How To Get Upgraded?

[aardie]

I'm travelling from Edinburgh to Tokyo (via LHR) at the end of August. EDI to LHR (and back) on the BA shuttle then LHR to Tokyo with JAL. The tickets are all economy. My question is - as someone who has not flown longhaul before - how easy is it to get upgraded and what is the best way to go about it?

Any tips would be gratefully received, as though JAL economy cabin looks very nice on their website, I would rather do a 12hr flight with a bit more legroom!

[SLF@LBA]

Suggestions: join their frequent flyer programme, dress smartly (blazer/trousers), be very polite at check in, hope for the best!

[World Traveller]

Or pay the fare.....!

being a 'gold' or 'silver' member of the FFP helps...lots....

[five percent]

Buy the ticket like the other passengers do in first class and business class!

[B Sousa]

Come On, 5%, I think if you check, NOBODY buys First/Business tickets. Most are flying on their accumulated FF Miles.....
Companies may for execs, or rich folks, but check the prices...

[Eboy]

Date a customer service rep or ground ops employee on good terms with a customer service rep. Worked for me, until we broke up.

[str12]

Dress reasonably smart and keep an eye out for customer service reps looking like they're going to ask if 'anyone is travelling alone'.

Worked for me Gatwick to Houston with BA.

They offered me 250 quid if I'd take the next flight 30 minutes later (they forgot to mention it stopped in Chicago and would arrive at Houston 3.5 hours later). I said 'yes' but only if I was upgraded, they said they didn't have the authority to do that, I politely disagreed...

In the end I was on my original flight AND went business class.

It made the return trip in economy harder to bear, especially since 'The Railway Children' was the film!

Good luck.

[Julian]

Pretty extreme Eboy - beside do I have to date one for each airline ??? :O)

Julian.

[five percent]

Sorry B Sousa

I work for an airline where the passengers do buy first and business class tickets, I meet them regularly, most are not in frequent flyer programmes and can be recognised by their easy undemanding manner in those cabins.

As a result it really is annoying when economy passengers get on the aircraft and the most frequent question is 'can I be upgraded - you have so many empty seats there?'

These are also the same passengers that when upgraded demand the most attention and cause the most disruption in these cabins because they do not realise how undemanding genuine passengers are and stand out a mile in the eyes of both crew and fellow passengers.

Just observe a disrupted or delayed flight sometime - they scream down the back whilst those up the front make us remember that it's worth it after all!

[Flame]

5%;

Nice attitude...Seems that the only passengers that you like dealing with are the ones that sit and say nothing during a flight...an easy life or what..?

[aardie]

Firstly, many thanks to all of you who offered advice - serious or otherwise - on how to potentially get get upgraded on my forthcoming excursion to Japan. I shall give it a try and see if I am lucky.

Five per cent. I am sorry if my enquiry regarding attempting to get upgraded has upset you in some way. I would dearly love to travel business or even first class by paying the appropriate sum in the first instance. However as I work as an advisor for a charity and I am travelling to Tokyo to attend a meeting on their behalf I hardly think purchasing such a ticket would be ethical.

I am also sorry that you have had such a bad experience with passengers who have been upgraded. Obviously I can't comment on your personal experience. However, if I were ever to fly with the airline for which you work and were fortunate enough to be upgraded, I hope my behaviour and conduct would be the antethesis to that you have encountered to date. You might be pleasantly suprised to find that generalisation is not always entirely appropriate or accurate. :)

[G SXTY]

Recently kicked off our honeymoon with UAL, flying LHR > SFO. I dressed very smartly, asked very politely, and got very politely declined at both check-in and the UAL information desk.

Undeterred, the missus asked at the gate and promptly came back with a pair of C class boarding passes. Then again, she’s much better looking than me. :D

I suspect its partly attitude & appearance, but mostly luck of the draw.

[SLF 999]

Travelling from Edinburgh to brussles on Honeymoon (weekend break as with 3 young kids its not easy to find babysitters !)
Anyway dont ask for upgrade , but when asked business or pleasure said honeymoon.
Seated in economy and then chief steward asked us to move, upgraded to Business class.
Very unexpected and pleasant.
Much as it was nice to travel business class finances dictate economy, but the BA staff on that fight made sure we were happy and that everything was ok. For that I was extremely grateful

If your lucky enough to be upgraded then be nice, behave and enjoy, you dont know if it will ever happen again (unless you pay for it)

[pj997]

Some of the old tricks:

Have a stamp made saying 'VIP Passenger' or similar and stamp your ticket - Not too effective when using an e-ticket...

When registering for frequent flyer programs, if asked for a seat preference/number, always select one in business class...

Two schools of thought on check in time, either late when cattle class is about to fill up, or early to take advantage of the only free seat in C class...

Never request a special meal - because it further reduces your chances, because it is unlikely there will be a spare C class special meal...

If your Frequent Flyer card lets you check in at the C class desk, always do this, and ask then for an upgrade... Sometimes asking for the costs to upgrade can help...

If possible to ascertain the status of the bookings in cattle class before hand, do so... If you know it is 100% fill, chances are it has been overbooked and upgrades are an option, if 20% fill, usually very little chance of the upgrade...

Sometimes it maybe preferable to travel in cattle class, such as:

1. on especially on quiet flights, as 4 cattle class seats in a row are better than a business class seat for sleeping...

2. flights in the middle east, i seem to have found often on these flights, mum and dad fly first, and lots of noisey kids in business class with a nanny

[Captain Airclues]

Do any of the SLF on the forum own a Volvo dealership? I am planning to buy Mrs Airclues a Volvo S40, but she would actually prefer a C70. Would it be possible to get a new C70 for the price of a S40?

Airclues

[Celtic Emerald]

Captain Airclues

You are a very naughty man :D

But I promise if you ever arrange a jumpseat for me I'll let you sit in the front seat of my car (by the way hows the taxi service going?) :p

Emerald

[G SXTY]

I like it Captain, I like it. :D :D

[Best Western]

Excellent answer Capt!

Helps if you have a Gold or silver FFP... they will reward you on your loyalty to them... and how correct too!

What does annoy me however (and I recently saw this in MAD on a JKK flight to PMI - JK spainair never again) is when the do not upgrade a FFP gold card holder (not me.....) and let all the stand-by airline staff go up front.

[madcat666]

Important tip when trying to upgrade with JAL, " Don't mention the War!". :cool:

[mutt]

Best Western,

Why shouldnt airline staff get this perk?

Mutt :)

[BRUpax]

mutt, I guess you're only joking but seriously Best Western has a point. I have no problem with airline staff getting upgrades as a perk of the job - as long as there is availability. I think that Best Western has a valid point when, as in his case, upgrading is required in order to accommodate stand-by nonrev pax. Why not upgrade a regular fare paying customer and let the nonrev have the Y seat? I also travel nonrev and to be honest I often get better service as such than when I'm on full C fare (depending on the carrier).

[The Guvnor]

http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/money/graphics/2001/08/18/cxalex18.gif

[Celtic Emerald]

People like that are usually living well beyond their means & in debt Guv, owe people money & have huge overdrafts from the bank which they are adept at avoiding without a twing of conscience. They have a habit of eventually coming down to earth with a big bang not to mention needing a good kick up the backside and have a reputation like muck that is fast going down the toilet by the day.

But I'm sure you would know nothing about those type of people being the good honest genuine upstanding citizen that you are yourself Guv :rolleyes:

The past usually catches up with these unsavoury types you'll be gladened to know, "what goes around comes around as they say" :eek:

Emerald

[Sharjah Night Shift]

Reminds me of my silliest flight ever.
Embrarer 145 Southampton to Frankfurt 45 seats two class only 9 passengers, I am the only one with an economy ticket. On board we all have the same type of seat except mine is in the back row behind the curtain. The meal service was the same for both classes except one item had to be removed from my tray before I was served. Tea and Coffee were then served two cups for those in front of the curtain as I held my cup out for a refill the hostie walked past me to empty the pots in the toilet.
I took the opportunity to ask the cabin crew about the difference in service , they said as a BA Franchise Partner they have to obey the rules laid down by BA and they felt that the aircraft should have been one class.

[tiger burn]

Not sure if this one's relevant to you but each time I've tried for an earlier flight than I've been allocated & asked v politely to go stand by, then I've been unexpectedly & v v pleasantly upgraded. twice I even turned up a day early (return journey) once at Kathmandu flying with Qatar & most recently Fiumicino & BA. However, I stress I have never demanded an upgrade & have just been extremely fortunate.

Alternatives are splash out & pay for an upgrade OR turn up early & ask for emergency exit row - miles of legroom etc - just take your own supplies along!

[Pax_1A]

An upgraded business flight is always more enjoyable than one you have paid for. And not because you got something for nothing, but that someone that you will probably never see again did something so nice for you.

On the cost issue however, my company can buy business class seats cheaper than the full economy rate, so I expect some people at the back of the bus are actually paying more than some at the front...

I seem to have scored upgrades for smiling, being my birthday, or the first flight after purchasing the lounge membership. Always been wearing a suit (though not just my birthday suit wheen it was my birthday). I sometimes wonder if the check in staff upgrade me so that the cabin crew will have someone in their care who is happy to be there.

Have to go economy SYD-LDN soon, but will take along some goodies to make it feel like I am in business (fresh fruit, bottle of decent red, good box of chocolates, which I am always happy to share with anyone with a smile). But maybe I won't need them ...