Best ways to get bumped up to business with Qantas?

[GoldCanyon340]

I always get a Welcome Back from Qatar. Not a member of their FF scheme. Must be from Qantas FF.

I've never failed on CX to receive the 'special' OWE hello from the ISM. Last time on an early morning ADL-HKG only myself and Mrs 340 in the entire J cabin received that greeting.

 

[Happy Trails]

I had a personalised greeting on the IFE screen on my last CX flight.
And one time on EK I was welcomed as a "chairman's member".

 

[get me outta here]

Perhaps a newspaper article will appear soon.

Hmmm, 2+ years you've been a member and that's your first question/contribution to the site??

 

[GoldCanyon340]

And one time on EK I was welcomed as a "chairman's member".

Back in the day during the EY/QF friendship I checked in at MEL for an EY F flight to LHR. Check in agent asked me if I was a Chairmans Lounge member and I said "Yes" (was half asleep at the time after a long working day). They sent me to the QF F lounge, all other F pax got the QF J dungeon.

 

[juddles]

.... my corn flakes ....

I rate throwing cornflakes as highly as any other technique.

There is NOTHING you can actually do to get an upgrade. I think on this forum we all know that by now.

 

[bullerdude]

Pretty much little you can do yourself - it really comes down to QF operational requirements, hence why op-ups tend to occur when they have to a switch planes and move people around.

The best I've encountered was our entire family of 7 receiving J upgrades on MEL-LAX due to an equipment switch (early days of P1).

 

[Hvr]

There is NOTHING you can actually do to get an upgrade. I think on this forum we all know that by now.

Conversely there is lots you can do to ensure you never receive an OPUP.

I'm always polite and know it is appreciated.

 

[YSSY]

I've only once received an opup on Qantas and that was on an overbooked MNL-SYD flight with a fully flex Y ticket on my own with Qantas Gold status. I don't think my attire, the way I talked to the check in staff or that I checked in online affected the decision in any way.
Overbooked flight, fully flex Y ticket and QFF status are probably the key elements why someone in a back room somewhere decides to upgrade pax.

 

[Forg]

I rate throwing cornflakes as highly as any other technique.

If going that route, I suggest using a full bowl complete with the milk.
I’ve found it’s hard to get any distance with just a handful of the cornflakes themselves. I mesn, the entire contents of the bowl won’t go the whole distance, but at least some of it will get way further.

 

[zenyattamondatta]

I’ve found it’s hard to get any distance with just a handful of the cornflakes themselves.

That's why God invented Nutri Grain.

 

[serfty]

I suspect OP/UPs are still being done as before, but without the "priority" to Qantas status pax. ..?

Since the introduction of "at the gate" points upgrades, the number of OP UPs has decreased significantly.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Since the introduction of "at the gate" points upgrades, the number of OP UPs has decreased significantly.

And then the staff waiting for the upgrade that doesn't happen get onloaded to 4B and 4E

 

[kermatu]

And then the staff waiting for the upgrade that doesn't happen get onloaded to 4B and 4E

In my experience 4B and 4E are total NBs. I often have to tell them where the tray table is, or how to manage the airbag seatbelts. Unlikely to be staff.

 

[YSSY]

Since the introduction of "at the gate" points upgrades, the number of OP UPs has decreased significantly.

Well precisely, the points upgrades probably make a significant impact in ensuring that business/first class is always full (or mostly full), precluding the need for opups.

 

[Austman]

Since the introduction of "at the gate" points upgrades, the number of OP UPs has decreased significantly.

Yes that's likely the case. But my comment was about QF status pax getting OP/UPs on EK flights.

 

[serfty]

Yes that's likely the case. But my comment was about QF status pax getting OP/UPs on EK flights.

At the start of the QF/EK partnership, EK used status as a base determinant for OP/UP's. Given they traditionally oversold economy this resulted in "EK Upgrade Love" (EK upgrade "Love" on QF / EK coded flights - success rate?) for QF elites.

Some months later, EK changed the determinant to a base of fare class; as a result those statused PAX on deep discount economy fares found themselves travelling in the cabin booked more often than not.

 

[tnhtnh]

If you are trying to get upgrades at the gate (are you referring to domestic or international?) I think the prudent advice is to manage your expectation to expect to travel in the class booked.

International

 

[Scott K]

As a co-worker discovered, the best method is to be 30+ weeks pregnant.

 

[Vic]

Get the CEO to shut down the airline for a week. got a few nice upgrade following that one.

Make sure you're self deprecating of your brain haze at 5 am to the lounge desk agent who is also then going to head out to do boarding for a flight oversold in economy.

 

[Altair]

EK were very good to Qantas premium travellers, and we were bumped to F on several occasions. But on Qantas metal, once.

Not in my experience. Of course apart from my backpacking EK Economy sectors, hate WHY in the 777, to plane downgrade from long haul J to regional J before the alliance with QF. I was completely off EK, then the QF alliance and at the time double SC on some EK metal QF Code flights I then had EK F flights, until one flight cancelled and I was downgraded to WHY on a QF 737 and EK didn't want to know about me.
My only interaction with EK since that trip has been using their lounges before my QF flights.