QF to Confirm Points Upgrade Requests as late as at the gate when boarding

[Brisbane Flyer]

This could be interesting. I am in J on the 26th July BNE-AKL. Mrs GPH decided to tag along and has booked in Y. Due to a number of factors she hadn't asked for a points upgrade (the biggest factor is we have blown all of our points on other bookings) so I wonder if she might ( space available get a gate up?) we are both SG and I am on the cusp of WP. ...... I will report in July. Mind you I am sure there will be other reports before then

In my household, if I have a J ticket and my wife or kids (19 and 17) whY, then I always give them my BP and I take the whY seat.
I've done my 4 million miles, they haven't. I'm from the old school, better to give the pleasure than receive.

In our house its a rotation policy, wife first, then kids, then me. On our USA trip in June, wife and son#2 in J, son#1 and myself in whY.

 

[Red Roo]

Hi everyone,

Sorry a bit to come into this one. Busy day!
Most of you have it right though. The new process will mean that 'Flight Upgrade Award' requests will be processed closer to the time of departure. This does not impact op-ups. We had feedback from members as well as multiple times in multiple threads on AFF that you hate seeing an empty J or First cabin when your upgrade was denied. By processing them closer to departure more upgrades will go through and there will be less empty seats.

Yes, if it is confirmed at the gate, you will not get lounge access or extra baggage but a majority of upgrade requests come from Gold and above frequent flyers who already have lounge access and additional baggage allowance. And feedback we have had is that for a majority of customers the upgrade is mostly about the onboard experience. So the aim here is to deliver what you guys have been asking for.

I'll get back to you with more details and be on hand tomorrow to answer or comment on your posts if needed.

Cheers,
Red Roo

 

[nickfromeastryde]

Hi everyone,

Sorry a bit to come into this one. Busy day!
Most of you have it right though. The new process will mean that 'Flight Upgrade Award' requests will be processed closer to the time of departure. This does not impact op-ups. We had feedback from members as well as multiple times in multiple threads on AFF that you hate seeing an empty J or First cabin when your upgrade was denied. By processing them closer to departure more upgrades will go through and there will be less empty seats.

Yes, if it is confirmed at the gate, you will not get lounge access or extra baggage but a majority of upgrade requests come from Gold and above frequent flyers who already have lounge access and additional baggage allowance. And feedback we have had is that for a majority of customers the upgrade is mostly about the onboard experience. So the aim here is to deliver what you guys have been asking for.

I'll get back to you with more details and be on hand tomorrow to answer or comment on your posts if needed.

Cheers,
Red Roo

Red Roo,

Thanks for coming online and explaining whats happening. Look forward to more information over the next day or so. Can you tell me what flights they are 'trialling' this on this week. I am only a lowly silver and have requested a points upgrade from business to first on flight QF107 SYD to LAX this Thursday. I would be very disappointed to miss out on the Flounge experience being part of my upgrade request if successful

Regards,

Nick

 

[oz_mark]

Of course, the next round of feedback will be that the exclusive business class cabin is always full of riff-raff that have been upgraded...:mrgreen:

 

[ZQN Fan]

Of course, the next round of feedback will be that the exclusive business class cabin is always full of riff-raff that have been upgraded...:mrgreen:

....who will also be wearing orange hi-viz shirts.

 

[Jobu]

It would be nice if Qantas could also please remove the 24 hour cut-off for lodging upgrade requests on international flights.

 

[simongr]

It would be nice if Qantas could also please remove the 24 hour cut-off for lodging upgrade requests on international flights.

There is also a cut off on DOM flights - with the exception that you can ask for an ODU.

Thanks for the confirmation Red Roo - finally good to put to rest the misinformation that QF were starting to give out free upgrades.

I disagree that this wont impact OpUps - given that in theory more points upgrades will be awarded there might be less pressure on operational requirements for OpUps. Mind you given I have had 2 in 128+ upgradeable flights for a total of 878 miles out of 149,112 BIS miles flown - I don't see this affecting me much...

 

[dfcatch]

There is also a cut off on DOM flights - with the exception that you can ask for an ODU.

Thanks for the confirmation Red Roo - finally good to put to rest the misinformation that QF were starting to give out free upgrades.

I disagree that this wont impact OpUps - given that in theory more points upgrades will be awarded there might be less pressure on operational requirements for OpUps. Mind you given I have had 2 in 128+ upgradeable flights for a total of 878 miles out of 149,112 BIS miles flown - I don't see this affecting me much...

Simon - I agree with your opup comment here.

But I honestly believe it is a minuscule change in percentage chances.

Eg. Under the old system, if there was a likely oversold situation, I imagine QF was already processing as many upgrades as possible to avoid having to give opups.

But yes, I concede that perhaps the opup chance has decreased from 0.5% chance to 0.4% chance.

 

[simongr]

But yes, I concede that perhaps the opup chance has decreased from 0.5% chance to 0.4% chance.

I agree - not trying to overstate the issue at all. Interestingly my stats for OpUps are 2/130 = 1.53%.

 

[SteveJohnson]

Red Roo, thanks for coming in to help explain the new process, it makes a lot of sense to me. But I can't agree with you that it will not have any impact on op-ups. Surely the more empty seats you fill with passengers who 'pay' for them using points, the less there are for op-ups?

Especially in a full or oversold Y cabin with some J vacanies, when you take out the Y passengers who have requested an upgrade with points, if there are still empty J seats I can't see Qantas giving them away for free as op-ups, because once you move up the upgraders then Y is not full or oversold any more, and I also think passengers who paid with points for an upgrade would be parked to find a seatmate got a free upgrade.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Red Roo, thanks for coming in to help explain the new process, it makes a lot of sense to me. But I can't agree with you that it will not have any impact on op-ups. Surely the more empty seats you fill with passengers who 'pay' for them using points, the less there are for op-ups?

Given that you need to lodge a points upgrade at least 24 hours prior to the flight, and the Y cabin is oversold, then QF would have already upgraded everyone who requested a points upgrade (or, at least enough to clear the oversold problem). Only then, after all points requesters have been upgraded would they have started handing out free upgrades.

I don't see the new system changing much: if the Y cabin is oversold, then at least enough people to clear that overselling will need to be upgraded, and people with points upgrades will be first. Only the residual will be op-ups.

What this system does is allow QF to fill seats that are either freed up at the last minute (no-shows, cancellations, flight changes), or fill seats that QF have been holding back for last minute sales. In neither case would these have been filled with op-ups before.

 

[simongr]

What this system does is allow QF to fill seats that are either freed up at the last minute (no-shows, cancellations, flight changes), or fill seats that QF have been holding back for last minute sales. In neither case would these have been filled with op-ups before.

That is a really good point. There may not be overselling in (for example) whY so "need" to upgrade but there might be empty seats so lets get some points for them - similar to a certain extent to sticker upgrades on AA and EXP upgrades.

 

[dfcatch]

Red Roo, thanks for coming in to help explain the new process, it makes a lot of sense to me. But I can't agree with you that it will not have any impact on op-ups. Surely the more empty seats you fill with passengers who 'pay' for them using points, the less there are for op-ups?

Especially in a full or oversold Y cabin with some J vacanies, when you take out the Y passengers who have requested an upgrade with points, if there are still empty J seats I can't see Qantas giving them away for free as op-ups, because once you move up the upgraders then Y is not full or oversold any more, and I also think passengers who paid with points for an upgrade would be parked to find a seatmate got a free upgrade.

Opups are (as you correctly state) only going to occur when the following planets align:

1/ an oversold Y cabin
2/ empty seats in the J cabin
3/ you are lucky enough to be the person given the opup (doesn't always go in status order)

Under the current system, QF processes upgrades in status order. Now, if there are still J seats available when they are doing the upgrade-process.... Why would they hold some seats open..... Possibly for last minute cash sales etc. But I imagine than in an oversold situation they would be already processing as
many upgrades as possible to alleviate the need for opups.

Even under the current system opups would only occur AFTER the upgrade process is run.

Now - where you are correct is in the event of a late J no-show, which (in an oversold Y cabin) could result in an opup at the last minute. The new system will allow QF to process an outstanding upgrade request (IF there are in fact any unsuccessful requests still wait listed).

In theory you are correct - but in practice I don't believe it will be a big effect.

PS. The effect will numerically equal the percentage of last minute J no-shows in oversold situations where there are remaining upgrade requests.

 

[extracta]

You all are assuming that Qantas will come in with points upgrades only.

The smart thing for Qantas to do is to allow Paid On Departure CASH upgrades, as other airlines do.

 

[TheInsider]

You all are assuming that Qantas will come in with points upgrades only.

The smart thing for Qantas to do is to allow Paid On Departure CASH upgrades, as other airlines do.

IMO this would not be good and devalue the product.

 

[extracta]

IMO this would not be good and devalue the product.

It may not be good for you but it would be really good for Qantas. The argument of devaluing the product has worn out its use by date.

Qantas have started making some good moves on customer addition and retention and adding value to their product.

Empty seats make no sense. Getting points for those seats is a good idea but getting cash is BETTER!

 

[simongr]

I have never seen an empty seat in the premium cabins on AA and they went bankrupt...

 

[dfcatch]

You all are assuming that Qantas will come in with points upgrades only.

The smart thing for Qantas to do is to allow Paid On Departure CASH upgrades, as other airlines do.

We're not assuming anything. QF have stated very clearly that this is simply an additional late-in-the-process clearing of remaining upgrade requests in the event of empty seats due to no shows etc.

And I concur with the others - cash upgrades are a bad idea IMHO.

Points are an adequate currency.

 

[Austashes]

IF people have been missing out on an award upgrade then this new policy better but as for attracting new upgrades it is 6/10 - potentially loss of First clas lounge and "If you travel on a Flight Upgrade Award, you'll earn points and Status credits for the fare class originally booked."

 

[dfcatch]

IF people have been missing out on an award upgrade then this new policy better but as for attracting new upgrades it is 6/10 - potentially loss of First clas lounge and "If you travel on a Flight Upgrade Award, you'll earn points and Status credits for the fare class originally booked."

I'm sorry I really don't get you second point???

The quote you've made has always applied.

Yes you may miss out on the lounge, but better to have the suite upgrade than be stuck in the lower cabin.