Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
#1
Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
So you book an economy class flight from Aus to UK and you go to book in and they say terribly sorry no economy seat for you so you have to go first class.
Does this ever, really, happen?
Is there anyway the possibility could be enhanced?
Does this ever, really, happen?
Is there anyway the possibility could be enhanced?
#2
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
These days upgrades tend to go to the loyal membersof the airline's frequent flyers club. The more you fly, the more likely it is that any upgrade will go to you- especially if you also travel alone.
#3
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
In the past I've had upgrades, but not recently.
The price of your ticket, FF membership, etc. all count (usually against you).
Your best bet for an upgrade today is to write a letter of complaint to the airline if there is anything wrong with your flight. The customer service lot can put a tag on your record such that they next time you fly they are more likely to upgrade you, although they are getting wise to even this.
#4
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
I've been upgraded from Premium Economy to Business and Economy to Business but I doubt they'd upgrade Economy straight to First.
Travelling alone and having some status seems to help.
Travelling alone and having some status seems to help.
#5
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
And dressing the part - they're not likely to upgrade you if you don't look the part if that makes sense
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 238
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
They emailed me back to say they didn't provide free upgrades. When we arrived in Dubai from Perth, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we had been upgraded on the A380 flight to France.
Spent half the flight sat in the bar drinking Veuve.
#7
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
Travelling with a "name" helps get upgrades... Airlines appear to be terrible snobs.
#8
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
I once checked in at the counter next to First Class check in at Heathrow with BA. Liz Hurley was checking in with a young male companion. She had a 1st class ticket but her companion only had economy. She was pushing to get him upgraded but the agent was politely refusing a free upgrade and said it was a ridiculous amount of pounds. Liz trotted out the old "Don't you know who I am?!" One and only time I've ever heard anyone say it! Didn't work, he was down the back with the rest of us!
#9
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
We had missed the flight closing by 3 mins due to a snow storm, I think I looked stressed they could not not have been nicer about it, Delta get bad reviews but they were totally fantastic to us
#10
...giving optimism a go?!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Brisbane (leafy, hilly western suburbs)
Posts: 2,202
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
Parents were upgraded by Emirates a couple of years back.
Flight out of Brisbane was delayed 24 hours due to 'technical issues' and they failed to notify us until I dropped them at the airport. Then because of some timetable screwup they had to stop and pick up a bunch of people who were stranded in Jakarta instead of flying direct to Singapore and on to Dubai.
When my parents got to Dubai they were offered a free business class upgrade for Dubai to Heathrow. They ended up travelling for 35 hours instead of the scheduled 24 and being more than 30 hours later than expected, but were stoked to get the upgrade!
Flight out of Brisbane was delayed 24 hours due to 'technical issues' and they failed to notify us until I dropped them at the airport. Then because of some timetable screwup they had to stop and pick up a bunch of people who were stranded in Jakarta instead of flying direct to Singapore and on to Dubai.
When my parents got to Dubai they were offered a free business class upgrade for Dubai to Heathrow. They ended up travelling for 35 hours instead of the scheduled 24 and being more than 30 hours later than expected, but were stoked to get the upgrade!
#11
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
Her flight from Brisbane to Sydney was delayed thanks to a lightning storm (they were on the tarmac at Sydney for over an hour!) and then because of a cock up with the transfer from the domestic terminal to the international terminal she missed her flight.
They put her on the next flight and the attendants upgraded her to premium economy. Ok, not much of an upgrade but she thought it was fantastic.
#12
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
Sing Air upgraded 2 friends in 2 separate ocassions in the past year.
#13
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 57
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
My daughter had a free upgrade coming out own her own ,booked economy and supervised as she was 14 at the time they had over booked so she was upgraded to business class
#14
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
When the MIL came out the first time, we were in Brisbane but for some god forsaken reason, she was flying back to the UK from Sydney.
Her flight from Brisbane to Sydney was delayed thanks to a lightning storm (they were on the tarmac at Sydney for over an hour!) and then because of a cock up with the transfer from the domestic terminal to the international terminal she missed her flight.
They put her on the next flight and the attendants upgraded her to premium economy. Ok, not much of an upgrade but she thought it was fantastic.
Her flight from Brisbane to Sydney was delayed thanks to a lightning storm (they were on the tarmac at Sydney for over an hour!) and then because of a cock up with the transfer from the domestic terminal to the international terminal she missed her flight.
They put her on the next flight and the attendants upgraded her to premium economy. Ok, not much of an upgrade but she thought it was fantastic.
#15
Hillarys, Perth
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Hillarys, Perth.
Posts: 1,094
Re: Travel upgrades - Do they happen?
Mother in Law and Sister in Law came out last year with Emirates and got upgraded to business class the entire journey.
Mum's getting old and I thought what a treat for her to have a nice lie down and sleep on the journey. When I asked them if the had a good sleep..... The replied "Oh no.... we didn't dare recline the seats as we thought we'd get stuck!"
Aaaggghhh!! What a waste of an upgrade!!!!
Mum's getting old and I thought what a treat for her to have a nice lie down and sleep on the journey. When I asked them if the had a good sleep..... The replied "Oh no.... we didn't dare recline the seats as we thought we'd get stuck!"
Aaaggghhh!! What a waste of an upgrade!!!!