Covenant
Im sorry you didnt get your upgrade but if you or you fiancee are crew you would understand why certain airlines do not upgrade.
To answer your first question, upgrades are generally given to pax when 1. there is an overbooking, 2. if they are frequent flyers and have the necessary air miles for an upgrade.
To answer your second question, Crew (the senior) do have the authority to upgrade depending on the situation, yet as Dea Certe has pointed out there could be "ghost riders"and you should have justification on why the upgrade took place. Otherwise the crew themselves could end up paying for the upgrade. Not just because someone wants to sit with there fiancee. It is the Cabin Senior who has the last say, not the Captain of what happens in the cabin. If he does he is taking the risk himself.
To answer your third question, if airlines were to upgrade pax just because they are dressed nicely and there is space available, the airline would be out of business. How can you justify that people pay for the privelige of Club class and because 10 other people are dressed nicely in a suit they get upgraded. So why should I pay for club when I could have spent it on an Armani and turned up to check in and I would have got upgraded. You sound like you are trying to get blood from a stone. You get what you pay for.
To answer your fourth and final question, I tend to find that American airlines do upgrade more than others (not being American myself). I think you are taking it personally.
Covenant, this is not meant to tell you off but merely show you that you shouldn't expect more than what you pay for. To tell you the truth they only upgraded you because they didnt want to be reported by you and your fiancee about the other upgrades (luckily you didnt eat anything,right?). Yet I think that you shouldnt have questioned why and why not you were not upgraded to the crew. Some people actually pay for upgrades in-flight. Sometimes you put crew and check-in in awkward situations by asking for the upgrade in the first place. As crew I am just glad when I get on the plane.
I would like to hear what other think as well.
[This message has been edited by comeflywithme (edited 06 March 2001).]
[This message has been edited by comeflywithme (edited 06 March 2001).]