Work only ever pays for super duper cheap arse deal tickets. So I just use my status to request an exit row (advanced seat selection), have a pretty good strike rate with that. The trip I'm on now, so far has 2 from 3 success and I'll find out later today if successful on tonights flight home.
In case you have already a status at the airline in question (frequent traveller) etc, it makes sense to check out the booking status and keep an eye on it. Booking as late as possible when the respective flight is already full or almost full, will probably give you an upgrade. Passengers with status get an upgrade first. I have tried this several times with success. Risky if you don't have any status.
just curious are there any Qantas Platinum/Platinum One members in this thread or on this forum? If so could you please send me a PM to have a chat, I just want to ask a few questions
I'm Plat too, ask away I recently upgraded on QF21 Syd-Tokyo Y+ to J 30k points. The flight home is looking good too looking at the seat maps on experflyer.
I am Platinum with Qantas and With Emirates.. Silver with Star Alliance. :-( I fly business class mostly due to work and mostly international sectors. I have never not once been given a free upgrade by Qantas.. Ever.. Emirates on the other hand.. I get upgraded from Business to First on I would say 1 out of every 4 sectors. So pretty much out of any return international trip one leg is a free upgrade. for me its a case I have a Business class ticket I arrive at the Gate they scan and give me a new ticket. But on the flipside the actual Emirates points arn't worth dick 350k points I can barely fly 2 people to Europe in cattle as such I save them for upgrade. actually come to think of it sometimes with Qantas when I book in cattle I cant even get a points upgrade to business.
I shouldn't have to ask. If there is free seats in business on the plane they should be offered to FF
I've had 2 free upgrades, both Y to J domestic. One because Y was full, the other for some reason I was not charged the points for the upgrade when I did it at the Qantas lounge. Flying International in J I never seem to get on a route with an F class unfortunately.
Why should they do this? I am flying for 25 years intercontinental, and I have the second highest out of 4 status levels at STAR Alliance. Never did I get an upgrade offered into first because there is a seat free. I think the general rule among airlines is that upgrades are only offered when the booked class is full, or in return for award miles.
They don't need to do anything. I fly a lot for work I am off to London next week. I get to choose which airline to fly. There is about a 2k cost difference between them. Qatar Qantas Emirates Singapore Malaysian They are were my selections for the flights. I am Platinum with Qantas and Emirates (by that I mean I hold a skywards Platinum card and a Qantas platinum card) and silver with Singapore. Who do I choose to fly. Emirates because they give me free upgrades without me having to ask. Because I am a loyal customer who choose to fly with them. Alternatively I could fly Qantas but why would i they never upgrade me for free. So Qantas misses out of 10k business class return flight to London because. They don't upgrade FF for free when they have free seats. Thanks for being a loyal customer have this nicer seat which we haven't sold and costs us not much extra to have you sit there for free. The 3-400 extra it costs in catering gets them 70-80k worth of business.
That's the crux of this. I doubt it would even cost them that 3-400 more. The only con for the airline other than the additional cost I can see would be F passengers getting upset that their cabin is full every flight. But flying commercial, you have to expect that anyway.
Problem with Qantas is that their Crew/Family discount policy so the premium cabins will likely be filled anyway, but they value employees over paying customers.
To be honest, a passenger in F is more likely to be pissed off if they find out they paid $12k for their ticket, and the guy in the next seat paid $4k. Same in business, which, I am pretty sure is why SQ don't do upgrades at all. Z...
uh.... doesn't SA only have two tiers? silver and gold? so 2nd highest is the actually the lowest, and represents silver status in most of the partner airlines (not hard to achieve) - which doesn't get you much
Its not like they know. And the difference in fares isnt that much. I have been upgraded to first by work due to no seats being available in business for the flight on that day. Return to london is about 8-9k in business and about 12-14k in First.
My point is, it probably depends on the airline. Probably also the culture - if hi flying Singaporeans are elitist, then PPS members would probably blow a vacuum tube if they see someone who appears to not belong. He probably means 2nd highest in a SA airline, which translates to SA gold, regardless. Z...
