Qantas upgrade without points?

[Fantic125]

In December myself and 5 collegues were returning to ADL from FRA, and all 6 of us were upgraded to Business Class from FRA to SIN.
Last month I clicked over to SG and got an upgrade to Business Class for my final sector of my trip (13 sectors) from SIN to ADL. I must have enjoyed it because I slept all the way....

 

[amcintyre]

I was QF Platinum for a number of years - and never got upgraded by Qantas -not once - even though the majority of my tickets were full economy. I often got upgraded with CX - and once or twice with BA.

That's why 4 years ago I switched most of my flights to SQ and TG. Gold SQ is now not upgrading at all - even though it used to do so - TG rocks as far as I am concerned. You upgrades upon reaching gold and re-qualifying each year on any RT - and I've been upgraded twice in 8 flights even though I was an SQ Gold.

Thai also often gives great upgrades for little cash - eg. $50 for KTM-BKK - just ask.

QF needs to up its game and reward its QFF's

 

[roego]

Generally spaeking as always QF will give nuttin for nuttin.(Did like tye comment during the week though that Hosties must be obeyed(when nu find one).
However as to the thread I do not think paying 700 for a 7 hour flight is great business.
If an airline has an empty seat.. you have paid your taxes, paid for your seat.All they are giving you is alittle better meal and a liitle better wine.

So if you allow say on Australia-Bangkok for this maybe at their price $10?? So why all the estra .. Of course this is on a apply at airport basis.
But if you actually want to be put on standby list to guarantee first chop that is different.

Of ourse again the word public relations does not appear in the QF book but the other airlines offering a $50 or $100 is tremendous public relations.
Youi are going to book with them everytime and be there for early check in. Win Win.
Air Asia Kl_AUstralia offer premium economy... check in only RM 300 d not know Aussie end.

 

[harvyk]

QF needs to up its game and reward its QFF's

IMHO, op-up's have very little to do with QFF's, and more to do with ensuring no one gets left behind needlessly.

Even if there are J seats available, they are not just going to hand them out for free without good reason, 255 Y seats, with 265 Y paxs, and 52 J seats and 42 J pax is a good reason.

They could either leave 10 Y pax behind at the airport, and fly a plane with 10 J seats empty, or place the Y pax into the J seats and everyone gets to their destination, plus you now have 10 Y paxs who have just had a great flight (strictly speaking at a minimum of cost to the airline), and whom get the taste of J flying...

 

[ellen10]

I have never had an op up. I always like to arrive at the airport very early maybe I book in too early, I just like to get it all sorted and then relax

A friends daughter ( dressed very casually), who is tiny, arrived late to the airport, not a member of QFF and on a cheap fare was given a business class op up on a long haul flight, lucky her.


You would think that maybe a QFF passenger, even if they had already checked in could have been given an op up at the gate instead?

 

[reflector]

I had a very interesting chat with one of the check-in girls at LAX last year (she was cute, i was bored, so sue me )

Now obviously I can't say that the info she gave me was 100% accurate, but she was advised that the ticketing system has a complex formula/flowchart when it selects people to be upgraded (when you get an op up at check-in, not sure about gate...) It looks at many factors including the number of flights you've taken, tier, fare paid, how long you've been a member, and several other things. It then prioritises passengers to be opped up. For example a WP would have a better chance of being opped up if they were in Y than say a NB (90% of the time) but a QP NB could well be opped up ahead of a Silver non QP member.

I experienced this first hand when my sister and I travelled to USA on separate bookings (because of her useless travel agent friend but that's another rant entirely) We were both QP bronzes, same fare, except I got the checkin op up to Y+ and she didn't. (we put it down to me having accrued more flights and having been a member longer)
As a sidenote, we explained the situation to the ticketing guys in the QP. They were very sympathetic, and made some calls. They gave me the option of downgrading (hahahahaha) but couldn't directly upgrade her. Their parting words were "we can't promise anything but see how you go" We resigned ourselves to sitting apart for SYD-LAX.
We went through the gate and the light went red. Apparently there was another person booked in her window seat. They asked if she was travelling with anyone.
"why yes my brother got upgraded to Y+"
"just one moment... ok you're now sitting next to him"
epic win

 

[JohnK]

You would think that maybe a QFF passenger, even if they had already checked in could have been given an op up at the gate instead?

This has happened to me a number of times.

Who knows though how various check-in agents are going to use the prioritised list they have been given. Does anyone ever audit who has been upgraded on a flight and whether they were on the prioritised list or not? I could be wrong but I don't think anyone does a detail audit which would mean the check-in agents could get away with upgrading who ever they like.

There is clear evidence in my experiences, and reports on AFF, that a number of check-in agents do not like passengers with status.

 

[FlyboyAl]

I've just done some calculations.
In the last 3 years I have done 12 return trips to the US on QF - each of them to either LAX or SFO. I've always booked discount economy, and on some of them i've flown onward in the US on AA.
3 of the trips have been with my wife, and 9 were on my own.
We/I have never been upgraded when we have travelled together.
Of the 9 other return trips (18 flights), I have been upgraded on 11 of them.
I've been in Y+ 8 times and J 3 times, and I have only used points for 1 Y+ upgrade.
I have not long moved from bronze to silver and my first flight as a silver got me upgraded to Y+
I have asked several times how the upgrades work, and why I have got them and in almost every case, the FA/CSM has just smiled at me and said I'm lucky.
My most memorable upgrade was about 8 months ago on a LAX-SYD flight via AKL. When I checked in at LAX I was in Y and I asked if I could get a bulkhead seat. I was told she could not change it, but to ask at the lounge, which I did. The lady at the QF lounge smiled and said "you should be happy with this" and I was in J! But it got better --- there were only 2 of us in J for the whole flight to AKL, where 6 more joined us to SYD.
Economy on that flight was about 50% full, so my upgrade made absolutely no sense in terms of freeing up my seat to sell to someone else.
I'm not famous, nor am I a high flying executive - I just own my own small business in Adelaide. But my late dad did work for TAA a very long time ago in senior management, so I'm working on the fact that he is looking after me

 

[rotuma1]

An aunty of mine was booked on the QF flight no. to Nadi on FJ. I rang the day before and put a seat request in for a free seat in 28H (2nd aile row in Y). As the plane finished take off and the seat belt sign came off a flight attendant asked her if she was travelling alone, she said yes. He then asked her if she would like to come up to J - seat 2A. Which she did.

Also this week my parents and sister got upgraded from Y to Y+ on V Australia. They had the cheapest Y tickets and checked in early. The computers went down for a second then out came 3 Y+ BPs. Only four of them in Y+ and Y was 60% full.

 

[serfty]

... Now obviously I can't say that the info she gave me was 100% accurate, but she was advised that the ticketing system has a complex formula/flowchart when it selects people to be upgraded (when you get an op up at check-in, not sure about gate...) It looks at many factors including the number of flights you've taken, tier, fare paid, how long you've been a member, and several other things. It then prioritises passengers to be opped up. For example a WP would have a better chance of being opped up if they were in Y than say a NB (90% of the time) but a QP NB could well be opped up ahead of a Silver non QP member. ...

Actually that's very close to the mark. A passenger's rating is called a PCV.

See here: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/playground/the-op-up-thread-18198.html#post247529

Qantas staff can produce a list of prospective upgrades in PCV order called a "Proactive Onload" report.

Note the "Proactive Onload" list provides recommendations; it's still up to the person doing such upgrades to decide on how use the list if at all.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Heard these ones recently:

"It's my boyfriend's 30th birthday next week and my cousin who works for Qantas told us to ask if we could be upgraded".

If their cousin does in fact work for QF why didn't he/she put in a good word themselves. Doesn't help matters when they're shabbily dressed.

Or another couple asking about an upgrade to business class and saying "well there were plenty of empty seats in business on the way up". Why would an airline want to fill up J if there are still plenty of empty seats in Y?

 

[austrider]

3 of the trips have been with my wife, and 9 were on my own.
We/I have never been upgraded when we have travelled together.
Of the 9 other return trips (18 flights), I have been upgraded on 11 of them.

I agree, I found that travelling alone has a better chance of being upgraded. It makes sense because if the system needs to find two extra seats, and faces a choice of giving the upgrade to A. a lone pax vs B. a couple travelling together, it'll be more "beneficial" to do A as potentially two different people would spread the word.

However this does not mean you won't get upgraded if you are travelling together with someone because if the system needs to find 3-4 seats then you may get lucky.

I also suspect there are "system-based" op-up vs. "manual-based" op-up. E.g. if you are checking-in really late and there are no more seats, they can choose to upgrade you "manually" at the check-in counter. Alternatively you may have checked-in already but it turned out to be a full flight, they may decide not to upgrade the late arriving pax but let the system to choose someone to upgrade.

I also find it's easier to get Y to J upgrade than J to F. I've never got a J to F upgrade ever though have friends who had on very rare occasions.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Mrs Pineapple, an SG was upgraded from (red e-deal) Y to J. This was flying QF(PX) from POM to BNE. She was one of two PAX flying in J that day, however the other 28 seats were empty.

Courtesy of Qantas, not Air Niugini. I've been told a couple of times that PX don't do upgrades, which is consistent with the empty J cabins. If they did they would be full of wantoks.

Cheers skip

 

[Logan^]

I got upgraded by SQ on Christmas Eve last year, no points upgrade or anything. I was 2nd in line to check in and flying SYD - SIN - BKK and just rocked up and asked for the upgrade and I got it, even offered to pay at the time yet still got the free upgrade.

First time on a 747 upper deck experience for me, after that I am never going back to Y.

 

[JohnK]

If their cousin does in fact work for QF why didn't he/she put in a good word themselves. Doesn't help matters when they're shabbily dressed.

I really cannot understand why people continue to ask, more like beg, for op-ups at check-in, in the lounge, at the gate or where ever. Almost the same as the people who travel together and could not be bothered to pre-allocate seats together before check-in and then expect someone to move, inconvenience themselves, just for them.

It is always give me, give me, give me....

 

[lae]

I was interested to read all the posts on this so I thought I would add my two cents worth as well.

I have been flying Qantas for more than 30 years and before frequent flyers points was even heard of I used to average 4- 6 overseas trips a year for many years but now the major part of my flying is domestic however I still average 25-30 flights including a couple of international every year.

I have been a Qantas FF member for over 10 years, a paid up member of the Qantas Club for about as long and for the past 5 years a Gold FF. (Man it is hard to get that Platinums status, I dont look like anywhere near getting it!)
I have even been a member of the Qantas customer advisory panel for a few years so I started to think that maybe they do appreciate me after all!

I have only ever once received an upgrade and that was many years ago on a flight from Auckland to Brisbane on a 767.

I had a full fare economy ticket booked however there had been a cancellation of an earlier flight so the flight was completly filled up with the carry over passengers and I was pushed up to Business which was also full with my neighbour also having been upgraded. He had been to NZ with his wife (also upgraded) on their first overseas flight!

I too have often flown both domestic and international and noticed on many occassions the number of empty business class seats and have thought if only!

My conclusion from all of this is that it would seem that I have more chance of winning a major Lotto prize (which I never have either at this point in time I might add)) than of getting a free upgrade with Qantas!!!

 

[PineappleSkip]

why people continue to ask, more like beg, for op-ups at check-in

I've generally asked if there are upgrades. If you don't ask you mightn't get told about paid upgrades - which appear to be getting ccommoner

agree re the free (op-up) ones. one migtht as well ask for a J class meal in Y, or an upgrade from discount Y to F, or a grand tour of the coughpit!

Cheers skip

 

[FlyboyAl]

JohnK, I am a great believer that if you don't ask, you don't get.
I do not feel guilty asking for bulkhead or exit row seats when I check in, nor do I feel guilty asking if there are any upgrades available.
Having said that, in all the upgrades I've had, I have only had one when I asked for it! The rest have either been on check in, or I've forgotten to ask, and its been at the lounge/gate.
I always love it when there is a PA anouncement asking me to come to the service desk
In my own way, I spend a lot of money with QF, and if I can gain some additional value from that spend by an upgrade, I'm all for it.
If the seats upfront (upstairs) are empty, why shouldn't someone have the chance to fill them?

 

[Tassey69]

Two different friends of mine on (three!) different occasions have been upgraded without using points or requesting upgrades. It seems they just .. get upgraded.

They are bronze QFF members, purchase economy sale fares and make on average one international flight per year

What are the chances of this? Has anyone else experienced this?

Plat member with 4 digit QF number. Travelling early this year Prem Econ with wife, Mel to LAX got an upgrade to bus using points, returning LAX to Mel, no points left, asked for an upgrade to Bus, bingo, at gate lounge new boarding passes. Only 2nd upgrade on QF after travelling RTW 3 times per year for around 8 yrs, whereas during that time BA have given me four F (3 asked for) upgrades between LHR and SYD. Beds are better on BA. If you do not ask you do not get

 

[ozbeachbabe]

In 1999 I was doing a lot of trans-Tasman travel as the company I was working for had to do a 180 site cutover in NZ so I was doing post cutover support etc.

At the time I was QP member travelling on a full Y fare as flight was pretty full & must've been QF104 as it was the B747 Combi a/c which had Y upstairs in the bubble - 12A I think which I was more than happy with anyway however got ugraded to J main deck in row 26.

We had this really annoying help desk manager on this trip and when he asked me where I was sitting, laughed at me when I said row 26D becaue he had 12A. My response: "oh that's my old seat in economy I've been upgraded to business". I would never say in normal circumstances my made an exception here because this guy was a tool and deserved it.

The Skipper was a friend of a friend and had arranged for me to have the jump seat for take off and landing which was a complete surprise but the real icing on the cake was the look on old mate in 12A when I came up the stairs and walked straight into the coughpit - priceless!

Cheers

Oz