International Upgrades - Am I just lucky?

[jboyle]

Hi All,

Long time reader, first time poster.
I have been QF Platinum since Sep last year and have had 3 international comp upgrades, 2 of them yesterday.

Last year - LAX-BNE (Y to J)
Yesterday - SYD-HKG (J to F) AND HKG-LHR (J to F). This blew me away. I had an upgrade from SYD to HKG, qn overnight in HKG and then upon boarding at HKG for LHR in the morning got upgraded again.

Obviously I'm not complaining but is this common or am I just very lucky?

Cheers
- James

 

[Shano]

Very lucky....... particularly to score three long haul UGs.

Had my first op-up yesterday as a WP, on a T award BNE-SYD. Doesn't rally compare does it..... but shouldn't complain. Was travelling with mini (INF) Shano so the extra space was welcome.

 

[simongr]

You are a very very lucky person. Never had an op-up here - admittedly not a huge m amount of flights with that as an option but still waiting...

I would say congrats - but I am just too bitter

 

[serfty]

Just lucky I guess;

In over 800 Qantas flights I have been operationally upgraded 5 times:

MEL-PER J->F
HBA-MEL Y->J
MEL-BNE Y->J
LHR-BKK Y->J
AKL-BNE Y->J

(And yes, I do memorize them )

 

[SeaWolf]

I've only once gotten a complimentary upgrade, and I was 6 at the time, so it doesn't really count. I would say it was highly unusual as well though, since it was my parents, myself and my brother that were travelling and we were all upgraded from Economy to Business on a flight out of London headed for Perth.

To this day my parents have no real idea why we were all pushed up into Business on a very long haul flight. None of us had any kind of status with QF at all.

 

[simongr]

Guessing a familyof six checked in after you and the flight was full - yours were the only seats that they could accommodate a large group of people in...

 

[Evan]

I have been rather lucky over the years, JL,QF,BA i have been upgraded sometimes, but never SQ not once !
Sometimes you just get lucky, like sitting in the front row and there is a baby down the back, so go moved up to make room for the baby and things like that. I don't have much in the way of status.

E

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Another vote for lucky. While I have sometimes gotten F seat on 2-class flight (and J seat on 1-class flight), no QF op-ups for me.

 

[NM]

I have had one QF op-up in the last 5 years. It was Y->J QF51 BNE-SIN about 18 months ago and the flight was full in Y.

 

[GDSman]

I've had a few but nothing like the hit rate enjoyed by jboyle. Most recent was a pleasant J>F on BA around the time of their threatened strike action (Jan) - I think quite a few people got one as a thankyou for sticking with them.....

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I've had a few but nothing like the hit rate enjoyed by jboyle. Most recent was a pleasant J>F on BA around the time of their threatened strike action (Jan) - I think quite a few people got one as a thankyou for sticking with them.....

I thought we were talking about op-ups on QF.

I've had quite a few (over many flights) on various other airlines.

 

[Optics]

Just very lucky based on my experience. I have been WP for about 5 years, travel to Europe or Canada 2 or 3 times a year, and have never had an upgrade, besides the 1 I paid points for . Some people just seem to be lucky, I have spoken to a few others who have also had numerous upgrades, with no real explanation available. Oh well, I live in hope, next opportunity is Italy in June .

 

[GDSman]

I thought we were talking about op-ups on QF.

I've had quite a few (over many flights) on various other airlines.

whoops - thanks Kiwi Flyer. True, QF are not as generous but I would say I've had about 10 over the last 10 years, mix of domestic and even 2 x Y>J on SYD-LHR

 

[simongr]

One a year is still pretty impressive. I think I need to star planning my flights a little more effectively - mid-week in school holidays when whY is full. Mind you I would settle for a points upgrade...

 

[Tooner]

My vote is lucky - one op-up in Feb this year was the first time ever, and that was on-board. Only ever one op-up domestically at check-in around 5 years ago, nothing since (all paid for with points).

 

[Commuter]

I have had a big fat ZERO op up in 100+ sectors on Qantas.

I have not been particularly lucky.

 

[Optics]

I have had a big fat ZERO op up in 100+ sectors on Qantas.

I have not been particularly lucky.

Well I am glad to hear that I am not the only high status QF FFer that is missing out (not on account of you others missing out obviously , just to know it is not only me). I was beginning to think I must have a black mark recorded against my FF No., though I could not think what for unless it was for costing them too much in beverages both in QPs and on-board!). The system really must be based purely on luck, ie the right seat at the right time. I will just keep hoping.

 

[serfty]

I reckon there be another factor here and that is I generally purchase the least expensive seats (but still allow upgrades).

There is correlation between the cheaper seats being available and lighter loads. It's generally on these lighter loaded flights that seats are available for point upgrades.

 

[Optics]

I reckon there be another factor here and that is I generally purchase the least expensive seats (but still allow upgrades).

There is correlation between the cheaper seats being available and lighter loads. It's generally on these lighter loaded flights that seats are available for point upgrades.

I agree that is likely to be true. However, on the the more lightly loaded flights I imagine it is probably less likely that you will get an op-up, which is where the real "luck" comes in.

 

[Shano]

I reckon there be another factor here and that is I generally purchase the least expensive seats (but still allow upgrades).

That is why I was surprised that I received an op-up on an award flight. Although in this case we were preallocated bulkhead seats with a bassinet (travelling with an infant). As it was end of school holidays, and quite a few babies on board, someone else obviously wanted the bassinet, so they bumped us up to business class.

Will be worth trying for bassient positions on all flights now with mini-Shano on the off chance the same thing occurs.