International Upgrades - Improved Experience

[pshepvic]

In the 2.5 hours I just spent from DEN-LAX my upgrade was processed for tomorrow night J>F. Approx 26-28 hours ahead. No text message yet, but seats selected so very happy! That's 3 from 3 J-F upgrades in the last 12 months!

 

[danny09]

Just got 2 J>F upgrades confirmed LAX-MEL at T40 for my self & SWMBO, as a P1 i understand it should be at T 7 days. SYD-LAX I got waitlisted at T7 days, but upgrades didnt come through.

 

[Red Roo]

We start looking to award Flight Upgrades to P1s from T- 7 days. If an upgrade seat is unavailable, we keep looking. Looks like 2xF seats became available just before T40. Enjoy the flight!

 

[Berlin]

I am wondering whether things have quietly slipped back to everything (other than P1s) being done at T-24? Any thoughts?

That's pretty much my recent experience, the three last upgrades were confirmed pretty much spot on at T-24 rather than T-48. Only once I got a txt, twice I didn't and only found out when logging onto my FF account.

 

[simongr]

Historically though upgrades tended to get processed not at T-24 but closer to T-18 or even T-6.

 

[TonyHancock]

I think the current process is a definite improvement. I was very sceptical but happy to have been proven wrong.

 

[danny09]

We start looking to award Flight Upgrades to P1s from T- 7 days. If an upgrade seat is unavailable, we keep looking. Looks like 2xF seats became available just before T40. Enjoy the flight!

Thanks Red Roo, am looking forward to my first F experience on the A380

 

[FBS1960]

Currently sitting in first class lounge in Sydney after advice via text early this morning that upgrade to J come through. SMS advice through early this morning so I can't complain

 

[pshepvic]

In the 2.5 hours I just spent from DEN-LAX my upgrade was processed for tomorrow night J>F. Approx 26-28 hours ahead. No text message yet, but seats selected so very happy! That's 3 from 3 J-F upgrades in the last 12 months!

Text message ended up coming through on the day of the flight, around 10 hours ahead. Some feedback there for Red Roo - the messages could go out a little quicker.

The flight was great though - flown by Captain Richard De Crespigny, who walked through the entire aircraft during the flight to talk to passengers. Even got our photo with him and checked out the flight deck at the end of the flight! There is man who is clearly proud of his job, airline, and aircraft! He even thanked over the PA the cabin crew and a doctor who was onboard for their great work with a medical emergency, that prevented us from having to divert to Hawaii.

 

[MH_fan]

Are successful upgrades being notified via text email or both? And how close to departure do they notify you if it's not at T-24?

 

[Kefci2000]

We start looking to award Flight Upgrades to P1s from T- 7 days. If an upgrade seat is unavailable, we keep looking. Looks like 2xF seats became available just before T40. Enjoy the flight!

And with Platinum? At T-75 there is 6 F seats available on QF11 15 May??

 

[MYT105]

Based on my one experience this weekend, I fly today Sunday and as WP I got a sms message in the early morning on Saturday saying my request was successful, so around T-40.

 

[pshepvic]

And with Platinum? At T-75 there is 6 F seats available on QF11 15 May??

Platinum is at T-48. It's on the qantas website.

Edit: But just because there are empty F seats at a point in time doesn't mean they will do upgrades instantly. It seems to vary by airport, timezone, and they will almost always keep a few seats empty until quite late to allow last minute sales of tickets. That's why previously you would see some go empty (not just because of late cancels or no shows). But that's also why it is good that they now provide upgrades right up until departure.

 

[opusman]

But just because there are empty F seats at a point in time doesn't mean they will do upgrades instantly. It seems to vary by airport, timezone, and they will almost always keep a few seats empty until quite late to allow last minute sales of tickets. That's why previously you would see some go empty (not just because of late cancels or no shows). But that's also why it is good that they now provide upgrades right up until departure.

See this seems wrong to me. I'm currently at T-28 for QF9 tomorrow, 3 empty F seats are showing in EF, and so far no upgrade. I would think that when the nominated processing time comes around, any empty seats should be allocated for upgrades at that point. Otherwise why even bother to say WPs get processed 2 days before?

 

[markis10]

See this seems wrong to me. I'm currently at T-28 for QF9 tomorrow, 3 empty F seats are showing in EF, and so far no upgrade. I would think that when the nominated processing time comes around, any empty seats should be allocated for upgrades at that point. Otherwise why even bother to say WPs get processed 2 days before?

That would leave no seats to be sold or for upgrades to be done for those putting in a request with higher status??? Also it leaves some room for issues, like QF2 going tech with the flight cancelled which happened last night, its possible your flight might get some of that load.

 

[opusman]

That would leave no seats to be sold or for upgrades to be done for those putting in a request with higher status???

They would be sold, just for points rather than money. It's not like the upgrade is free.

But fair enough then, why say WPs will be processed at T-48 when they clearly aren't?

 

[Anna]

See this seems wrong to me. I'm currently at T-28 for QF9 tomorrow, 3 empty F seats are showing in EF, and so far no upgrade. I would think that when the nominated processing time comes around, any empty seats should be allocated for upgrades at that point. Otherwise why even bother to say WPs get processed 2 days before?

Since they introduced the T-48 notification time, I have had some points upgrades clear at T-48, some clear at T-24 and some not granted at all.

I also once had F9 disappear to F0 at T-24 with the result that I did not get the upgrade to F that I had been hoping for. And to make it worse, J felt like a come-down after that because with F9 showing I had been really hopeful the upgrade would clear. (First world problem, I know).

 

[markis10]

They would be sold, just for points rather than money. It's not like the upgrade is free.

But fair enough then, why say WPs will be processed at T-48 when they clearly aren't?

How do you know, just because you have not got a upgrade does not mean others have, and the processing starts at that time, with possibilities up until boarding.

 

[chrisb]

How do you know, just because you have not got a upgrade does not mean others have, and the processing starts at that time, with possibilities up until boarding.

Exactly. Remember WPs, there's two levels of FF priority above you guys now.

 

[opusman]

How do you know, just because you have not got a upgrade does not mean others have, and the processing starts at that time, with possibilities up until boarding.

Because there have been 3 empty seats in F since yesterday when T-48 was. I don't think processing takes that long! Of course I'm still not guaranteed an upgrade, I have no idea how many requests from WPs would be in the system, but the fact remains that the seats are currently unallocated which means there is at least one and possible more WP upgrade request that has not been processed even though the T-48 time has passed...

(and P1s should of course have already been processed at T-168 based on the stated times!)