Upgrade with no notification - op-up?

[justinbrett]

You’re almost never going to get an op-up on a route with more points upgrade requests than available seats. That’s almost every international flight.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Also no pop-ups on QF for me, apart from one trans-Tasman just after I'd first qualified as P1.

If the P1 team are showing you some love generally you'll always see a boarding pass comment to the tune of
"Enjoy your flight - the P1 team" or something like that which isn't technically an op-up as there's generally no
requirement to do so ie flight not oversold.

 

[mtbsafari]

I used to get them regularly but the last one was about 10 years ago on a very cheap ticket to LAX via MEL. I had chosen my seats for the flight very carefully and when I got to MEL I was told that they had to change my seat allocation. As I started to whine (as is my usual way) I was assured “Don’t worry. I’m sure you will like the new seat.” And I did. Upgrade to business on the long-haul, which worked out well because I was only in LAX for the weekend. A story for another time perhaps.

BTW I think I was Platinum at the time. Maybe only Gold.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well, quite simply op-ups happen when Y is oversold and there’s spare seats in premium cabins. It’s just a matter of predicting that...

Op-ups can happen for a variety of reasons. 'Oversold' is the most likely, but can also happen if the seat is in-op, they need to seat a family together (particularly adult and child), or for weight and balance issues. Solo travellers are sometimes more likely to benefit if the airline needs to seat an adult and child together.

In the US these days there's also the strange siutation where economy basic passengers are getting op-up'ed to the best seats - to economy plus/extra/comfort - because they can't assign seats in advance and all that's left are the premium seats. They get the benefits such as extra legroom and free alcohol.

 

[wilkiaj]

Hello! This is the first time I've experienced a potential op-up it's probably a bit of a rookie question -

Mr Carambola recently got a complimentary upgrade to J on a QF flight to Asia. We found out the evening before the flight, when he checked in and the boarding pass showed a business class seat instead of the Y seat we'd selected just a minute earlier.

It was so unexpected that we spent a few minutes checking that we hadn't somehow accidentally upgraded him on points, and generating his boarding pass a bunch of different ways. He's a gold FF but was booked on a discount economy fare, and the flight still had a handful of unoccupied Y seats when we did the seat selection. We actually thought it was a glitch... all the way until he finished his second glass of champers and figured that the upgrade might stick!

Interestingly, he didn't get any sort of notification for it, nor did his listed seat (on the Manage Booking page) reflect his new seat. It seems a bit different from the posts I've read here on AFF about upgrades at or after boarding.

So my question is - would this have been an op-up or some other kind of upgrade? And is this normal, in the sense that there were no notifications from QF and the upgrade didn't show up on the Manage Booking page?

I had many no notification upgrades in the last 25 years of travel, Fromm business to first , from economy to premium and economy to business, but the best one of all was in a short haul between Sydney and Brisbane. I booked a ultra cheap ticket and was on was way home to Brisbane and at the Qantas club four hour before my flight was due to leave. The was a one angry customer trying to get into the club and on an earlier flight with success. By the time the I was at entry point the Qantas staff apologised for the delay. I said no problem I retiring tomorrow I have all the time in the world. The Qantas staff checked my ticket, but me in business on an earlier flight and thanked me for my loyal support. I certainly didn’t expect this as I was looking forward to a few drinks at the club. Never had a bad experience with Qantas

 

[Ventura]

Eons ago.. my mother worked for Panam in Nairobi so we were perennial stand-by passengers. Flying Barbados to NY we were approached by ground staff with 'bad news'. Y was full... would we mind travelling First Class (there being no Business in those days)? I, as a young lad, was seated next to a delightful Hollywood producer regaling me (a 12 year old) with lots of interesting stories. Similarly (but not with an upgrade this time) my brother and I two years later flew Joburg-Amsterdam on Alitalia on a freebie in F. 2 boys and one other passenger in F with 3 flight attendants spoiling us rotten!

 

[Max Samuels]

Anyway, the most likely time to get an op-up IME are when you are travelling solo, in school holidays, on a weekend, and usually when travelling with status.

I can add a new data point to this discussion - one as recent as a few months ago!
I was on SYD-HKG, in super cheap Y (like $300) - non-upgradeable. I was in the taxi on the way to the airport looking at EF with growing depression as the blocked seats around me were disappearing at a rate of knots. When I got to the airport and checked in I was really surprised to see 1A on my boarding pass (instead of the 23K i had on my app). Suddenly the day wasn't looking so grim! So I asked the check-in lady what the reason could have been and she said, although the system doesn't tell her, she thinks the reasons were:
School holidays, completely oversold flight, PLUS, flights the day before had been cancelled so there were still some stranded PAX, plus I was traveling solo, PLUS I had the appropriate status.

Interestingly there were still about 4 empty seats in J

So thank you Qantas!

Tomorrow though I think I am going to suffer the reverse fortune.... flight has heaps of seats in Y and 0 in J so that upgrade (actually requested this time) is looking unlikely....

But to throw in a few more data points.... 25 years flying Qantas, at least 10 as WP, only ever got op-up a handful of times domestic, once international. On the other hand, I received many on other carriers (6+ on CX, 4+ on EK, 3+ on AA), based on my QF/OW status. Now, I know the die-hard Qantas fans will want to lecture me that the reason QF gives so few op-ups is because they are sooooo good at managing their loads and best ever airline in the world etc etc.... but maybe they are just not popular enough to be oversold that often. And I think they are just stingy when it comes to upgrades in general. I have seen them give preference to staff travel in J over on-departure points upgrades for rev PAX. I have seen them (overheard talking on the phone), conspiring to tell people "sorry completely sold in J" so that their friend waiting at the service counter on staff travel will get the empty seat.... I have seen them in J cabin, ask staff travel PAX their meal preferences first, before rev passengers.... mind you these examples are a few years ago and I do think that QF has changed their attitude somewhat, but I still think they have a mentality of keeping us (their customers) in line with the carrot/stick approach to the hope/dream/promise of an upgrade.....

 

[QF WP]

Yes, sounds to me that they had oversold Economy and had processed all the points upgrades and still needed seats, so they were then looking at upgrades using status. Got to be happy about that and certainly helps the loyalty factor.

 

[Tyler_Durden]

Hello! This is the first time I've experienced a potential op-up it's probably a bit of a rookie question -

Mr Carambola recently got a complimentary upgrade to J on a QF flight to Asia. We found out the evening before the flight, when he checked in and the boarding pass showed a business class seat instead of the Y seat we'd selected just a minute earlier.

It was so unexpected that we spent a few minutes checking that we hadn't somehow accidentally upgraded him on points, and generating his boarding pass a bunch of different ways. He's a gold FF but was booked on a discount economy fare, and the flight still had a handful of unoccupied Y seats when we did the seat selection. We actually thought it was a glitch... all the way until he finished his second glass of champers and figured that the upgrade might stick!

Interestingly, he didn't get any sort of notification for it, nor did his listed seat (on the Manage Booking page) reflect his new seat. It seems a bit different from the posts I've read here on AFF about upgrades at or after boarding.

So my question is - would this have been an op-up or some other kind of upgrade? And is this normal, in the sense that there were no notifications from QF and the upgrade didn't show up on the Manage Booking page?

Hi, being a gold member his status may have been the highest in the economy class and which economy would of been oversold but seats available in business class. he can still choose from many seats in the economy cabin even if it being oversold , so with the economy cabin being oversold and most likely his status being the highest at the time , the system will recommend the highest tier member and also value of the purchased ticket to upgrade to clear the oversale , hence the upgrade. Hope that explains it.

 

[samh004]

I once had an op-up OOL-SYD where I collected my BP at the check-in counter, went into the lounge through status access and didn't even realise I had been moved to row 1 until I met another AFFer who pointed it out. It was lucky he did or I might have sat down in economy!!

 

[mflyer100]

About 6 years of flying, first 3 years Gold, past 3 years Silver.
Never on QF,
Almost had one on Emirates as gold but apparently someone didn't check in and I was last in line.
Recently, as QF Silver, about a month ago on Finnair I chose my seat quiet late and it was looking like it was going to be a full flight to Asia, upgraded at the gate due to oversold economy.

 

[oz_mark]

I've had a handful of op-ups over the years. Most have been during school holidays times, so that may say something.

Also had one when Qantas were introducing PE - I had happened to select a seat in what turned out to be the PE cabin. Was just a normal Y seat when I selected. I don't think they had even sold PE on the flight, but I got to sample it

 

[Aussie Doc]

Mrs AD and I got an Op-Up to J a few years ago on Korean.

We were flying Sydney - JFK via Seoul. Had no status with Korean airlines (Or any airline at the time!), and didn’t have Dr title on tickets either. Had booked the cheapest economy seats available.

We were boarding and when they scanned our tickets it made an error noise, they then looked at them, reached behind counter and gave us new tickets. Only thing they said was “Sorry we’ve had to move your seats”. No mention of upgrade or business!

We got on the plane, and only when counting rows realised our new seats were in row 4 in business! Spent the whole flight to Seoul expecting them to tell us to move lol. But the champagne and J food menu came out, and they served us like any other J customer, so we enjoyed the flight to Seoul in style!

After that though the next leg to New York was back in economy... amazing how a free upgrade ruins something you were previously perfectly happy with!!

 

[Craig Green]

I recently received an upgrade on QF 20 out of Manila, no fanfare whatsoever, but no complaints from me

 

[NZ_Flyer]

Only op-up on QF for me would have been back in 2006 AKL-LAX. 5 of us in a booking (1x SG and 4x NB) and at AKL check-in two of us (1x SG and 1x NB) were told we were upgraded from Y to J. Probably oversold but never actually asked.

Other than than also had a BKK-SYD (Y to J) on EK booked on a QF code as a QF SG (cheap sale fare as well)

 

[kookaburra75]

Eons ago.. my mother worked for Panam in Nairobi so we were perennial stand-by passengers. Flying Barbados to NY we were approached by ground staff with 'bad news'. Y was full... would we mind travelling First Class (there being no Business in those days)? I, as a young lad, was seated next to a delightful Hollywood producer regaling me (a 12 year old) with lots of interesting stories. Similarly (but not with an upgrade this time) my brother and I two years later flew Joburg-Amsterdam on Alitalia on a freebie in F. 2 boys and one other passenger in F with 3 flight attendants spoiling us rotten!

And yet another reason we need a "So Jealous" button

 

[kookaburra75]

A story for another time perhaps.

Well - now you've dangled the carrot, when do we get the story?

 

[Kangol]

The issue of "op-ups" is like many things here - we share our experiences, but none of us actually know how they work.

It's simple. There is an operational reason to upgrade you.

The P1 upgrade is not an op-up, it's a gift. I've had one where both cabins were not full.

 

[juddles]

It's simple. There is an operational reason to upgrade you.

The P1 upgrade is not an op-up, it's a gift. I've had one where both cabins were not full.

Yes, I am very aware of that But I have not yet heard of anyone who can tell me how Qantas manages their "operational" upgrades.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, I am very aware of that But I have not yet heard of anyone who can tell me how Qantas manages their "operational" upgrades.

There's no single, simple formula. Some upgrades are allocated via an algorithm (status, fare, sequence number, passenger 'score'), some will be a matter of circumstance and practicality. A gate agent needing to seat a parent and child together may upgrade the bronze sitting in the seat that's needed rather than a P1 who has already boarded and sitting with a companion.

The US airlines seem to have relatively well know (including to the public) set of rules to upgrade. But even then the last-minute gate issues can upset that - and the passengers who think they were entitled to the upgraded seat!