The Operational Upgrade Thread

[LAH]

I am so pleased that you were looked after and upgraded to first. It gives me hope. I am very similar to you, stay out of it and leave it to the fa's. However, it is the person who has been grumpy or demanding or disruptive that has usually got their way, and it has been quiet little me that has paid the price. Hard to know whether to scream the loudest as being the quiet one hasn't worked for me (and no, i wasn't the grumpy woman that you had on your flight! ).

On op-ups - I've been lucky and had a few over the years. Won't list them now, but want to give a hint to anyone that is travelling between Santiago de Chile and either Mexico City or Havana (although they have recently stopped the SCL/HAV flight) and it has worked for me as recently as last November. This is with Lan Chile airlines.

It seems to only happen at SCL airport as I have tried the same tactic in Hav and Mex. A few years ago I was the first business class passenger to check in (it was an early morning flight) and I was upgraded to first - a small cabin with 6 seats - with business class catering. A couple of months later I was flying again, so I decided to go out early to see what would happen - I had planned to ask if it was possible. Didn't need to ask, it happened again. Since then it has happened three times. Only on one occasion was I platinum, all other occasions as silver and gold.

Doesn't work on any other flights from SCL although I was given an op-up once at the last moment from y to j between Santiago and Auckland - I had gold status that time.

Hope this may work for someone - I don't know as I travel a different route now, and I am coming back from MEX to SCL in a few weeks - I'll try it in MEX again - a forced trial due to a long wait between connections. I'll let y'all know.

 

[MiLK_MaN]

Op-Up on DJ807 this morning due to the Qantas strike. Qantas are more than welcome to strike anytime I am flying Virgin from here on in.

 

[MatF]

Got the magical beep and red light on the scanner this morning on QF510.
Quite fortunate too, as I almost enquired about an ODU in the lounge, but decided to leave it till the trip home on Friday instead

 

[Katie]

First op up on CX157 HKG-BNE yesterday. Magic red lights and beep at the gate, moved from exit row 54H aisle to window 24A. There were only 6 pax in that section of the aircraft, front J cabin looked more full. Thanks CX!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

17 op-ups DRW/BNE yesterday to clear oversale in whY mainly WP's & SG's.

 

[Mal]

Checked in online for one domestic QF flight over the weekend. Reprinted boarding pass in the morning.... Seat allocations for me and my travelling companion had magically changed into J.

Flight was pretty much full in Economy - funnily enough, there was one free seat... where my mate was supposed to be sitting. My "old" seat was taken by someone.

 

[Wannabee]

17 op-ups DRW/BNE yesterday to clear oversale in whY mainly WP's & SG's.

One was me. Thanks

 

[Brisbane Flyer]

QF16 LAX-BNE on 11 Oct, upgrade from PE to J (1B).
According to check in staff at LAX, flight was oversold by 35+ in Y.

Food was good, wine was better, sleep was excellent.

 

[hotpaws]

From last month, Saturday Adl-ASP flight, was thinking about ODU, but decided to check out any time access to The Lounge courtesy of Virgins staus match.
Checked in online at t-24hrs, preselected 4F at t-80h, quick bag drop at check in area using card only (did not print out boarding pass)

Scanned card at boarding, collected my ticket *NO BEEP*, halfway down, noticed seat 1F! The funny thing is I only looked closely as part of the number cut off by the left side margin.

Sort of felt guilty visiting Virgin Lounge, but thanks Qantas. Interestingly, if I hadn't have checked the slip, I would have just gone at sat down in row 4.

 

[JohnK]

Received an upgrade at the gate from economy to business class SYD-BNE on Sunday. My boarding pass also had CATERING NOT ASSURED printed on it.

A little disappointed with the service I received. I was in 4E and the meal service was very slow and when he came around to me he did not serve me a meal but asked me if I wanted a drink. He finished serving everyone and then brought a meal around to me. I was not offered any bread. Finished the meal and asked for a second drink only to be refused as he said we had started descent. Not more than 1 minute the guy sitting in row 5 was handed a can of coke and a glass.

Yes I know it was an op-up but is there any reason for the cabin crew to make it so obvious? I would have felt much more confortable in my 23D seat in economy....

 

[Awesom Andy]

QF320 (aka BA15) SIN-SYD on 26 Oct, Y -> Y+. Flight was at 100% capacity. Was bumped up at check-in, and was so surprised that it took me a few seconds before I could register the words from the check-in agent and responded accordingly.

 

[simongr]

From last month, Saturday Adl-ASP flight, was thinking about ODU, but decided to check out any time access to The Lounge courtesy of Virgins staus match.
Checked in online at t-24hrs, preselected 4F at t-80h, quick bag drop at check in area using card only (did not print out boarding pass)

Scanned card at boarding, collected my ticket *NO BEEP*, halfway down, noticed seat 1F! The funny thing is I only looked closely as part of the number cut off by the left side margin.

Sort of felt guilty visiting Virgin Lounge, but thanks Qantas. Interestingly, if I hadn't have checked the slip, I would have just gone at sat down in row 4.

Using NGCI and the QFF card as a boarding pass this is how it happens. My one and only QF upgrade worked that way. I now always look at the seat that flashes up when they scan the card - just in case (also to remind me what seat I have chosen as I don't print the BP) - sadly no more upgrades...

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Received an upgrade at the gate from economy to business class SYD-BNE on Sunday. My boarding pass also had CATERING NOT ASSURED printed on it.

A little disappointed with the service I received. I was in 4E and the meal service was very slow and when he came around to me he did not serve me a meal but asked me if I wanted a drink. He finished serving everyone and then brought a meal around to me. I was not offered any bread. Finished the meal and asked for a second drink only to be refused as he said we had started descent. Not more than 1 minute the guy sitting in row 5 was handed a can of coke and a glass.

Yes I know it was an op-up but is there any reason for the cabin crew to make it so obvious? I would have felt much more confortable in my 23D seat in economy....

Was the "catering not assured" comment on your original boarding pass when you were in 23D? If so you would not have been guaranteed a meal even in whY class.

Did you happen to change your SYD/BNE flight to an earlier one when you arrived at SYD Airport?

Kiosks will automatically put a "cna" comment on bookings where the pax has changed voluntarily to an earlier flight. If you had used Premium Checkin & they changed you to an earlier flight they would have also added that comment but if that happens they should tell you that it will be on a catering not assured basis so you can decide whether you will stay put on your original flight.

Normally domestic op-ups don't receive the "cna" comment as they're processed 5 hours prior to the flight departure so the catering figures haven't been finalised yet which I understand is done about 2 hours before. It may have happened to you on this occasion because it was a last minute op-up done at the gate.

 

[JohnK]

Was the "catering not assured" comment on your original boarding pass when you were in 23D? If so you would not have been guaranteed a meal even in whY class.

No. Sorry that should have been 24F bulkhead not 23D.

I pre-allocated 24F and used OLCI the night before to stay in 24F. Got to airport just after 6:00pm and printed boarding pass for 24F at service desk. Visited lounge for short time and was the last person to board at ~6:50pm when I got the beep at the gate and was given boarding pass for 4E with CATERING NOT ASSURED printed on it.

 

[clifford]

I guess this is basically a Qantas thread, but here goes with my recent EK experiences.

My wife and I flew on Y class tix SIN-CMB-DXB-Europe (round trip) and we both had op ups on 3 sectors.

That's what makes EK Gold worthwhile, I think...

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I guess this is basically a Qantas thread, but here goes with my recent EK experiences.

My wife and I flew on Y class tix SIN-CMB-DXB-Europe (round trip) and we both had op ups on 3 sectors.

That's what makes EK Gold worthwhile, I think...

This thread is for everyone's op-up experiences on any airline whether domestic or international as all of it is relevant to those on AFF.

Granted there are probably more stories about QF because a lot of us fly more domestically than internationally & until recently QF were the only airline within Australian offering J since 2001.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Received an upgrade at the gate from economy to business class SYD-BNE on Sunday. My boarding pass also had CATERING NOT ASSURED printed on it.

A little disappointed with the service I received. I was in 4E and the meal service was very slow and when he came around to me he did not serve me a meal but asked me if I wanted a drink. He finished serving everyone and then brought a meal around to me. I was not offered any bread. Finished the meal and asked for a second drink only to be refused as he said we had started descent. Not more than 1 minute the guy sitting in row 5 was handed a can of coke and a glass.

Yes I know it was an op-up but is there any reason for the cabin crew to make it so obvious? I would have felt much more confortable in my 23D seat in economy....

Good point. Has anyone ever op'd down?

That was slow service. One drink. Very third world.

 

[electjai]

was pleasantly surprised by my op up (y+ to j) from lax to syd on the a380. flight was at capacity. was notified at the lounge

on my return to the US from syd to lax was upgraded from j to f at check in. phenomenal service from the crew and ground staff. surprisingly, the flight was not very full. many seats available in J and Y/Y+

i am a recently qualified qf plat and both upgrades were within a fortnight of each other.

 

[MatF]

Must be op-up season for me.

QF539 BNE-SYD 11/11/11 - checked in at the lounge, and asked about an On Departure Upgrade, only to be told that I'd already been given a "complimentary upgrade"

QF510 SYD-BNE this morning 21/11/11 - got the magic red light and beep at the gate on boarding.

Very pleased with both!

 

[stigsfilocousin]

Not an op-up but it felt like it; flew SQ242 a month or so ago. Days before the flight, I was checking KVS to see if I can either pick off a two seater or an aisle with the seat beside it in Y. T-24 came and the two seaters are gone but aisle with vacant seat beside was still there. T-7 and no change so I did OLCI but didnt print out the BP; when I got to the airport, I cancelled my OLCI and lined up with the masses. Eventually got directed to business class check in counter and asked them if seat 59? (cant remember the exact seat) was free and if there's anyway they could do a seat block. After a few mins of fiddling and chatting, got the same seat I had at OLCI and low and behold, the seat beside me was empty...well the row was empty so I didn't know if he actually did the seat block or not.

On my way back BKK-SIN on SQ979, I was nursing a sprained ankle but I could walk albeit slowly. Anyway, asked the bloke at check in the same thing I asked at SYD and well the seat block work; I was suprised as the flight was getting to around 90% full. I knew the seat block was put in because I saw him approach the supervisor and she nodded when I looked at her. SQ231 was full for a midnight flight so seatblock didnt work..maybe I should have used the injury as a chip to see whether an upgrade would be on the cards; then again I had no KF status so that happening was kinda like me being CEO at the age of 23.