to U or not to U, that is the question.

[NM]

My next QF flight is HKG-MEL, booked as Y (yes, Full Economy, not discount economy). Its showing as a 4-class 744 aircraft, sold as J, W and Y cabins. I have been pre-allocated a W seat. W cabin is showing as lower-deck Skybeds. J cabin is showing as upper deck and Zone A F seats.

So should I spend 10,000 QFF points to upgrade to W and hence have Skybed seat?

Or should I spend 25,000 QFF points for a J upgrade and hope for a seat allocation in Zone A F cabin?

Or just be satisfied with a W seat and Y service for a 9-hour day-time flight and save the points for when I have a realy Y seat allocated for an overnight flight? I am tending towards this option at the moment.

 

[Mal]

So should I spend 10,000 QFF points to upgrade to W and hence have Skybed seat?

That is probably what I would do in your situation.

I suppose you are weighing the risk of a plane substitution returning you back to Economy seats vs the chance that no plane substitution will occur.

It's only really a shortish flight afterall.

 

[NM]

It's only really a shortish flight afterall.

And day-time flight! If it was overnight, I would be stumping up for the upgrade to be sure, just as I have for B->U for my last two HKG-BNE flights (at 40K points each). But for day-time flight, and W seat pre-allocated ??? And this time on a Y fare the upgrade points requirement is less ... hmm ... decisions, decisions.

 

[winfred]

9 hrs in QF economy can be very long. I would spend the 25k points to upgrade as you get the most value out of your points (fare difference divided by no of points).

 

[serfty]

I understand the difficulty.

A PE seat is perfectly fine for a daytime flight HKG to MEL (although I'm a QF98/QF128 type of guy myself - hate those OMG o'clock starts to the day)

However, the ability to upgrade to a (probable) Skybed for 10K QFF points is extremely tempting.

If you put in for the upgrade, you should be able to pull it up to 24 hours before the flight - I'd do this, then keep checking loadings/seatmaps until it came up to the point of no-return and make a final decision.

 

[SnowYeti]

If you have enough points you want to burn, then J it. Otherwise I'd take your other option. With probable? confirmed, I guess it is easier now than it might be in some time to come when planes are full again in the premium sections. That's only my guess though, I could be wrong :!:

 

[NM]

9 hrs in QF economy can be very long.

I just survived 8+ hours in QF Y on the way up here. For an overnight flight I am in complete agreement with you, but for daytime, I am not yet convinced spending 25K points is great value. My QF FF account is not replenishing at a rate where 25K points is trivial. So one day the cupboard will be bare. My dilemma is whether to save the 25K points for a future overnight Y flight (which will happen, probably before the end of the year), or is the bird in the hand more important than a future nightmare?

I have managed to upgrade every overnight economy flight I have had in recent memory. Its been at least 5 years since I had to suffer a long-haul overnight economy flight. So far this year I have spent 80,000 points on upgrade. When flying QF, I generally use the theory that if I am not booked in the forward-most cabin, then I will try to use points to upgrade. And its been a long time since I have been declined an upgrade (a full QF52 during a BA strike is my only memory of a failed upgrade in the last 5 years). So choosing not to waitlist for an upgrade is a strange experience for me, but one I knew would have to finally eventuate when I chose to accumulate AA miles instead of QF points - a decision I not regret considering the value I have extracted from my AA miles in that time.

My heart says Yes, but my head says no. Which will win?

 

[serfty]

...
My heart says Yes, but my head says no. Which will win?

...

A PE seat is perfectly fine for a daytime flight HKG to MEL ....

I know what I'd do ...

 

[Mal]

If you put in for the upgrade, you should be able to pull it up to 24 hours before the flight - I'd do this, then keep checking loadings/seatmaps until it came up to the point of no-return and make a final decision.

Yeah, I think that's a good win-win type compromise. Plane sub - hope the upgrade goes through. No plane sub - cancel upgrade request within the cancellation period.

 

[NM]

Yeah, I think that's a good win-win type compromise. Plane sub - hope the upgrade goes through. No plane sub - cancel upgrade request within the cancellation period.

Given that the aircraft starts in LHR and and unless it goes tech at LHR or HKG its unlikely to get subbed once the original outbound departs Australia, I should have >24 hours lead for a sub, that does seem a viable option.

 

[winfred]

I have managed to upgrade every overnight economy flight I have had in recent memory. Its been at least 5 years since I had to suffer a long-haul overnight economy flight.

NM, I hope I am as lucky. I have not been able to upgrade for my past 11 attempts now. I suppose the difference between us is I'm not WP.

Upgrading from Y to J is the best and most economic way to use points but you probably need to be WP to be successful on a regular basis.

 

[simongr]

Well I would certainly do it (25k) - but I think you could have guessed that already.

 

[MelUser]

At the very least please upgrade into Premium - I would be interested in your view of service - ie drinks, food, cabin staff attentiveness etc and how (in your view) it compares with business on QF and other airlines.

 

[NM]

NM, I hope I am as lucky. I have not been able to upgrade for my past 11 attempts now. I suppose the difference between us is I'm not WP.

I have not been WP for a few years now. All my recent upgrades have been as a Qantas Nobody (using my AAdvantage FF number in the booking) and upgraded from a QFF Gold account (by a very generous eligible family member ... me).

What flights have you tried to upgrade and failed?

Upgrading from Y to J is the best and most economic way to use points but you probably need to be WP to be successful on a regular basis.

maybe not in this case. An upgrade to PE will score me a Skybed seat. And the beverages in PE are basically the same as J. No PJs anyway on a daytime flight to J passenger. The IFE is the same. The food is slightly better in J, but quite acceptable in PE. So is it really worth the extra 15K points to be in J over PE for a daytime flight? I am not convinced it is.

 

[chrisb]

I would go the 25k to J(/F) - Mainly because i've only been in the F cabin once, and it seems like a bargain.

10k to go skybed - I'd do that without question.

 

[Dave Noble]

I would save the points. Given a diminishing supply of QF candy and that the flight is both a day flight and you already have a PE seat, save the points for a time when otherwise would be an economy flight on a *shudder* overnight flight

Dave

 

[NM]

... save the points for a time when otherwise would be an economy flight on a *shudder* overnight flight

Oh, you mean October, or November, or December ....

That is my current leaning.

 

[Dave Noble]

Oh, you mean October, or November, or December ....

That is my current leaning.

Looks like you will have flights coming up where an upgrade use might be much better ; if you end up on a night flight and otherwise would be in economy, then will be the time to spend the miles

Dave

 

[winfred]

What flights have you tried to upgrade and failed?

maybe not in this case. An upgrade to PE will score me a Skybed seat. And the beverages in PE are basically the same as J.

I tried MEL-HK-MEL, MEL-AKL-MEL, MEL-PER-MEL and MEL-BNE-MEL. All failed.

Has QF PE got Skybed? I was on PE in June from MEL to HKG and it was not Skybed.

 

[serfty]

... Has QF PE got Skybed? I was on PE in June from MEL to HKG and it was not Skybed.

Temporary cabin redefinitions giving some in PE Skybeds commenced 1st July.

This redefinition was originally until October 26th, it has now been extended until January 31st.