Operational Upgrades

[serfty]

J0/Y0 at this time of year may indicate (say for a 763) that Qantas have sold 10 of the 30 Business seats and 244 of the 224 Economy seats; they have sold all the seats but not in balanced classes leaving 20 to be upgraded.

Now for an international flight; 15 WHY pax may have requested points upgrades - they will get them (reducing Qantas Points liability). The remaining 5 J seats will normally go to those with the highest status - however some Qantas staff have their own criteria.

 

[JohnK]

Operational upgrades!

The word lottery springs to mind....

I'm paying WT+ with British Airways next year to LHR - have been told by people if you have status you are very likely to get upgraded to J if the flight is full.

Another myth! I am now 0 for 3 in paying for WT+ and keeping my allocated seat, at least I wasn't downgraded, with 2 of these flights totally full.

I am now convinced that this product is not much better than WHY, especially if you can get exit row, and it is suitably priced by BA at the moment. In my opinion it would be a total waste of money to pay the new airfare for WT+/Y+ once QF introduces the product in April 2008.

 

[straitman]

Operational upgrades!

The word lottery springs to mind....

Probably about the same odds as well :!:

Another myth! I am now 0 for 3 in paying for WT+ and keeping my allocated seat, at least I wasn't downgraded, with 2 of these flights totally full.

I am now convinced that this product is not much better than WHY, especially if you can get exit row, and it is suitably priced by BA at the moment. In my opinion it would be a total waste of money to pay the new airfare for WT+/Y+ once QF introduces the product in April 2008.

Thanks JohnK, I'll keep your comments in mind. :evil:

 

[wandering_fred]

While paying for Y+ ex Australia is probably not in my future, I will continue to look at the fares from SIN, BKK and HKG where there is "a bit" more competition.

And given QF's record on upgrades (versus BA for example ) and the likelihood of getting the bulkhead rows with OW Sapphire status I think I'll take the slightly smaller BA seat..........

If I manage to justify the BA/QF Y+ "rtw" routing fare perhaps the choice will be different though I suspect I would still limit the qf choices to transPac.

(added on edit)
On a different note - at least one BKK online TA is offering BKK-(BA)LHR(AA)East coast USA
economy fares quite inexpensively. Wonder if they could also generate the BA section in WT+ ????

YMMV

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Tooner]

I know I am reviving an old thread but it is relevant.

I flew to MEL last night on a slightly delayed 459 (which landed in MEL just before 455). Given it was a holiday in MEL, all flights were full, but I'd booked in weeks ago and forgotten about F1.

OLCI in the morning at work, allocated 26K, nothing much else available. I'd tried to request upgrade a number of times in the lead-up (as I always do), but no dice.

Got to the airport, checked bags etc, repaired to mini-QP for G&T etc. Get to gate, hand over OLCI BP, "thanks Mr Tooner, welcome aboard".

Usuals at door, head to seat, then :shock:. 26 J & K occupied clearly by a couple. "Hi, think there's a problem blah blah..." Turns out they have BPs for the seats, correct flight etc.

Swim against the tide to front door - CSM walks back (with me), checks it out, then as we walk back tells me she wants to sort it our to MAKE SURE I GET A SEAT:shock: .

When she re-appears, magically I'm in 5E, the only empty J seat in the plane . Later, another FA appeared with my new BP.

Question is, was I op-uped sometime previously? Makes sense, as I would expect the couple wanted to sit together in a full flight, so I got bumped up. If so, why did my BP process as I went through? I never checked on seats later in the day (too busy), so I have no idea whether this was the case.

It could be the CSM went to the gate desk and asked if there were any spare seats in J?

Worthy of note, that was only my second domestic op-up in nearly 6 years!

 

[superchris]

A Question

For International flights with an F service, does the flow on continue?
Do they look for F op ups to provide more J space?

 

[NM]

Re: A Question

For International flights with an F service, does the flow on continue?
Do they look for F op ups to provide more J space?

certainly do if it helps get more people on the flight. Its known as "rolling" the cabins.

 

[serfty]

... Question is, was I op-uped sometime previously? ...

Normally when that happens after check-in, the BP reader at the gate emits a warning beep and they take you aside and present you with a new BP.

Your situation is a bit different.

Certainly there had been changes made as the older couple had your seat; it's a bit strange.

I surmise that either the systems had 26K double booked (unlikely) or perhaps the warning 'beep' was missed at the gate.

 

[bokflyer]

I've had two J-F op ups in the past 12 months. The first was flying SYD-SIN on BA but on the QF codeshare and I was given new boarding pass at the gate. The second was done at check-in flying JNB-SYD, when my 5-year-old son (who was flying on points) and I were upgraded to F. Funny thing, my said he preferred flying "upstairs" to the F cabin, where he didn't have a window seat. In past years flying WT+ on BA between SYD and SIN I have been upped to J twice out of four times, the 1st time I only had QF silver, every time since then I have been WP.

 

[NYCguy]

... [M]y [son] said he preferred flying "upstairs" to the F cabin, where he didn't have a window seat.

He's only young, he'll learn.

 

[NM]

He's only young, he'll learn.

yeah, at that age he probably doesn't know left from right, so doesn't matter which way he turns when entering the aircraft.

 

[Tooner]

I surmise that either the systems had 26K double booked (unlikely) or perhaps the warning 'beep' was missed at the gate.

That's the puzzling thing - there was no warning beep at the gate - the FA did the scan, got the green lights and the beep, and welcomed me aboard.

 

[wandering_fred]

Oh well the last time I was in the early part of the gate queue and the reader did beep. The GA paused, struggled mentally, and handed me the BP back... Later on two guys wanted my and the adjacent seat. The CSD sorted it out.

WT+ --> J TATL on BA ex Canada

Then happily wandering

Fred

 

[oz_mark]

That's the puzzling thing - there was no warning beep at the gate - the FA did the scan, got the green lights and the beep, and welcomed me aboard.

While I unfortunately have not experienced this (the mystery upgrade happen around me), I have seen it happen before, where somehow, someone that had been upgraded did not have a new boarding pass, and the system was quite happy to let both of them on the same plane, to the same seat.