Can I upgrade a booking with points ?

[RichardMEL]

Makes sense, unfortunately. Will always try for an upgrade. Worst they can say is no.

Yes, but the process is set up via the request upgrade function that any upgrade will be granted anyway.

Surely the only reason to ask at the airport is, for some reason, you did not have the upgrade request in (or did not select the "upgrade at the gate" option). I think that case would be fairly rare...

 

[Quickstatus]

My flight from Sydney to Dubai is flight QF1 so I have been able to request an upgrade. I paid the normal price for the fares so I might give them a ring and see how much it will cost to upgrade to Premium economy, especially on the New York to Sydney flight, as flight time is 22 hrs as we have to go via LA. That is flight QF12. Thanks for the advice and help everyone. I only travel for holidays rather than business, so not as savvy as most of you

Welcome Auspal. At least you are thinking about it. Many passengers don't bother. There is no such thing as normal price. Even a "economy saver" may have several different prices. It's called "booking class". When you do ring up, It's always informative to find out your booking class. The booking class (also called fare buckets) plays a role in upgrade potential within the frequent flyer status group you are in.

here is the Qantas booking classes link:
https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/program/classTypes#for-travel-on-and-from-1-march-2016

the booking classes can differ depending on your flight date and also domestic vs international.
as you can see each cabin (travel class) may have several booking class and therefore price. So there is no such thing as a normal price. Savvy customer sometimes ring up and request a higher booking class than what is currently offered on the website to enhance their upgrade potential. Generally the lowest booking class available is the published fare. Obviously lower fares which have sold out are no longer published.

 

[serfty]

In my recent experience, points upgrades are done right up to boarding and they seem to be trying to fill every premium seat.

Rarely have I seen a spare seat in international business in the last year or two, even when loadings had high availability in premium cabins shortly before the flight.

 

[Quickstatus]

In my recent experience, points upgrades are done right up to boarding and they seem to be trying to fill every premium seat.

Rarely have I seen a spare seat in international business in the last year or two, even when loadings had high availability in premium cabins shortly before the flight.

but they will stop at "free upgrades" unless for operational reasons.

 

[RichardMEL]

but they will stop at "free upgrades" unless for operational reasons.

.. which, in my book, is a good thing.

Start doing this kind of thing and that can breed expectation.

And yes, I've had the very odd P1 upgrade which on the surface is "free" but the reality is - thye're not

 

[eminere]

.. which, in my book, is a good thing.

The easiest way to minimise disappointment is to curtail expectations.

 

[auspal]

Hey, I would have asked nicely, I am a very polite person, unlike some, and would not have minded being separated from my husband, thank you very much !!!! I didnt even know I had the option to do that, I am obviously not a seasoned flyer like you Richard.

 

[auspal]

And the upgrade request was in months before.

 

[RichardMEL]

Hey, I would have asked nicely, I am a very polite person, unlike some, and would not have minded being separated from my husband, thank you very much !!!! I didnt even know I had the option to do that, I am obviously not a seasoned flyer like you Richard.

Sorry I feel you may have taken the comments (well perhaps mine anyway) the wrong way. I wasn't trying to suggest anything about you or how you would have acted at all.. and if I gave you that impression at all I apologise.

I was commenting more on the notion of QF moving other passengers around. I have no problem with you asking either the staff if there were 2 seats together(reasonable) or on board outlining the situation and asking if someone would be OK to move. Absolutely appropriate. My issue more was with staff moving people around without consultation in this manner.

To me, an upgrade, specially very late at the gate or so, is a bit of a bonus (I know we pay for it with points etc, but it's still far less than the full fare) and I think that expectations should be commensurate with that (again, I am not suggesting anything about anyone personally.. it's a general statement). Many airlines already help with that by doing things like the "Catering Not Assured" being printed on boarding passes and the like.

in the example above, of 2 pax being upgraded prior to being able to select seats themselves, I think it's absolutely reasonable t ask an agent "Are there 2 seats available together?" but I also think the appropriate responses is "Yes, there are.. let me seat you there" or "I'm so sorry but we're really full and the seats are a few rows apart. Perhaps on board one of the other passengers would be happy to move" and then take it from there.

As others have suggested moving passengers with preallocated seats (who may or may not have selected them personally) just moving them without asking I think is the wrong way to handle it.

Just my 2 cents (again) on that

 

[RichardMEL]

I still vividly recall sitting in F on a MEL-LAX service pre-departure in a window seats and the fuss a passenger kicked up announcing to the cabin that she had been upgraded and a "condition of her upgrade" was that she receive a window seat. Of course that's utter nonsense, but she was adamant about this and being a very classless individual about it. Heck if I'd gottan a last minute upgrade from J to F (or even into J) I'd be rapt at any seat in a more comfortable cabin for such a long flight but she was going on and on about it and the crew were very patient with her. This went on through at least one glass of PDB champagne for me before a gent a few rows back from me obviously had enough and with grace offered his seat. You know if she'd asked nicely I'm sure this wouldn't have been an issue but the way she was going on about her "condition of upgrade" i felt like saying if you demand a window seat that much why not give up the bloody upgrade and head back to your window in J and give someone else with more manners and class an opportunity to not be a whining prat.

It was such a performance I will never forget.

 

[auspal]

I would not dream of making such a fuss, and I didnt even ask at check in for us to be seated together, the upgrade was approved the day before via email. The girl at check in did it automatically. I did take your comments the wrong way Richard, thank you for clarifying them. And I am sorry if someone got moved who didnt want to be moved. I have seen lots of passengers on flights who are alone ask to me moved by staff on the plane and they have been very gracious about it.

 

[RooFlyer]

In my recent experience, points upgrades are done right up to boarding and they seem to be trying to fill every premium seat.

Rarely have I seen a spare seat in international business in the last year or two, even when loadings had high availability in premium cabins shortly before the flight.

That's interesting (but could reflect increased overbooking in Y rather than a loosening of upgrade 'policy'). What routes, if there is a commonality? I must admit I haven't flown the LAX route much over the past 18 months, but SCL AKL and HKG have had quite a few unfilled J seats when I've been on 'em.

 

[RichardMEL]

It's possible that QFF would also like to reduce some point liability by giving upgrades up to the gate.. or lets face it they're giving pax what they want - if someone noshows or misses a connection then sure, give that seat to the next person in line. That's fair to me. The overbooking notion is a reasonable one too. I am sure some routes have a higher overbooking factor than others, and RM perhaps even takes into account J loads when they do it under the idea of upgrading passengers too.

Used to be the days and on some airlines (SQ did this a lot back in the day) where premium cabins were basically "you pay to sit there or you don't and they'd be more than happy to go out half full in F or J. These days less so.

And let's not forget the many pass riders, staff on NRSA travel etc who seem to show up out of thin air - specially on domestic where you check in to say 3/12 in J to board an hour later to a full cabin clearly with pass passengers in J. Hey that's their perk and I get that but the relative luxury of a spare seat on a 737 in J is as rare as hens teeth (and I tend to travel outside of peak times)

 

[Imw]

Totally agree with you. Be happy with any upgrade I say

 

[big_RED]

It's possible that QFF would also like to reduce some point liability by giving upgrades up to the gate.. or lets face it they're giving pax what they want

That's how I've always felt. I'd have thought the counter staff would be able to see my points count, and when I've said "I don't know your space, but if there is any in Business or First I'd be happy to use points to upgrade" they might consider it. But it's always been a quick "this is a full flight, unless you want to pay cash".

Which sucks, but I'll always ask on the off chance (and I always enter the points upgrade lottery). However it's always Syd to LAX for Christmas or July, so peak times so I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[serfty]

That's interesting (but could reflect increased overbooking in Y rather than a loosening of upgrade 'policy'). What routes, if there is a commonality? I must admit I haven't flown the LAX route much over the past 18 months, but SCL AKL and HKG have had quite a few unfilled J seats when I've been on 'em.

For me, over the period it has been LAX, DXB, LHR, HKG, NRT & HND.

Note that it is not always the case that enough passengers have the points/booking class/desire to upgrade on every flight, in which cases the last remaining premium seats will not be filled with points upgraders.

 

[mviy]

Rarely have I seen a spare seat in international business in the last year or two, even when loadings had high availability in premium cabins shortly before the flight.

I got a points upgrade for a flight to HKG and had a spare seat next to me in the nose of a refurbished 747. A daylight international flight on an off-peak day outside of school holidays I would think would be more likely to not have a full premium cabin than most.

 

[serfty]

I got a points upgrade for a flight to HKG and had a spare seat next to me in the nose of a refurbished 747. A daylight international flight on an off-peak day outside of school holidays I would think would be more likely to not have a full premium cabin than most.

Personally, I would not be looking to upgrade on such a flight.

It's just a few movies long, I would not be looking to sleep and as WP I tend to get lounge access, good seat pre-selection etc.

A case in point is for travel I have to Japan in April; O class on the daytime outbound and S class coming back overnight. For the latter I paid ~$75 more in basefare to have an upgradable fare bucket - my request is in!

 

[flychrisfly]

That's how I've always felt. I'd have thought the counter staff would be able to see my points count, and when I've said "I don't know your space, but if there is any in Business or First I'd be happy to use points to upgrade" they might consider it. But it's always been a quick "this is a full flight, unless you want to pay cash".

Which sucks, but I'll always ask on the off chance (and I always enter the points upgrade lottery). However it's always Syd to LAX for Christmas or July, so peak times so I'm not getting my hopes up.

I can certainly see the argument for "why not" (with the possible exception of guaranteed catering) but don't forget that premium (J class) travellers also like having an empty seat next to them - well, I do at least.

 

[RichardMEL]

EVERYONE likes empty seat(s) next to them - unless their companion(s) is elsewhere on the aircraft and they want to be with them of course