Travelling BA on QF points

[RTWFF]

I'm travelling to Asia out of Sydney on a BA flight (early September) having been able to pick up a seat yesterday when, it would seem, BA dumped new points inventory. However it's in bog-standard Y Class. Availability currently shows as in the attachment. Does anyone have any experience - as a Silver am I likely to get upgraded to Economy Plus if seats are available? I should say that I'm a 1K with United and all my loyalty goes to * Alliance, I'm just using up some points from credit cards here

 

[Mal]

If WT+ is offered on your flight (I think it should be all BA equipment flights out of SYD), you would see inventory in W and T classes. That doesn't appear in your listing attached to your post.

Weird. Are you sure you didn't get seats on the Qantas codeshare using the BA flight number? (I'd expect the flight number to be well over BA100 for the flight).


Anyways, even if your plane has WT+, I don't see you sitting there unless the plane is oversold in Economy, and BA has exhausted the supply of readily upgradeable BA FF's, and the Qantas WP's aren't upgradeable etc etc etc. Life on BA is totally different to life on the various American carriers who upgrade you to their Economy + just because they think you're special.

BA has an interesting reputation of looking after their Silvers (Equivalent to QF Gold) and Gold's over and above any other OneWorld Equivalents.

 

[RTWFF]

Are you sure you didn't get seats on the Qantas codeshare using the BA flight number? (I'd expect the flight number to be well over BA100 for the flight)

BA10. Oh well, I guess I could slap down my 1K card and then look stupid but they use QF staff for check-in I think, and they couldn't care less. I might call up BA for a seat assignment and see how the conversation goes

 

[Dave Noble]

as a Silver am I likely to get upgraded to Economy Plus if seats are available? I should say that I'm a 1K with United and all my loyalty goes to * Alliance, I'm just using up some points from credit cards here

World Traveller Plus is a completely separate cabin to economy ( in the same way that business is distinct from 1st ) so you will not get an upgrade just because there are seats.

if you want to get a WT+ seat then u can use 50% additional points and book WT+ subject to availability in the WT+ redemption inventory

Dave

 

[JohnK]

I'm travelling to Asia out of Sydney on a BA flight (early September) having been able to pick up a seat yesterday when, it would seem, BA dumped new points inventory.

I think you will find most of their flights have a light load out of Australia at the moment. I had an award seat on BA010 on 16th July and kept looking at availability and award seats were still available on the 14th July.

However it's in bog-standard Y Class. Availability currently shows as in the attachment. Does anyone have any experience - as a Silver am I likely to get upgraded to Economy Plus if seats are available?

Highly unlikely to get upgrade unless economy is full and you happen to win the lucky dip. The experience is not too bad, better than QF economy, but the entertainment system is not as good as AVOD. The FA's are more helpful and are continuously pacing up and down the aisle instead of going into hiding after meal service. You will not be able to pre-allocate a seat in rows 25-31 but that should not be a major hassle. I had 33G allocated as a QF Gold and I managed to sit in the mini cabin behind economy plus, after asking FA, and this was actually quite good, new seat 27G, with plenty of empty seats around. There was only 11 people seated in this mini cabin in 30+ available seats.

 

[RTWFF]

I had 33G allocated as a QF Gold and I managed to sit in the mini cabin behind economy plus, after asking FA, and this was actually quite good, new seat 27G, with plenty of empty seats around. There was only 11 people seated in this mini cabin in 30+ available seats.

Thanks for the tip - I'll try asking for it from BA reservations and see how I go. As for AVOD most of what is offered is wall-to-wall cough, although on BA I'm hoping for some more British programs. These days however (especially on United!!) I just plug in my Ipod Shuffle and listen to my own selection of music and podcasts that I haven't made time to hear otherwise

 

[clifford]

Hello RTWFF,

I'm 1K as well (and also MM), and I don't think you would expect UA to bump you up to E+ if you had no status (as is your case with OneWorld).

Nuff said?

 

[RTWFF]

I don't think you would expect UA to bump you up to E+ if you had no status (as is your case with OneWorld)

1 You never know if you never ask
2 My favourite expression from any service representative in any company (but especially airlines) is "just this once". I can't count the number of times I've had "just this once" answers when I've asked a favour, and you know the next time you ask the same question it will be of a different person

 

[JohnK]

Thanks for the tip - I'll try asking for it from BA reservations and see how I go. As for AVOD most of what is offered is wall-to-wall cough, although on BA I'm hoping for some more British programs.

In theory they will not grant you a pre-allocated seat in rows 25-31. I settled for 33G, after calling BA and QF, and when I boarded aircraft noticed that the mini cabin was rather empty and asked if I could sit there. No problem.

BA does not have AVOD in economy nor does it have games available. I think I managed to sit through 2 movies that were just OK and followed flight path very closely to make sure that the aircraft was following correct course.

 

[RTWFF]

Keeping to the flight path

followed flight path very closely to make sure that the aircraft was following correct course.

Did you nip upstairs and let him know if he strayed?

 

[Dave Noble]

1 You never know if you never ask
2 My favourite expression from any service representative in any company (but especially airlines) is "just this once". I can't count the number of times I've had "just this once" answers when I've asked a favour, and you know the next time you ask the same question it will be of a different person

Economy - Economy Plus on UA is different since it is still the same cabin, just that the seats allocations are supposedly restricted to Full fare passengers and those with status. World Traveller Plus is a separate product. It is akin to checking in at UA and just asking to be upgraded to business class as a no status passenger flying on an award seat on a quiet flight

Dave