Qantas upgrade without points?

[JohnK]

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

That is a totally different story.

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.

Are you are saying there is nothing wrong with asking for something?

Why stop at business class? Why not ask for an upgrade to First Class?
Why not ask if it is OK to check-in 80kgs of luggage?
Why not go to the Crew Lane at outbound immigration and ask if you can use that lane?
Why not ask at the Qantas Lounge if you can have 4 guests?
Why not ask to be allowed entry into the Qantas Lounge when you do not have membership, status or access rights?
Why not go up to the person sitting in an exit row seat asking them if it is OK to swap with your 76E seat?
Why not ask for a business class meal, amenity kit, headphones when sitting in economy?
Why not ask for an express immigration card when travelling in economy and no status?
Why not go to the Diplomatic Channel at immigration channel and ask if it is OK to use this lane?

Anything else I can add to my list? Perhaps we should just have a sticky on AFF so people do not ask the same old silly op-up question "What are my chances of an op-up?" over and over.

If the seats upfront (upstairs) are empty, why shouldn't someone have the chance to fill them?

If that was the case would anyone purchase business class seats?

 

[Fantic125]

That is a totally different story.


Are you are saying there is nothing wrong with asking for something?

Why stop at business class? Why not ask for an upgrade to First Class?
Why not ask if it is OK to check-in 80kgs of luggage?
Why not go to the Crew Lane at outbound immigration and ask if you can use that lane?
Why not ask at the Qantas Lounge if you can have 4 guests?
Why not ask to be allowed entry into the Qantas Lounge when you do not have membership, status or access rights?
Why not go up to the person sitting in an exit row seat asking them if it is OK to swap with your 76E seat?
Why not ask for a business class meal, amenity kit, headphones when sitting in economy?
Why not ask for an express immigration card when travelling in economy and no status?
Why not go to the Diplomatic Channel at immigration channel and ask if it is OK to use this lane?

Anything else I can add to my list? Perhaps we should just have a sticky on AFF so people do not ask the same old silly op-up question "What are my chances of an op-up?" over and over.


If that was the case would anyone purchase business class seats?

I use the crew lane at outbound (and inbound) immigration if it's busy! :shock:
(But that's only because I have an APEC card........)

For the rest of it I tend to agree with you....

 

[Jobu]

I use the crew lane at outbound (and inbound) immigration if it's busy! :shock:
(But that's only because I have an APEC card........)

For the rest of it I tend to agree with you....

Do you also get the evil stares from everyone thinking that you either have no idea where you are going or that you are rudely pushing in?

Gotta love that APEC card

 

[Fantic125]

Do you also get the evil stares from everyone thinking that you either have no idea where you are going or that you are rudely pushing in?

Gotta love that APEC card

Certainly do, but the best one I got was from the immigration officer in the Crew/Diplomat/APEC line booth at SFO one time! He asked me what I thought I was doing being in THAT lane, and when I pointed out the APEC sign at the lane entrance and on the scrolling sign above the booth, he said he'd never heard of it. :shock:
Almost wasn't going to let me through.:evil:

 

[Bubbles]

Imy 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

That's great! I wish I knew the secret or even had some luck last year. My husband and I had been to Europe on discount Y but I got called to a work meeting in Europe during the holiday which meant my company had to buy a new ticket home (in J ). My husband and my schedules coincided so we met in HK and no matter who I asked or who I begged, there was no way he was getting an upgrade to J to sit next to me, even though I am OW Emerald. (and yes,I know, the only way to guarantee / deserve J is to pay for it, but it really wasn't worth the money as we would have had to buy a brand new J ticket virtually at the gate at full J prices),

When I (very politely) mentioned OW Emerald (QF Plat) I was told expressly that it didn't mean much to CX and, if there was an upgrade opportunity, it would go to a CX FF, not Qantas.

Whilst I totally appreciate that any upgrade would have been a fantastic favour on the part of CX (and would have done wonders for my marriage given my husband was pretty peeved I left him for a work meeting during our holiday), it did make me think twice about continuing to use CX as a OW partner as it seemed to suggest to me that OW Status means nothing.

 

[Archphoto]

. . . . . . . . When I (very politely) mentioned OW Emerald (QF Plat) I was told expressly that it didn't mean much to CX and, if there was an upgrade opportunity, it would go to a CX FF, not Qantas.

Whilst I totally appreciate that any upgrade would have been a fantastic favour on the part of CX (and would have done wonders for my marriage given my husband was pretty peeved I left him for a work meeting during our holiday), it did make me think twice about continuing to use CX as a OW partner as it seemed to suggest to me that OW Status means nothing.

This happened to me on virtually *all* OW airlines when I travelled OP (and still does with me being Gold). As far as the privelages for being Plat/Emerald status go, the only benefit I have got out of it has been lounge access (upgrades were as rare as hens teeth), and one year I was home a total of 80 days - the rest was spent travelling around the world on various OW airlines I never once had an upgrade from Y to J, even though 2 other members of the team were flying J every single time.

Extra baggage allowance, possible upgrades - forget it. They reserve those things for their own FF members. If you aren't flying your own FF airline, chances of getting the perks you normally get are virtually zero.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Never happended to me on QF - Though I'm only NB and tend not to fly QF much on international trips.

Slighlty off topic, but probably my best op up was on Dragonair from HKG-NRT about 5 years ago. On a heavily discounted Y ticket, which was too cheap to even earn any miles on my CX Asia Miles account, boyf and I got bumped from Y, past J right up to seats 1J and 1K on a 3 class A330. Such a shame it's only a 3 hour flight!

I have always had more op ups with CX and friends than QF/BA. Ansett was great as a Diamond.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

There really does seem to be a random science to the op up....some people seem to score all the time regardless of status while others (even WP) are lucky to receive any.

 

[Durin's Bane]

I have always had more op ups with CX and friends than QF/BA. Ansett was great as a Diamond.

Same here. In fact when my wife and I travel through Asia we usually don't pay for J class fares on CX or JL anymore - my OWE status has given us op ups around 2/3 of the time.

 

[serfty]

There really does seem to be a random science to the op up....some people seem to score all the time regardless of status while others (even WP) are lucky to receive any.

There is a science and it's generally not random.

It's just that it's such a relatively rare beast that it's difficult to perceive any trends from ad hoc anecdotal evidence.

In relation to Qantas for the last couple of years, search this thread for posts containing the word "Proactive" and you'll get an idea.

 

[turfa]

Dont feel bad about the guy next to you. He was just feeling as bad about it as you were feeling good about it.

It's never happened to me on a domestic route. :shock: