Do you know if someone's been upgraded? Do you....
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Not sure about Volunteer for Upgrade (Check in days are few begin to date a bit now)as mentioned above but this is not to be mistaken with VFO (Volunteer For Offload).
When it is anticipated to have an excess number of Pax, it is quite common to ask for VFOs. Basically gate staffs will look for volunteers to go on the next flight. In most cases and to reward those who volunteered, the airline (BD does that very well) will offer a cash reward and an upgrade, although the upgrade is certainly not guaranteedand remains a privilege.
When it is anticipated to have an excess number of Pax, it is quite common to ask for VFOs. Basically gate staffs will look for volunteers to go on the next flight. In most cases and to reward those who volunteered, the airline (BD does that very well) will offer a cash reward and an upgrade, although the upgrade is certainly not guaranteedand remains a privilege.
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Similar story to a previous one..My first job in aviation was as a dispatcher for a well known handling agent. One day just about to close the door of an aircraft ready for departure, when the purser asks for some help with a 'problem' pax. Reluctantly follow her down the aisle to find a man showing extreme displeasure at being sat next to a young lady and infant. Poor women was so embarrassed and was obviously having a difficult time with her baby. Man was adamant he wanted to be moved, but 'y' was full. He didn't actually use the word upgarde, but I'm sure thats what he was after. Anyway after several minutes of trying (in vain) to pacify said man, i turned to the lady with baby and apologised for the inconvenience, but would she like to change seat to one in business class. Lady very happy, purser very happy, miserable b*****d seriously p****d off.
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Shining Example, apparently...
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It's nice to see a loudmouth get their comeuppance, but I must say that if I was sitting in Business Class, I'd probably be planning a productive flight or a good night's sleep. I'd be pretty miffed if an accompanied minor joined the cabin.
This isn't snobbism - I rarely travel 'J' and have never asked for an upgrade, nor used the call button!
I heard that JAL have a novel approach:
- "Excuse me, would there be any chance of an upgrade?"
- "Certainly sir/madam, how would you like to pay?"
Usually cuts the conversation short...
This isn't snobbism - I rarely travel 'J' and have never asked for an upgrade, nor used the call button!
I heard that JAL have a novel approach:
- "Excuse me, would there be any chance of an upgrade?"
- "Certainly sir/madam, how would you like to pay?"
Usually cuts the conversation short...
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Years ago I was travelling with BA to BKK. Was seated way down in the back, and in the middle, of a full 744. But I was happy none the less, as I had paid next to nothing for the flight. Anyway, somewhere over the middle east I am bored, very bored. Decide to take a walk and ends up in a galley and have a chat with the FA's. It's soon obvious that I'm ID, so a kind FA asks whether I'd be interested in a cockpit visit. Anything to break the monotony, so I happily took the offer. Up front two very nice chaps offers a fresh PPL with stories of the 744 and all the FA's they get to dunk down route. Anyway, captain asks how I find the seat, and I honestly reply "cramped". He then pulls some paperwork, and subsequently raises an FA over the phone. Minutes later I'm seated in J on the upperdeck "and anytime you feel like it, ask the FA if you can pop in for a visit".
Jolly nice chaps the lot of them. Received excellent service throughout, and did have a distinct feeling the FA was seeing just how much alcohol a Scandihoovian could absorb. Never have I left an aircraft quite so p1ssed, and hitting the 40C and 110% humidity of BKK did not help at all !
Jolly nice chaps the lot of them. Received excellent service throughout, and did have a distinct feeling the FA was seeing just how much alcohol a Scandihoovian could absorb. Never have I left an aircraft quite so p1ssed, and hitting the 40C and 110% humidity of BKK did not help at all !
About 20 years ago, on a flight from CDG to LHR, in y, the FA whipped past throught the curtain. The edge of the curtain caught this woman sitting across the aisle in the eye, whipped her glasses off, and left her with a cut across her eye and blood streaming down her face. So I pushed the call button - several times, in view of the urgency - and the FA seemed quite put off by the fact that I'd done so, and was relatively unhelpful about either first aid or finding the passengers glasses. Eventually the purser came and that was different - down to wheelchair, ambulance, the whole lot at LHR. But that's the only time I've used the callbutton, and the FA response made me feel quite guilty about it.
Helicopter Pilots Get It Up Quicker
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Again I can recount an experience with Virgin that was completely different regarding sick pax.
My day job is as a paramedic - (I know everyone things it wonderful but really it is crap - but still it paid for my cpl!) About 3 hrs out from LAX the call went out for a doctor/nurse - no response so I offered my services.... obviously can't go into details about the pax but she needed to lay down so pax and me were moved to 1st class
Spent rest of flight being fawned over and generally spoilt! Captain requested my company when it was convient for me (!) and I could have had / done anything I wanted on that flight, unfortunately had to remain with sick pax!
On disembarking in LAX I was presented with a magnum of Champagne as "A Thanks for your help from us", and on returning to the UK found a thank you letter and large hamper of food, etc. awaiting me as a thank you from the company.
My day job is as a paramedic - (I know everyone things it wonderful but really it is crap - but still it paid for my cpl!) About 3 hrs out from LAX the call went out for a doctor/nurse - no response so I offered my services.... obviously can't go into details about the pax but she needed to lay down so pax and me were moved to 1st class
Spent rest of flight being fawned over and generally spoilt! Captain requested my company when it was convient for me (!) and I could have had / done anything I wanted on that flight, unfortunately had to remain with sick pax!
On disembarking in LAX I was presented with a magnum of Champagne as "A Thanks for your help from us", and on returning to the UK found a thank you letter and large hamper of food, etc. awaiting me as a thank you from the company.
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I agree that there is absolutely no need to be rude to FAs, in fact just chatting to them seems to keep the drink coming and get looked after very well if you make the effort with them. never had to ring the bell but.....
What is all this on this thread about dont go asking them for anything? I have a couple of friends who are FAs generally flying to either Florida, LA or cancun and once they get there they get several days R&R, not bad for a 12-14 hours work on the way over. I met one friendly Fa on the flight over to LAX and a week later she was just returning, so we ended up chatting again. 18 hours aren't uncommon in what I do and still have to go in next day, its what we are allpaid for at the end of the day. If you have to ring the bell, ring it - its what it is there for if there is no-one around or there is an urgent situation as someone said earlier.
As for rude PAX, well all power to the FAs - they should boot them out the read of the plane in mid-flight!
What is all this on this thread about dont go asking them for anything? I have a couple of friends who are FAs generally flying to either Florida, LA or cancun and once they get there they get several days R&R, not bad for a 12-14 hours work on the way over. I met one friendly Fa on the flight over to LAX and a week later she was just returning, so we ended up chatting again. 18 hours aren't uncommon in what I do and still have to go in next day, its what we are allpaid for at the end of the day. If you have to ring the bell, ring it - its what it is there for if there is no-one around or there is an urgent situation as someone said earlier.
As for rude PAX, well all power to the FAs - they should boot them out the read of the plane in mid-flight!
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There's no excuse for rudeness to FA's at all, but then again, what I really hate are the FA who's attitude is that they couldn't give a s**t about the passengers (I might add, I have normally found this with US airlines...). As an FA you're there to do a job, which is primarily concerned with the safety of the aircraft, and the comfort and well being of the passengers. If you don't like it, go and do something else !!!
By the way, in my opinion Virgin have the best (and cutest) FA's around...always helpful....
By the way, in my opinion Virgin have the best (and cutest) FA's around...always helpful....
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Used to drive the Scotland - LHR and North England - LHR flights for a well known UK carrier and if I saw cabin crew in uniform getting on I would always ask my No 1 to upgrade them if space was available. Most staff dont give a monkeysabout the C class meal but dont enjoy the wise cardks from the the Y pax. Once you ahave heard it once etc.
Equally, if I saw astaff member I knew travelling in civvies I would always make a point of going back in to cabin to speak to them and their family / partners before depature and offering flt deck seat / visit and apologising if we couldnt upgrade them. We all play to the same hymn sheet, so why not be pleasant to each other ?
Equally, if I saw astaff member I knew travelling in civvies I would always make a point of going back in to cabin to speak to them and their family / partners before depature and offering flt deck seat / visit and apologising if we couldnt upgrade them. We all play to the same hymn sheet, so why not be pleasant to each other ?
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"if I saw cabin crew in uniform getting on I would always ask my No 1 to upgrade them if space was available. Most staff dont give a monkeysabout the C class meal
We all play to the same hymn sheet, so why not be pleasant to each other ? "
I have to agree here.I was recently promoted to senior/purser and what I have(luckily) been able to do is upgrade all staff I have seen in unifom.(We get a lot of VS and BA staff commuting)It doesn't hurt me or the company to do it(often no meals and/or free seating at aft of exec cabin) and it promotes a bit of comradeship amongst 'rival' airlines.We all do the same job and hopefully they will do the same in turn for others of our fraternity.
We all play to the same hymn sheet, so why not be pleasant to each other ? "
I have to agree here.I was recently promoted to senior/purser and what I have(luckily) been able to do is upgrade all staff I have seen in unifom.(We get a lot of VS and BA staff commuting)It doesn't hurt me or the company to do it(often no meals and/or free seating at aft of exec cabin) and it promotes a bit of comradeship amongst 'rival' airlines.We all do the same job and hopefully they will do the same in turn for others of our fraternity.
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Delta airlines were introducing their new routes from JFK to Tokyo so the fare was $399us roundtrip. I jumped at the opportunity and went on the trip. Coming back I was suprisingly upgraded to Business Elite. I did not know why but I guess it was because the flight was full in economy and I was a frequent flyer with Delta. The service was the best I have ever experienced in my life. They treated me very special and called me by my name. I could never afford to fly business nor first class, but it was a memorable experience of a life time. I felt undeserving to be there so I just remained quiet and made no waves whatsoever. I did not even mess with any of the gadgets in the chair. It is always good to see how the upper half lives.
Recently I was also upgraded from BKK to Seoul on Korean Air from Economy to Morning Calm Class. That was also a welcome suprise, I was told I was being upgraded because I was a Silver Medallion frequent flyer with Sky Team. I had initially told the ticket agent that I wanted a seat all the way in the back, seat 62A on the 747 where it turns from 3 rows to 2 rows. I like the extra room by the window created by the curvature of the aircraft. He told me that I was going to get a bigger seat in Morning Calm, I made no agrument whatsoever. It is always great to go in with low expectations and get things that brighten your day.
Recently I was also upgraded from BKK to Seoul on Korean Air from Economy to Morning Calm Class. That was also a welcome suprise, I was told I was being upgraded because I was a Silver Medallion frequent flyer with Sky Team. I had initially told the ticket agent that I wanted a seat all the way in the back, seat 62A on the 747 where it turns from 3 rows to 2 rows. I like the extra room by the window created by the curvature of the aircraft. He told me that I was going to get a bigger seat in Morning Calm, I made no agrument whatsoever.
It is always great to go in with low expectations and get things that brighten your day.
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The cabin crew on the last flight when I was upgraded certainly knew that I had and also the reason why. It was a BA flight from PER to LHR (when they still had BA11 & 12) and was on the SIN-LHR sector. I know they knew because I was taken down and introduced to them as "This is the lady you have been hearing about" They were brilliant. I couldn't have been better looked after and YES, I did write a letter of appreciation.
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Paxboy,
If you're travelling from the US to Irl on Shamrock, Don't even THINK of pressing the call button!
Due to "We're selling Duty-free so Bar service is suspended" they usually manage to avoid any service and hide in the galleys for most of the flight while the junior slowly plods slong the cabin!
"If you're unhappy, Sir, complain"!!!
Sorry for going off the subject a bit!!
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Phixer for spelling, naturally!!]
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Phixer ]
If you're travelling from the US to Irl on Shamrock, Don't even THINK of pressing the call button!
Due to "We're selling Duty-free so Bar service is suspended" they usually manage to avoid any service and hide in the galleys for most of the flight while the junior slowly plods slong the cabin!
"If you're unhappy, Sir, complain"!!!
Sorry for going off the subject a bit!!
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Phixer for spelling, naturally!!]
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Phixer ]
