Free upgrades... for the brazen
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Essex
Posts: 579
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to be upgraded at the gate from Club World to First. Unlike other previous upgrades, my boarding pass was not re-printed to show the new assigned seat (the person at the gate simply used a pen to write my new seat number on my boarding pass stub). I did wonder if the crew onboard would think that I'd altered the pass myself....I assume such an obvious scam has been tried and that the crew know how many passengers they should have in the premium cabins, their names and where they should be sitting.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Had a bizarre one today.
A320, with only two rows of business.
2 young girls sit behind me in the second row and its obvious they are not used to being in front of the curtain, they also double check their passess as they obviously don't expect to be there.
Anyway, senior CC member calls them out of their seats to the galley and informs them that they are sitting in business, due to lack of seats in Y, but will only receive Y service.
I thought that that was distinctly odd -an invountary upgrade I can understand, but Y service in C seems a bit mean to say the least.
A320, with only two rows of business.
2 young girls sit behind me in the second row and its obvious they are not used to being in front of the curtain, they also double check their passess as they obviously don't expect to be there.
Anyway, senior CC member calls them out of their seats to the galley and informs them that they are sitting in business, due to lack of seats in Y, but will only receive Y service.
I thought that that was distinctly odd -an invountary upgrade I can understand, but Y service in C seems a bit mean to say the least.
Guest
Posts: n/a
The "service" might only refer to the meal (or lack of it), i.e. not enough business class meals were loaded.
No free drinks, no hot towel etc.
Quite cringe worthy - they got b*gger all service and yet were crammed into a claustrophobic 2 row mini cabin - talk about rubbing their noses in it.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Goole.East Yorkshire.UK
Age: 59
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not so brazen,but be cheeky enough to ask....and ye may recieve.
Flew return from Bkk to Ams on china airlines J Class,in december 2004.
Asked at checki-in if we could upgrade to F class
Sweet thai girl on the desk,said sorry madam,but you should have contacted the airline beforehand.
"Oh well" i replied..."no worries,thank you anyway" & smiled...she immediately stood up,leant forward,and in a quiet voice said..."okay,i do for you for free".
Hubby's jaw dropped,and the handler assisting with the bags on the belt,whipped the tags off...and changed them to First.
Made our end of the holiday...
Flew return from Bkk to Ams on china airlines J Class,in december 2004.
Asked at checki-in if we could upgrade to F class
Sweet thai girl on the desk,said sorry madam,but you should have contacted the airline beforehand.
"Oh well" i replied..."no worries,thank you anyway" & smiled...she immediately stood up,leant forward,and in a quiet voice said..."okay,i do for you for free".
Hubby's jaw dropped,and the handler assisting with the bags on the belt,whipped the tags off...and changed them to First.
Made our end of the holiday...
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Genolier, Switzerland
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update... now on EZY
I noticed a new variation on this on EZY, now there are seat assignments. The seats towards the front cost more. SInce there is nothing to distinguish them from other seats and they are more likely to be unoccupied, people move to them once the doors close.
I saw this once back in late 2001 on my way home from Buenos Aires to Heathrow. Young lady appeared in Club not long after take-off, was spotted and escorted back to economy (no WT+ then). She reappeared some time later, was spotted again, only this time she was more reluctant to move claiming to be unwell but she went back eventually.
I once made a fool of myself on Air France. The cabin was all the same but split into 3 sections by moveable dividers. I hadn't realised that, at the time, they had three different service levels (even on Paris/London) and moved myself from a row of 3 (all seats full) immediately behind the rearmost divider to the row in front which was completely empty. I got moved back.
Staff travel, as others have noted, can have some interesting effects. I can remember having a duty ticket back from New York to London in Club with my family in economy on staff ID80s. I went back to see how they were doing and, on my way back got challenged. I showed my boarding pass and was asked why I was in Club when they had a flight crew from a cancelled flight back in economy. I was a bit taken aback because, as I said to the crew member who challenged me, all I did was check in and accept the seat I was given. It may have been the same trip when on a London/Chicago flight which had been delayed and turned the connection we had into something rather short I asked if we could all sit in Club for the landing so we got off first - that worked but only from top of descent (which was all I had hoped for) and we made the connection.
Then there was my mum. I'd brainwashed her with the message that staff tickets were always liable to be denied boarding so when a crew member that she knew came to her economy seat and asked her to get her bits and follow her she was fully expecting to be offloaded. In fact she was then seated in Club; but only from Amsterdam to London!
I once made a fool of myself on Air France. The cabin was all the same but split into 3 sections by moveable dividers. I hadn't realised that, at the time, they had three different service levels (even on Paris/London) and moved myself from a row of 3 (all seats full) immediately behind the rearmost divider to the row in front which was completely empty. I got moved back.
Staff travel, as others have noted, can have some interesting effects. I can remember having a duty ticket back from New York to London in Club with my family in economy on staff ID80s. I went back to see how they were doing and, on my way back got challenged. I showed my boarding pass and was asked why I was in Club when they had a flight crew from a cancelled flight back in economy. I was a bit taken aback because, as I said to the crew member who challenged me, all I did was check in and accept the seat I was given. It may have been the same trip when on a London/Chicago flight which had been delayed and turned the connection we had into something rather short I asked if we could all sit in Club for the landing so we got off first - that worked but only from top of descent (which was all I had hoped for) and we made the connection.
Then there was my mum. I'd brainwashed her with the message that staff tickets were always liable to be denied boarding so when a crew member that she knew came to her economy seat and asked her to get her bits and follow her she was fully expecting to be offloaded. In fact she was then seated in Club; but only from Amsterdam to London!
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: world
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I could write a book about my staff travel adventures. Things have changed these days and to be honest I now no longer use the privilege as, at my age, I can't be bothered with all the hassle. One particular upgrade I recall fondly was when I was on a free Y class ticket with BA from LAX to LHR many moons ago. Total chaos at LAX check-in. After presenting myself and being told my chances were absolutely dire for this and the next flight that day and following days, I sat down patiently and contemplated plan B, C, D and E. The check-in staff were constantly being hassled by dozens of stand-by pax. Just when the flight was about to close and my name hadn't been called the supervisor came to me and told me I'd got the last seat, and with a smile, in First Class. To this day I believe that my show of patience and letting the check-in staff get on with their jobs without hassling them (for info) won me that seat.
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Myself and a friend were on a morning Aeroflot flight from Tashkent to Moscow, which I recall being an A321. Anyway, we were about the first to board (as I'd rightly assessed that it would be utterly chaotic) and took our allocated seats behind the second bulkhead in economy.
After a bit an Uzbek passenger said we were in his seats, so i got my ticket out and politely told him we were in our seats. So off he went to speak to an attendant who ultimately plonked him at elsewhere in the cabin. Then a few minutes later a Russian passenger came along and the same process ensued.
When the flight had finished loading and all passengers were seated, an attendant came up, asked for our tickets and went off to the front. Few minutes later she returned with new tickets, apologised for the over-full flight and said that we were being upgraded to business. Not entirely sure why we were singled out, particularly as everyone seemed to be sorted out seat-wise. Anyway, we were quite happy to take the wider seats, extra legroom and proper meals.
After a bit an Uzbek passenger said we were in his seats, so i got my ticket out and politely told him we were in our seats. So off he went to speak to an attendant who ultimately plonked him at elsewhere in the cabin. Then a few minutes later a Russian passenger came along and the same process ensued.
When the flight had finished loading and all passengers were seated, an attendant came up, asked for our tickets and went off to the front. Few minutes later she returned with new tickets, apologised for the over-full flight and said that we were being upgraded to business. Not entirely sure why we were singled out, particularly as everyone seemed to be sorted out seat-wise. Anyway, we were quite happy to take the wider seats, extra legroom and proper meals.
I used to be a properly "earnt" gold card holder on both BA and SQ as I travelled to Asia a lot. On the Asia routes, it soon became clear that HKG gave all available upgrades to staff, so fare paying pax would not get one. With Qantas, it was all about staff getting upgrades, too. As ever in Changi, with BA and SQ, things depended on relationships. I found ways of helping those relationships along.
The funniest upgrade I ever got, though was on Varig. I was part of a team doing due diligence on an acquisition in S America, and we had set up our temp offices in Sao Paulo.
We flew to SP, or to other countries, either direct from UK or via team meetings in SP.
As it was quite a large acquisition, but a small team doing due diligence, we just had to be in certain places at certain times, so if connections on Concorde via USA worked, we were allowed to take them. (Never worked for me, unfortunately).
On one Varig flight, as Club was showing full, my secretary booked me in to first, and wait listed me in Club. When it was time to go, I just grabbed my ticket and went to the airport.
Apparently, I ended up with a First booking, but a Club ticket. (and Club was full). The ticket agent chatted to his supervisor, who simply put me in First.
I thanked him and asked why, and (shame I cannot do the accent) but he said that their computer reservation system was completely and utterly useless, but no-one on staff complained in case the IT person responsible had good relationships with the bosses.........
What a way to run a Company. No wonder they went bust!!
The funniest upgrade I ever got, though was on Varig. I was part of a team doing due diligence on an acquisition in S America, and we had set up our temp offices in Sao Paulo.
We flew to SP, or to other countries, either direct from UK or via team meetings in SP.
As it was quite a large acquisition, but a small team doing due diligence, we just had to be in certain places at certain times, so if connections on Concorde via USA worked, we were allowed to take them. (Never worked for me, unfortunately).
On one Varig flight, as Club was showing full, my secretary booked me in to first, and wait listed me in Club. When it was time to go, I just grabbed my ticket and went to the airport.
Apparently, I ended up with a First booking, but a Club ticket. (and Club was full). The ticket agent chatted to his supervisor, who simply put me in First.
I thanked him and asked why, and (shame I cannot do the accent) but he said that their computer reservation system was completely and utterly useless, but no-one on staff complained in case the IT person responsible had good relationships with the bosses.........
What a way to run a Company. No wonder they went bust!!
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A few years ago I was flying economy LGW-PHL on an US Airways A330. The flight was packed, and when I went to my seat I discovered a smear of what looked like katusp on the seat cushion. Upon pointing this out to the purser, he removed the cushion, told me he would get a spare, and that I should wait over by the galley.
So the cabin crew are frantically rushing about, preparing for departure and it becomes clear that we will be taking off soon. When I finally locate the purser, he slaps his head, thinks for a moment and says come with me. I wind up in first class (which didn't seem worth it, if I was paying, but never mind). I did think about always traveling with some katsup packages in my pocket...
So the cabin crew are frantically rushing about, preparing for departure and it becomes clear that we will be taking off soon. When I finally locate the purser, he slaps his head, thinks for a moment and says come with me. I wind up in first class (which didn't seem worth it, if I was paying, but never mind). I did think about always traveling with some katsup packages in my pocket...
Last edited by BassoRider; 26th Apr 2013 at 01:08.
My lot also have onboard upgrade available (in certain cases)
When a pax lobs up and mentions their sore back/dodgy leg/three kids and wants an upgrade, I just smile and ask will they be using points or credit card? Works every time...
Like Leezyjet, we once had a case where the person refused to go back. Did the same thing, let him sit there and had Mr Plod come on for a little chat.
I do recall in one case a guy sneaking into First for awhile before being noticed, it was on a ULR flight too... unfortunately for him he had a corporate account or some such so by the time we landed the company had organised to have the fare difference billed to his company account. Bet he never tried that one again, the cheeky git!! Didn't at all help that he was unpleasant as heck to crew on frequent occasions... if he had been nicer they probably would have just had the duty manager give him a talking to... because of his stinking attitude he ended up forking out to the tune of 5 figures!!
I have no problem with mum/dad swapping seats if one has a kid... they've paid for a seat, so long as they are using A seat. But the issue is when you have say, one parent with the kid down the back and the other up front (usually business trip where they've paid to take the spouse and kid) On one flight we noticed that when they swapped over mum had brought the child as well. No can do, child fares apply for J and F with my airline, and she indignantly said why not, there's empty seats....
Going by that logic, when I get to my hotel I can have the presidential suite because it's empty??
Don't care the reason, if you have paid for one cabin and go and plonk yourself in another, it's stealing plain and simple. I too would be well hacked off if I had paid and someone else got it for free (as in, was not entitled to or had not paid for that benefit)
Staff tickets are another story since many duty tickets by contract MUST be in a premium cabin. If a pax has bought a Y ticket and wants to upgrade then it's the same as if they showed up to buy that prem ticket after the cabin is full... in most airlines duty tickets are firm and are pretty much the same as commercial tickets. So no the pax is not 'entitled' to go above the staff on duty...
When a pax lobs up and mentions their sore back/dodgy leg/three kids and wants an upgrade, I just smile and ask will they be using points or credit card? Works every time...
Like Leezyjet, we once had a case where the person refused to go back. Did the same thing, let him sit there and had Mr Plod come on for a little chat.
I do recall in one case a guy sneaking into First for awhile before being noticed, it was on a ULR flight too... unfortunately for him he had a corporate account or some such so by the time we landed the company had organised to have the fare difference billed to his company account. Bet he never tried that one again, the cheeky git!! Didn't at all help that he was unpleasant as heck to crew on frequent occasions... if he had been nicer they probably would have just had the duty manager give him a talking to... because of his stinking attitude he ended up forking out to the tune of 5 figures!!
I have no problem with mum/dad swapping seats if one has a kid... they've paid for a seat, so long as they are using A seat. But the issue is when you have say, one parent with the kid down the back and the other up front (usually business trip where they've paid to take the spouse and kid) On one flight we noticed that when they swapped over mum had brought the child as well. No can do, child fares apply for J and F with my airline, and she indignantly said why not, there's empty seats....
Going by that logic, when I get to my hotel I can have the presidential suite because it's empty??
Don't care the reason, if you have paid for one cabin and go and plonk yourself in another, it's stealing plain and simple. I too would be well hacked off if I had paid and someone else got it for free (as in, was not entitled to or had not paid for that benefit)
Staff tickets are another story since many duty tickets by contract MUST be in a premium cabin. If a pax has bought a Y ticket and wants to upgrade then it's the same as if they showed up to buy that prem ticket after the cabin is full... in most airlines duty tickets are firm and are pretty much the same as commercial tickets. So no the pax is not 'entitled' to go above the staff on duty...
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The right side of the Pennines
Age: 73
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's always who you know not what you know.
Travelling on a staff rebate standby ticket I was waiting at check-in with what turned out to be a stewardess on duty who had been given her EY boarding card, but was waiting to see if her mother was going to be able to travel with her on her standby concession.
Ticket clerk then upgraded duty stewardess to First, who turned to her mother and said that she could now have her original EY seat.
Oh no, I intervened, good luck to you getting upgraded, but that only releases one seat for the next person on the seniority list - and it might be me, p**s off.
In the end we all travelled, but had I not overheard the exchange, and there had been only one seat - guess who wouldn't have got it, rules and seniority mean nothing - who you know, not what you know, wins, fortune favours the bold.
Much later, travelling on another standby ticket with a "partner" airline, I was given seat 86Z, or something near the tail. Glad to be at least on the aircraft I was grateful for anything, but mentioned that I used to fly these aircraft for my own company, and I didn't realise that there even were seats that far back. The girl then asked me more, and it turned out that she had also once worked for my old airline, and we had mutual acquaintances, so she asked me for my boarding card and re-issued it with a seat near the front of the cabin. In the departure lounge a fare paying passenger was paged - and told that he had had to have his seat changed - and was given my origianl one down the back - I had his!
Not what you know, who you know. Favouritism is alive and well.
Travelling on a staff rebate standby ticket I was waiting at check-in with what turned out to be a stewardess on duty who had been given her EY boarding card, but was waiting to see if her mother was going to be able to travel with her on her standby concession.
Ticket clerk then upgraded duty stewardess to First, who turned to her mother and said that she could now have her original EY seat.
Oh no, I intervened, good luck to you getting upgraded, but that only releases one seat for the next person on the seniority list - and it might be me, p**s off.
In the end we all travelled, but had I not overheard the exchange, and there had been only one seat - guess who wouldn't have got it, rules and seniority mean nothing - who you know, not what you know, wins, fortune favours the bold.
Much later, travelling on another standby ticket with a "partner" airline, I was given seat 86Z, or something near the tail. Glad to be at least on the aircraft I was grateful for anything, but mentioned that I used to fly these aircraft for my own company, and I didn't realise that there even were seats that far back. The girl then asked me more, and it turned out that she had also once worked for my old airline, and we had mutual acquaintances, so she asked me for my boarding card and re-issued it with a seat near the front of the cabin. In the departure lounge a fare paying passenger was paged - and told that he had had to have his seat changed - and was given my origianl one down the back - I had his!
Not what you know, who you know. Favouritism is alive and well.
Last edited by YorkshireTyke; 5th Feb 2014 at 07:25.
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know of a case from a few years back - JFK to LHR with BA.
The Y section was full, which included a late arriving circumference challenged gentlemen. He sat down and straight away protested that due to lack of space on the busy flight there was insufficient room for him and so he should be upgraded to J.
After some amount of protesting the crew resolved the situation by upgrading the passengers to either side of Mr.Whinge, whilst leaving him to his Y class seat. He had no legitimate cause for complaint and the crew made sure he got no more than he had paid for.
Perhaps his obnoxious attitude had yielded results for him on previous flights though...
The Y section was full, which included a late arriving circumference challenged gentlemen. He sat down and straight away protested that due to lack of space on the busy flight there was insufficient room for him and so he should be upgraded to J.
After some amount of protesting the crew resolved the situation by upgrading the passengers to either side of Mr.Whinge, whilst leaving him to his Y class seat. He had no legitimate cause for complaint and the crew made sure he got no more than he had paid for.
Perhaps his obnoxious attitude had yielded results for him on previous flights though...
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ULR Flight DEL to EWR lady moves upfront to J as soon as we departed... When FA approached her she claimed her legs were hurting and she was cramping and was unwell and needed to stretch out.
FA got her a glass of water and told her that the water would make her feel better or we would need to land asap and get her medical assistance. Closest airport at that time was Islamabad....
Glass of water fixed her ailments!
FA got her a glass of water and told her that the water would make her feel better or we would need to land asap and get her medical assistance. Closest airport at that time was Islamabad....
Glass of water fixed her ailments!