Emirates paid airport upgrade on QF issued ticket?

[dvt]

Hi,

I plan on booking EK tickets to the UK and I would prefer to book under a QF number to earn status credits. Is it possible to upgrade this ticket at the airport using cash or must it be an EK ticket?

thanks

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hi,

I plan on booking EK tickets to the UK and I would prefer to book under a QF number to earn status credits. Is it possible to upgrade this ticket at the airport using cash or must it be an EK ticket?

thanks

I’m not 100% sure but we’ve had issues with flying EK on QF tickets. EK say they can’t modify or change tickets etc since they regard it as a QF ticket.

Ring QF (AND EK) and ask them to define the policy.

 

[dvt]

I’m not 100% sure but we’ve had issues with flying EK on QF tickets. EK say they can’t modify or change tickets etc since they regard it as a QF ticket.

Ring QF (AND EK) and ask them to define the policy.

I just had a chat to Emirates online and I have the following reply:

"If the ticket number is issued with 176 (Emirates Document), then yes, you can pay for upgrade at the airport counter - for an Emirates flight"

I then asked if this excludes tickets booked through the qantas website and they confirmed that it does exclude these tickets.

I might hold out for a Qatar economy sale ticket which I believe are upgradable at the airport which will also net some status credits. I'll just have to check how many credits I'll get to see if its even worth it!

 

[SQ747]

If it's a QF ticket you will have to contact QF to process an upgrade. Even if it were EK, bear in mind that many EK outstations (e.g. SYD) do not have reservations facilities and hence cannot process upgrades at counters/ in the terminal. In these cases, speak to the cabin crew onboard and they can price and process the upgrade then and there.

 

[dvt]

If it's a QF ticket you will have to contact QF to process an upgrade. Even if it were EK, bear in mind that many EK outstations (e.g. SYD) do not have reservations facilities and hence cannot process upgrades at counters/ in the terminal. In these cases, speak to the cabin crew onboard and they can price and process the upgrade then and there.

Thanks for this information. Do you have any more insight about upgrading onboard? Do you know if the costs are the same as doing it at check-in?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Thanks for this information. Do you have any more insight about upgrading onboard? Do you know if the costs are the same as doing it at check-in?

I wouldn't even consider it. If you have a QF ticket then you have zero ability to do this.

 

[SQ747]

Thanks for this information. Do you have any more insight about upgrading onboard? Do you know if the costs are the same as doing it at check-in?

Happy to help. If your particular station offers check-in upgrades, this will generally be the cheaper option. Onboard upgrades are flat rates and the purser (dark uniform for the females/ suit without red trim for the males) can give you the price using their tablet.

In some cases (e.g. slightly oversold flights) they will offer flat rate, paid upgrades at check-in, and these can be quite competitively priced (although without bells and whistles such as lounge access).

 

[dvt]

Qatar have just released a great sale so I've booked an economy ticket with them for $1300.

I understand that they do offer paid upgrades when available and I'll even get a few status credits!