"How to Blag an Upgrade"

[Lawlass]

Article in today's Age/SMH: How to blag an upgrade

The article is pretty light-on, but some of the comments are absolute gold

 

[yohy?!]

Yikes the comments sound like a AFF QFF enhancement thread!

 

[tuapekastar]

The usual doozies in the comments section (though a surprising number of reasonably sensible comments as well). I'm surprised the article did not mention "self-upgrading". I'm sure that's been done before. :shock:

 

[Lawlass]

I'm surprised the article did not mention "self-upgrading". I'm sure that's been done before. :shock:

Ooh, why didn't I think of that? Must go and make a How-To comment

 

[Ewing]

Ooh, why didn't I think of that? Must go and make a How-To comment

Does that go along the lines of:

Step #1: Find someone sitting in 1A.
Step #2: Place yourself in 1B
Step #3: Engage in conversation
Step #4: Get a glass of wine and look the part while they try to work out the discrepancy.
Step #5: Enjoy the journey!

:mrgreen:

 

[Lawlass]

Does that go along the lines of:

Step #1: Find someone sitting in 1A.
Step #2: Place yourself in 1B
Step #3: Engage in conversation
Step #4: Get a glass of wine and look the part while they try to work out the discrepancy.
Step #5: Enjoy the journey!

:mrgreen:

You forgot Step #0: Indulge in much liquid courage/DGAF Juice :mrgreen:

 

[nlagalle]

Ooh, why didn't I think of that? Must go and make a How-To comment

i thought you'd keep that one a secret!

 

[JohnK]

I read the first few comments in the article and then stopped reading....

 

[richie9x]

It would have been good if it set a realistic expectation. Opups and other types of free upgrades are very rare - probably less than 1%. You shouldn't expect them, but if you do get them then great. Now a whole lot of people are going to read that article and try the techniques out but with little success.

It didn't really cover the other cases than opups where people get free upgrades - such as being moved because of faulty equipment or as compensation for some mistake or mistreatment by the airline.

The quotes from the airlines were pretty much all saying the same thing. We don't give upgrades unless we have to and if we do then we do it by status.

I have seen someone try self-upgrade method on Malaysian airlines. He sat down on a business class seat and was even given a pre-flight drink. However the guy whose seat it was showed up so the interloper moved over one seat. The FAs knew which seats were supposed to be free so his game was up. Although they did let him finish his drink before showing him his rightful seat.

 

[Lawlass]

I have seen someone try self-upgrade method on Malaysian airlines. He sat down on a business class seat and was even given a pre-flight drink. However the guy whose seat it was showed up so the interloper moved over one seat. The FAs knew which seats were supposed to be free so his game was up. Although they did let him finish his drink before showing him his rightful seat.

Pffft.. amateur

I read the first few comments in the article and then stopped reading....

Then you missed all the best bits due to your short attention span. But totally amusing you found it necessary to comment in that vein on this thread. :mrgreen:

 

[JohnK]

Then you missed all the best bits due to your short attention span. But totally amusing you found it necessary to comment in that vein on this thread. :mrgreen:

Don't think I missed too much and sorry for commenting in your thread but I have no respect people who think they can sweet talk themselves into upgrades.

Anyway apologies if I have offended.

 

[Lawlass]

i thought you'd keep that one a secret!

I posted my contribution to the SMH thread now.

 

[Moody]

I was surprised by the number of posters saying that they think Qantas is rude and inconsiderate for not giving them op-ups. Also by the number of people that think they know how the system works. Here is how I think it works for Qantas at the moment:-

1. If your cabin class isn't oversold you have buckleys.
2. If your cabin class is oversold, then the largely automated Qantas system starts looking for the highest status pax.
3. The order is probably CL, P1, Pt, Au, Ag, Cu/Sn and/or One World equivalent.
4. Qantas Club membership slots in somewhere between Silver and Gold (IMHO)
5. If there a ties for status, the higher fare class wins

Of course there is still some human involvement - particularly for last-minute events - and it is sometimes just sheer luck that you were the easiest way to solve a problem (right number in group, occupied a particular seat that was required, checked in early/late, etc.)

Over about 20 years of semi-regular travelling I have had maybe a dozen international op-ups to PE or J from Y. Sometimes on my own, sometimes with my partner/wife, once with the whole family (4). I have had no domestic op-ups but that will be because there was always someone of higher status available, whereas international is full of tourists.

Plus I think that Qantas still occasionally gives an op-up out of the kindness of its heart, which is marketing code for trying to tease certain passengers to make the leap to paying for a higher cabin class.

And I have never asked for an upgrade - begging or blagging is not my thing and is just as likey to see you never upgraded if a staff member is annoyed enough to put a note in your file. This last opinion is total conjecture and I just hope it does happen that way.

 

[Lawlass]

I was surprised by the number of posters saying that they think Qantas is rude and inconsiderate for not giving them op-ups.

You mean like this one (emphasis added)?

​

BTW when using the 'cough (Qantarse, as my friends call it), I never got an upgrade, and even as a Silver FF never able to change a domestic flight to an earlier one if I got to the airport early and wasn't on a fully flexible fare. Appalling.

​

 

[Noob]

I wonder why Qantas was so touchy about it? What would be confidential about who gets upgrades, it's pretty obvious - and laying out the procedure (i.e. by status) helps 99.9% of people understand that they have very, very, very little chance of getting an upgrade

Mean airlines, they should upgrade everyone!

 

[serfty]

...:-

1. If your cabin class isn't oversold you have buckleys.
   
2. If your cabin class is oversold, then the largely automated Qantas system starts looking for the highest status pax.
3. The order is probably CL, P1, Pt, Au, Ag, Cu/Sn and/or One World equivalent.
   
4. Qantas Club membership slots in somewhere between Silver and Gold (IMHO)
5. If there a ties for status, the higher fare class wins

...

Merge 3 with 4 with 5: The order is determined by a PAX's PCV rating. This takes elements such as status, fare paid/bucket, the PAX's ongoing relative value to QF, etc. into account. (Do a search on this site for "Proactive Onload" list.).

Add [-]6[/-] new 4: Finigal factor determined by combining random things such a PAX's presence at desk, length of skirt, how much time the agents has etc.

 

[markis10]

I wonder why Qantas was so touchy about it? What would be confidential about who gets upgrades, it's pretty obvious - and laying out the procedure (i.e. by status) helps 99.9% of people understand that they have very, very, very little chance of getting an upgrade

Mean airlines, they should upgrade everyone!

Publishing a policy makes it harder for staff to be flexible, and invites complaints when it's not followed.

 

[awilcockson]

When I saw the title of this thread, and who the author was, I was expecting detailed instructions on how to self op-up on JQ

 

[harvyk]

It would have been good if it set a realistic expectation. Opups and other types of free upgrades are very rare - probably less than 1%.

That would gel with my experience, about 1.1% of my flights I have received op-up's... Of course they all came in over a quick succession and was thus very miffed when they stopped and I had to sit back in Y...

As for a magic trick to getting op-up's, you think if someone discovered a loophole which would get them one every time they would share it with the general public? I would think not, I would keep it a closely guarded secret for fear that if the airline discovered said loophole they would close it.

 

[dfcatch]

Well - no free WP upgrade post grounding for me this morning out of CNS.

Although its not the published times or routes so I didn't really expect it.

Maybe I should complain that I'm being discriminated against because other WPs in other cities are getting a benefit which I miss out on ??