Interesting thread.
In my opinion, picking the right flights (full in your class and below* with space ahead of you) and having high status has a lot more to do with how frequently you get op-ups than any other factor.
I definately agree. My one and only op-up came last year in my last earning period, which ended last week
. I got Y to Y+ LHR-HKG-MEL, standard you may think, however as an NB I was quite surprised.
I had been away on uni exchange for a year in UK and done
some oneworld flying during that time, mostly BA Euro Traveller UK-Europe and BA World Traveller LHR-JFK rtn plus a few AA dom Y, yet hardly earned any SC's and nowhere near enough status to warrant an op-up LHR-HKG-MEL.
I was, and still am, QP however, so clearly that changes things. I would be interested to know where QP fits in? logically between NB and PS.
I agree dot, as QF30 was monday morning in March so maybe alot of UK/Aus expats/tourists/ backpackers heading back after festive season? Anyway for an NB QP to get and op-up it would be right to assume all of the Y pax (full 744 load) were either NB or no status?
Also, having done much more flying this year, mostly Y, I have a knack for getting exit rows and row 44 on the A332 SYD-MEL flight, 3 from 3.
And let's not get started on crew sitting in premium cabins and the 'coughy' attitude that is on display for all to see. I can understand crew needing to sit in premium cabins if they are heading to work but to sit in premium cabins going home is well wrong. I don't know about others but if I was paying top dollar to sit in business class I wouldn't want my flight spoiled by dead-heading crew who do not know how to behave outside of work hours. But I am getting off-track here....
Slightly OT now but I definitely have a bone to pick here, fuelled mostly by the stories I've read here and my own experiences, most recently in J ADL-MEL which I won't bore you with now. I've also witness a JQ steward in J recently on MEL-CBR, which most AFFers would know is not a JQ port so go figure!
Finally...
The only blacklist I have known is the one that stops you flying on the airline altogether. I know someone that was on that - and discovered they were on it at check-in :shock:
and queue the Curb Your Enthusiasm opening...