Should he get a free upgrade?

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I wouldn't call being tall as being a medical issue. Even if the pax was exceptionally tall - say, as a result of a genetic issue or whatever it is that causes extreme height - then, still no upgrade from me! Want space? Buy space.
 
Apparently Associate Professor Roger Pocock, newbie at Neuronal Development and Plasticity Laboratory, Monash University. Apparenly originally from the UK, along with US and Danish stints (this was likely his emigration flight).

And he comes across as a complete tosser. I suspect he may have to use some of his Neuronal Development research results on himself.

Don't necessarily mind ignorance that much (plenty of that in me) but it is the attitude that sucks just as much (call me Professor, not Mr).
 
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Airlines sell a product (a seat), and he is free to determine before purchasing whether that product is suitable for him or not. If not, don't buy it.
 
Idiot. If he was looking for a free upgrade SQ is the last airline he should have chosen.
 
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Does he deserve one? No.

Unless he was disembarking the plane in a body bag...at least there was one such gentleman on a BA flight once that was in Business or First in such a situation.

For the rest of this man's life, he'd better watch that attitude. I'm not sure about Monash, but for major institutions bringing one's or the institute's reputation into disrepute is a dismissable offence.

It's hard to explain to people why upgrades don't get processed even if there are empty premium seats. It is also difficult to explain why you can't just sit in an empty premium seat after take off, on the grounds that the airline doesn't lose any more money (i.e. than it already has by not selling it) if a passenger sits there, even in the case of this semi-ignoramus who wanted just the seat with no frills.
 
As someone who is very tall (205cm/6'9"), I do not fit into a standard economy seat, but can put up with one for very short flights (up to an hour). Given this, I always ensure I pay for an exit row seat on long haul flights. I'll risk not purchasing an exit row seat and trying to nab one at the airport for domestic or trans Tasman flights, where I take an educated guess that I'll have a good chance of getting one.

I would never expect an upgrade to business just because of my height (was upgraded to business once SIN-LHR because of my height, on QF, many years ago).

This guy sounds like a knob!
 
Don't necessarily mind ignorance that much (plenty of that in me) but it is the attitude that sucks just as much (call me Professor, not Mr).

Someone would have had to make the booking for him as he wouldn't have been capable of doing such simple task himself.

I'm just surprised he found the airport & managed to check himself in. He must've had someone to help him.
 
Maybe he should get the airline logo tattooed on him, might boost his chances of an upgrade (referring to british guy with tattoo/upgrades)

When booking our flights, I ensure that I book for my and my hubbys comfort, which means I budget and plan to get Y+ at a min, J preferred. If they start handing out upgrades to tall people, then add us fat people to the list - Im sure I can get a doctor somewhere to write it off as a "medical condition".
 
I wonder if he works together with the No-Large-F-jammies- I'm-out-of-here Melbourne academic who insisted on disembarking from the QF94 some years ago.

The two of them would enliven the tearoom, I am sure.
 
It's hard to explain to people why upgrades don't get processed even if there are empty premium seats. It is also difficult to explain why you can't just sit in an empty premium seat after take off, on the grounds that the airline doesn't lose any more money (i.e. than it already has by not selling it) if a passenger sits there, even in the case of this semi-ignoramus who wanted just the seat with no frills.

Its unclear whether he applied for an upgrade through a points request, asked to pay cash at check-in or just asked for it for free. For the first two, assuming he was eligible (ie purchased upgradeable fare class) then it is hard to understand why they didnt process the upgrade.

However I strongly suspect it was the third reason his logic being 'im taller so I deserve it more than anyone else'. His question of 'well its not costing them anymore money so why cant they do it?' should be met with the answer of 'well we cant do it for everyone so why would we do it for you?'.

Compassion for height is providing an exit row at check-in, not a free upgrade to a seat worth 3 or 4 x as much!
 
When booking our flights, I ensure that I book for my and my hubbys comfort, which means I budget and plan to get Y+ at a min, J preferred. If they start handing out upgrades to tall people, then add us fat people to the list - Im sure I can get a doctor somewhere to write it off as a "medical condition".

Funnily enough I have actually seen a passenger turn up to the airport with a note (not a proper medical certificate) scrawled by the Doctor saying something along the lines of "blah blah blah Mr Joe Bloggs would benefit from a seat in business class" .....or words to that effect.

These people always seem to be the ones who turn up when checkin is about to close when there's only middle seats left & then expect the bit of paper is going to magically make bulkhead seats, exit rows or J class become available to them.

Now here's a thought, maybe people could maybe be a bit pro-active & call the airline ahead of time to pre-allocate a seat or at least a request if one can't be confirmed, do OLCI or even get to the airport a couple of hours before the flight is due to depart. That would be a step in the right direction.

If airlines do need to shuffle people around or upgrade then they should bump a status pax forward & the tall pax can go into the seat vacated by that pax - definitely not reward the disorganised person with an upgrade to J or it sets a precedent and rewards DKYWIA behaviour.
 
Its unclear whether he applied for an upgrade through a points request, asked to pay cash at check-in or just asked for it for free. For the first two, assuming he was eligible (ie purchased upgradeable fare class) then it is hard to understand why they didnt process the upgrade.

However I strongly suspect it was the third reason his logic being 'im taller so I deserve it more than anyone else'. His question of 'well its not costing them anymore money so why cant they do it?' should be met with the answer of 'well we cant do it for everyone so why would we do it for you?'.

Compassion for height is providing an exit row at check-in, not a free upgrade to a seat worth 3 or 4 x as much!

I think his DYKWIA "call me Professor" rant suggests that he thinks his title affords him special treatment in the form of a business class seat more than his height.

If the article is correct it states that he tried for an upgrade a few days prior to travel then again in SIN after arriving from CPH. Looks like he just assumed that his upgrade request would clear however a request is just that - a request and there's no guarantees that the the J seat will be confirmed.

He says in the FB post to SQ that he had 31E which is an extra row seat middle. He probably didn't get his act together at the time of booking to get himself an aisle or a window exit maybe because he assumed his upgrade request to J would come through.

Professor 1.jpg Professor 2.jpg

After reading the above it sounds like he was more annoyed with not being able to swap his middle seat for an aisle as a couple with infant toddlers had booked 31D & 31F hoping the middle seat would stay free but refused his 'offer' of 31E as they wanted to both keep their respective aisle seats.

Row 31 was a bassinet row even thought the toddlers wouldn't have a hope in hell of fitting into a bassinet.
 
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