in row 3, right in front of me. Now maybe that seat was busted. Maybe they couldn't upgrade me to J because they didn't have enough catered meals out of CHC. Or maybe QF thinks flying an empty J seat is environmentally friendly.

I suppose my question for the community are the following:

• Are these types of points upgrade stuff ups normal for international trips?
• Was there anything else I could do to ensure the upgrade?
• Who can I contact at Qantas to point out this potential issue which makes for both bad customer experience and bad business sense for QF?

Now look, I'm not upset, I actually preferred having the window seat in 4F over the aisle seat since it means I was able to mount my GoPro to the window and get some spectacular footage of a takeoff from CHC. But it would've been nice to have some Dom and caviar up front!

-RooFlyer88

 

[Matt_01]

But it would've been nice to have some Dom and caviar up front!

No such thing as Dom and Caviar with QF, it is not even offered on the sectors that have F.

 

[UP4014]

I don’t know what post COVID they do this, but pre COVID one business seat would be kept available for a walk up, at top shelf rates of course.

As you said, could just be a broken seat, I’ve been asked to moved once crew alerted to a twisted seat belt which couldn’t be corrected. It could be used as a seat belt but the belt didn’t sit flat.

 

[RooFlyer]

• Are these types of points upgrade stuff ups normal for international trips?
• Was there anything else I could do to ensure the upgrade?
• Who can I contact at Qantas to point out this potential issue which makes for both bad customer experience and bad business sense for QF?

* Don't know, sorry

* Not by the sound of it

* Don't bother - they wouldn't care, on either count.

 

[Tropic]

Are these types of points upgrade stuff ups normal for international trips?

It can be hit and miss, based on my recent experience, using more than 1 GV (eg. stacking) plus pay for a booking automatically results in the QF IT upgrade scan throwing an error code and rejecting, regardless of status, booking class or time of booking. Only works where sector has classic reward available at time of request and it happens instantly. I did manage to get one manually pushed through in F lounge. Used to bum me out seeing availabilty but never getting, until I found this out. For normal upgrade requests its def not a lottery but comes down to timing, booking class, status, yield managenent and your percieved value as a customer.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

It can be hit and miss, based on my recent experience, using more than 1 GV (eg. stacking) plus pay for a booking automatically results in the QF IT upgrade scan throwing an error code and rejecting, regardless of status, booking class or time of booking.

What's a GV?

Only works where sector has classic reward available at time of request and it happens instantly.

But generally that approach of upgrading is only valid for Qantas classic awards applied to domestic flights. Indeed I have employed the strategy of booking domestic red e-deals where there is U space and where a wide-body is offered like SYD > MEL. However, in this case I was on an international flight from NZ to AU which per QF T&Cs means it will only clear at the designated time (i.e. up to 7 days before for Qantas Platinum Ones, 3 days for Platinums and 1 day for Golds/Silvers and Lifetime Bronzes).

I did manage to get one manually pushed through in F lounge. Used to bum me out seeing availabilty but never getting, until I found this out.

Although in this case that wasn't possible as QF doesn't operate a lounge at CHC.

For normal upgrade requests it's def not a lottery but comes down to timing, booking class, status, yield managenent and your percieved value as a customer.

In my case I'm a QF Gold travelling on a Flex (H) fare which cost north of $1,000 return. One would think that I would be the valuable customer QF is after there, especially since this was the very first time I flew internationally with them, not to mention on a flex fare!

* Don't know, sorry

* Not by the sound of it

* Don't bother - they wouldn't care, on either count.

I reckon you're probably right on all counts. It's still frustrating though, and surely I can have my moment to vent and enjoy a fine bottle of whine on this forum?

-RooFlyer88

 

[AIRwin]

What's a GV?

GV = Gift Voucher

 

[TheInsider]

In my case I'm a QF Gold travelling on a Flex (H) fare which cost north of $1,000 return. One would think that I would be the valuable customer QF is after there, especially since this was the very first time I flew internationally with them, not to mention on a flex fare!

Unfortunately there were probably at least 20 people with more higher status than gold and also a handful more people with higher paid fares.

There is an option if travelling alone to opt in for an upgrade at the gate if there is anything available last minute, but this has to be requested when doing the normal upgrade request.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Unfortunately there were probably at least 20 people with more higher status than gold and also a handful more people with higher paid fares.

I would like to think that was the case but the text I received from Qantas implies otherwise:

Your upgrade request to BUSINESS on QF136 from CHC to SYD on 09DEC was unsuccessful due to insufficient points balance.

There is an option if travelling alone to opt in for an upgrade at the gate if there is anything available last minute, but this has to be requested when doing the normal upgrade request.

I did opt in to the upgrade at the gate option both when I made the initial request and when the agent over the phone cancelled the failed request and reinstated the upgrade request, neither of which worked. And I was travelling alone.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Tropic]

One would think that I would be the valuable customer

Unfortunately regardless of how valuable we might think we are, or going to be, think QF deems customer value based on how much you have spent in last 12mths and the value of your existing forward bookings. Not sure if calc diff for QFi and QFd.
Also, on recent PER-SYD A330 sector (which I did get upgrade) I was chatting to the CSM and got a good look at their ipad which showed every pax in J on that flight were WP or above...

 

[Tropic]

neither of which worked

I think once the IT system rejects an UG request, it wont accept another request for that booking ref, but could be wrong.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I think once the IT system rejects an UG request, it wont accept another request for that booking ref, but could be wrong.

Well what the agent did (cos this is something I'd normally be able to do on my end) is to cancel the upgrade request. Then start a new upgrade request. The status went from upgrade unsuccessful to upgrade requested.

 

[doctorstrangelove]

But here's the kicker, there was 1 seat unoccupied in J, the starboard side aisle seat in row 3, right in front of me.

Crew rest seat? I was on QF SIN - PER recently and put in for an upgrade that was unsuccessful. Like you though I saw there was a free seat in J just after take-off before they closed the curtains. When I spoke to the cabin crew and explained I was surprised that there was a free J seat considering my upgrade bid they informed me (very politely) that unfortunately that seat was reserved as a crew rest seat. This might have been the reason.

 

[SYD]

Upgrade success and failures here.

QF Upgrades - Successes or Failures (post results)

No upgrade on QF2 LHR-SYD on 2/12 from Flex Y (as a SG). 50 mins before departure from LHR, the J cabin had unallocated seats (see the screen capture) and I would have happily paid well in points or even cash, at least for the first leg to get a proper sleep.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

We just had 2x J upgrades ex-NZ clear. So quite happy. Otherwise, we had row 4 anyway.

 

[levelnine]

Sounds like there was an IT error that canned your upgrade request and, once cancelled, it's basically impossible to reinstate due to the system being completely automated.

The most interesting thing about your post is trying to identify what caused the IT error.

Did you receive those Qantas points into your account just before OLCI?

 

[Anna]

J1 does not mean that seat is available for upgrades. QF do not fill the J cabin with upgrades just because there are empty seats.

You're lucky it was only 1 empty seat you could see. I once flew SYD-SCL as WP with an upgrade request from W to J. It did not clear even at the gate despite the best efforts of staff at checkin, in the lounge and at the gate. Half the seats in J were empty and I was in the front row of W so I got to stare at the half empty J cabin for 12 hours. The 'reason' was 'those empty seats are allocated to LAN Chile, we can't allocate any more seats to QF pax'.

 

[RooFlyer]

I reckon you're probably right on all counts. It's still frustrating though, and surely I can have my moment to vent and enjoy a fine bottle of whine on this forum?

Absolutely! You've come to the right place

 

[UP4014]

In my case I'm a QF Gold travelling on a Flex (H) fare which cost north of $1,000 return. One would think that I would be the valuable customer QF is after there, especially since this was the very first time I flew internationally with them, not to mention on a flex fare!

As Insider points out, Other passengers would have been higher status than Gold and others again paid more. Effectively outranking you.

QF had sales of $9.1 billion this year, how much of that spend was yours this year to make you the valuable customer.

I'm always happy when, be happy, the flight operated safely, they took your bag, you had a seat and drink along the way and all good. It’s what you paid for and what they delivered.

Yes this is the place to raise things remembering travel is not a perfect science and even airline and hotel staff are human.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I’ll just address the tabloid thread title as many others have thoroughly addressed the content.


QF most certainly does care about International upgrades. They are processed every day on almost every flight with available seats to upgrade into.
There is a massive thread here on AFF detailing members’ experiences with upgrades.

An IT glitch with a QF Gold on a flex fare isn’t going to cause a ripple at Mascot.
I’d just suck it up and use those points you inadvertently saved on a longer sector on a wide body aircraft.
YMMV of course.

 

[Tropic]

Well what the agent did (cos this is something I'd normally be able to do on my end) is to cancel the upgrade request. Then start a new upgrade request. The status went from upgrade unsuccessful to upgrade requested.

Sure. But as I said, if the IT system has rejected once for whatever reason in my experience it wont grant an UG for that booking regardless of any intervention. Its a one time process. The QF IT system quirks are well documented elsewhere on this forum.