Who decides upgrades?

[flapsforty]

Over on "terms & endearment" there is a thread going on who decides which pax get upgraded or not. Is it ground, cockpit or cabin staff who decides?. .Here is the <a href="http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=27;t=000538;p=" target="_blank">link</a> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" />. . . . <small>[ 22 March 2002, 09:34: Message edited by: flapsforty ]</small>

[flyblue]

Usually ground staff or cabin staff.

[flapsforty]

Well now that's what we would think isn't it?. .But over <a href="http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=27;t=000538;p=3" target="_blank">here</a> there is a poster by the name of Recover, alledgedly a BA captain, who doesn't quite agree. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

[gulf-crew]

hi guys/girls. .. .As ex check in staff and having worked in staff travel and closeouts(where staff get onloaded) here is the inside story.. .. .On the computer screens at check-in their are comments in the first page asking chkin staff for sfu m-j or j-f (thats suitable for upgrade) its upto the chk-in stff whether they get it or not and in my day anyone who asked didn't get. I usually gave it to the most deserving cases and as for Exec Card Holders who thought it was their given right to be upgraded well they could forget it. . .. .As for stff trvl it was on on-load priority and their was / still is not way of getting round the system . .1. Unless you could get someone to authorise the upgrade / and all other staff had to be seated in their correct entitled cabin first.. .. .2. After the flight has closed and is finalised then if the crew ie capt/no1 gave names etc then it was never put in the system unless it was a multi sector flight and then it was usually done after the a/c departed. . .. .But this had nothing to do with chk-in staff if the crew did it on board the a/c then it is their responsibility.. .. .But I must say at the end of the day the Capt / No1 have no authority to get someone upgraded through check-in.. .. .I hope that this helps and if you would like any further info please do not hesitate to ctc me. .GulfCrew. . <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" />

[Flip Flop Flyer]

In a previous life I was working as a red-cap in CPH for a handling agent (still got fond memories of KL crew F40 <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> ) and the procedures for upgrades varied from one airline to another, but went someway along the lines of :. .. .1/ Airline Representative. Obviously, being a handling agent you responded to the requests of the airline rep. Could be a goldcard holder, staff or just a friend. Never asked, just complied.. .2/ The Cabin Chief. Would sometimes ask if it was possible to get an upgrade for this or that person. Would depend on seat and meal availability. Sometimes had to move the curtain or make a rush order for a meal, but always complied. .3/ The gatestaff. If overbooked on monkey, gatestaff would look at the pax list and select eligble pax for upgrade, frequent fliers suitably dressed as no. 1 priority, then staff, then anyone.. .4/ Me. After checking with gatestaff and Cabin Chief would try to get an upgrade if a friend or collegue an upgrade. If an excuse was needed, "for weight and balance purposes" seemed to work just fine. Alwyas got it (also for myself) on KL <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> and on most others. With an airline, or crew, that didn't like upgrades, obviously you didn't ask for it.. .. .Never once did I meet a pilot asking for an upgrade. Maybe they communicated through the cabin crew though, I shall never know.. .. .PS. .Once handled a B733 with around 60 pax, 10C 50M. No matter what I did, the computer would display "too tailheavy on the TOW MAC" and I scratched my head a bit. Upgraded 1, then 5 and finally 20 from Economy to get the ****** in trim. No cargo to trim with, only bags and they had to be split very specifically between the holds. Had handled numerous B733 flights previously, so was rather surprised. Told the gatestaff to proceed with the upgrades and went to the cockpit to pick up an old loadsheet. Ahhh, there it is. The aircraft had an incorrect DOI in our computer .... Told the skipper and no. 1 about the mistake we made, and also told them that around 20 pax had been upgraded. Skipper laughed "I've seen that one before with this particular aircraft" and the no. 1 merely asked if we had arranged for extra C-class meals. Oh yes, this was of course on KLM .... and luckily for me the aircraft would trim with the correct DOI and all the upgrades. Made quiet a few passengers happy that day <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> . .. .And .....

[flyblue]

Flaps, I noticed the thread already, but decided not to post because I thought that I was not really interested on starting an argument with a patent imbecile. You, me, shadowpurser and everyone on civil aviation with at least two neurones joined by a synapse know how things work and how pilots with brains (most of them: in fact I believe "recover" just met the demand of a village idiot in BA) universally handle those situations.. .If "reduce" wants to play "mine's bigger" let him do it, but let him do it alone. We have much important things to do. It is not an universal issue of any interest between us professionals that can help in any way solve a major aviation CRM problem. . .That kind of problem usually tend to solve by itself. Usually with "someone" drinking and dining alone, or, in a bigger scale (like in my ex company's case), with an "every man for himself!" reaction leading to the biggest exodus of skilled personnel in the country's aviation history which has and still feeds the competitor's rows.

[UALCabinCrew]

Howdy... just thought I'd throw in a view from up above... at my airline... UAL, it is always the Customer Service Agents who handle upgrades... and they are ONLY given to folks who have the ability, with frequent flier miles, to upgrade. Also, you can only upgrade one class of service. The one loophole, of course, is when we are oversold... then I don't know how they upgrade. Probably by who has the highest miles in thier account... Flight Crew, Cabin Crew and whoever else cannot upgrade. If someone wants to upgrade in flight, we just say... "That will be $3000... which credit card do you want to put it on..."

One nice point with our system is that employees travelling have a better chance of knowing where they stand, in terms of 'will I be getting on', and what class of service will I be sitting in.

Gotta Fly...

[The Nr Fairy]

In that case, seeing as my BA Syd-Lhr thread's picked up no replies but lots of views, can someone tell me what hotel the senior cabin crew member will be in on Saturday night so I can buy them lots of whatever they're drinking ? Obviously subtlety can be overlooked :D

[mutt]

Around here upgrades are done by:

1: Check-In
2: Captain

The Cabin Supervisor has no authority to do it, or at least thats what they keep telling people.... :)

Mutt.