An upgrade that's not really an upgrade

[Forg]

a short MRT ride away

I pity the fool who doesn't catch the MR-T!

 

[jase05]

I guess it's similar to Qantas assuming we want to sit together when we'd carefully selected solo seats for better access etc.

Yes. We always sit separately as we both want window seats but several airlines have tried putting us in the middle pairings in the past

 

[luckypierre]

More often than not, it's the car rental companies that almost always give the upgrade .....then again, am not game enough to book the very compact 2 door manual - in case I do get it - no upgrade!

Recent experience picking up a rental car at LGW, had reserved a compact 4 door sedan. I could hear the conversations taking place by customers in front of me in the queue, who weren’t very happy. Apparently a shortage of vehicles even though people had made reservations.
My turn to discuss options. The reply was we have a Polestar for you. Now I knew this was a EV, so politely declined that option. Could not imagine being able to easily recharge at rural places we were headed. Then got offered a slightly larger station wagon which had just been returned. We waited a further 45 minutes and picked up the car which had not been cleaned and gad rubbish inside the car. At this point we were happy just to get on the road. As an aside whilst waiting my wife observed a young family with two kids plus pram who hadn’t made a reservation try every rental agency to no avail; looked visibly upset.

 

[dajop]

An old story, but have declined an upgrade on QF once. On a 747 from SIN to MEL had a nice roomy bulkhead row aisle seat in economy with plenty of legroom and onboard was offered an upgrade to a middle seat last row in PE. I like aisles, and I like having no seats reclining into me so declined. Interestingly I wasn’t the only one sitting in the row to decline.

 

[Mattg]

An old story, but have declined an upgrade on QF once. On a 747 from SIN to MEL had a nice roomy bulkhead row aisle seat in economy with plenty of legroom and onboard was offered an upgrade to a middle seat last row in PE. I like aisles, and I like having no seats reclining into me so declined. Interestingly I wasn’t the only one sitting in the row to decline.

I did a long-haul 747 flight in a middle bulkhead seat in PE last year. After about 12 hours of not being able to stretch my legs out (due to the wall in front), I wondered if I would have been better off with an aisle seat in Y.

Just before landing, a rather tall Dutch gentleman was moved into the seat next to me (which was the other middle seat in the row of 4) as he had a tight connection and the crew wanted to help him disembark quicker. He commented how much more spacious it felt for him after all that time in Y. So, perhaps PE was better after all?

 

[JohnK]

An old story, but have declined an upgrade on QF once. On a 747 from SIN to MEL had a nice roomy bulkhead row aisle seat in economy with plenty of legroom and onboard was offered an upgrade to a middle seat last row in PE. I like aisles, and I like having no seats reclining into me so declined. Interestingly I wasn’t the only one sitting in the row to decline.

Had similar happen to me. I was booked in upstairs economy exit row on 747 and "upgraded" to middle premium economy seat at back of cabin.

Definitely a downgrade when person in front stays reclined for duration of flight.

 

[levelnine]

An old story, but have declined an upgrade on QF once. On a 747 from SIN to MEL had a nice roomy bulkhead row aisle seat in economy with plenty of legroom and onboard was offered an upgrade to a middle seat last row in PE. I like aisles, and I like having no seats reclining into me so declined. Interestingly I wasn’t the only one sitting in the row to decline.

This is why I never select the premium economy alternative when putting in a points upgrade request from Y to J. I figure the PE seats most likely to be available for a last minute upgrade are the middle ones. I'll take a Y aisle over PE middle any day of the week on a long haul. I also don't think the points are worth it — rather save them for a full J upgrade.

 

[Seat0B]

In these kinds of situations, how does it generally go down if you return to reception and ask for your originally booked room back?

I've done that, and there were no problems giving me the original room.

I've also declined car rental upgrades to massive gas guzzlers in the USA before. The staff were incredulous, but accepted my decision. Except once, when they admitted that they did not have the car category that I had rented available, so I negotiated no charge for their GPS unit for taking the bigger car (back before everyone's phone was a GPS - showing my age a bit there, aren't I!)

 

[RooFlyer]

when they admitted that they did not have the car category that I had rented available, so I negotiated no charge for their GPS unit for taking the bigger car

Many years ago at LHR (probably couldn't happen now), I was offered very large car instead of my standard compact. I stood my ground in not accepting it; told absolutely nothing else available for some time.

Eventually negotiated that on return of the big car, I would submit my petrol purchase dockets and overall mpg figure. Would then compare to the standard mpg of the car I booked, and they would deduct the difference in petrol costs from the rental. Good result, except I was till left to park the thing.

 

[Daver6]

These days hotels just make up different room categories for the same room type. You can easily have 4 or 5 categories. There will be base. Next level will be the other side of the hallway with a different vista which is deemed to be "better", so cost more. Than rinse and repeat for a higher floor. Then the same room will be available with a robe and slippers so that's another room category.


So upgrades to the same room with the above mentioned nonsense is really not an upgrade IMHO. Sure the odd hotel/location will have a significantly nicer view (ie you might be looking at Sydney harbour on one side and a building on the other) but generally that's not the case.

 

[Forg]

These days hotels just make up different room categories for the same room type. You can easily have 4 or 5 categories. There will be base. Next level will be the other side of the hallway with a different vista which is deemed to be "better", so cost more. Than rinse and repeat for a higher floor. Then the same room will be available with a robe and slippers so that's another room category.


So upgrades to the same room with the above mentioned nonsense is really not an upgrade IMHO. Sure the odd hotel/location will have a significantly nicer view (ie you might be looking at Sydney harbour on one side and a building on the other) but generally that's not the case.

We stayed in Melbourne for two nights back in … I’m going to say 2017, to see Queen + Adam Lambert (the concert fell exactly on my birthday - fate decided it). My better-half booked in The Langham ‘cos she was intrigued over whether it was as nice as their London ‘“HO” where she’d been booked into an extremely fancy room about 6 months prior. She booked the cheapest room available, but she was given an upgrade when we checked in … what we got had a balcony & a lounge/dining & a separate big bedroom (not to mention a massive ensuite with a double shower & separate big spa-bath). Definitely an upgrade.

Also had an upgrade last car-rental in the UK in 2018, one-way from Inverness to Heathrow; petrol Golf up to diesel Jaguar XE. That was likely due to them needing a car moved back down to London after a fancy-pants renter had one-way rented it in the opposite direction.

 

[ThePointyEnd]

I would love to get the make and model of car that I booked and paid for. I may be a little pedantic, but to me a nice Merc is not the same as a Beetle. Avis take note.

 

[QF_Flyer]

In terms of car rentals, I've been "upgraded" from a petrol manual to a hybrid automatic. I don't like autos, so to me this was a downgrade (this was in Europe, where manuals are pretty common, so you don't just get the base model piece of junk like you do over here).

Hotel wise, actually very recently (last weekend, in KL) I was upgraded to a twin exec room from a king basic room (Hilton). I was travelling alone and am Diamond, so preferred one large bed, and lounge access I got via status instead of needing the upgrade. Ultimately it wouldn't have been an issue. On arrival, as I had two separate bookings, they linked the together and could only put me in something with a single bed anyway, which was a perfect outcome anyway!

 

[MARTINE]

I would love to get the make and model of car that I booked and paid for. I may be a little pedantic, but to me a nice Merc is not the same as a Beetle. Avis take note.

Just got back from a month in UK using Avis car hire.
Upgraded from some base thing I booked to a Merc - very much an upgrade as massive boot but all bells and whistles and sleek comfortable ride. V happy

 

[andye]

Opposite with me in Auckland a couple of weeks back with Europcar

Booked intermediate vehicle - Cerato or Similar - which is perfect boot space for 2 suitcases plus hand luggage
"Double upgraded" to a Premium compact vehicle (Stonic) which realistically fits one suitcase in the boot, forcibly got two in :|

I won't go into details here about the poor service at the AKL Int'l counter, but couldn't get vehicle category I'd requested, or anything even close, and had the potential to ruin plans for the 3 days I had in NZ...

Same office, I ordered a Cerato, and got the behemoth below. Much more expensive on the fuel on mstrandye4's NZ rugby tour of the North Island... did quite enjoy it though

 

[k_sheep]

Urgh booked the cheapest smallest car possible for a month in Hobart (tiny one way streets). "We've upgraded you to a people mover" ...... what? No!

Literally nothing else available, and they refused to allow me to bring it back when something else was returned to swap. Utterly useless.

 

[Pushka]

We wouldn’t mind an upgrade for UK trip in December travelling on the motorways but Murphy’s law will dictate no upgrade for us.

 

[Quickstatus]

did quite enjoy it though

is that the poverty pack version of the NZ Britz campersvans?

 

[VPS]

Urgh booked the cheapest smallest car possible for a month in Hobart (tiny one way streets). "We've upgraded you to a people mover" ...... what? No!

Literally nothing else available, and they refused to allow me to bring it back when something else was returned to swap. Utterly useless.

which car company. I'd be making a complaint and say that's not what you booked. Not allowing to change it is just not on

I booked a large van in the UK for 2 weeks because it was the cheapest. When I got there they said do you really want something that big and I said no and they said well give us a call tomorrow and we'll see what we have then and it was all sorted with a swap over

 

[NinnyPoo]

An old story, but have declined an upgrade on QF once. On a 747 from SIN to MEL had a nice roomy bulkhead row aisle seat in economy with plenty of legroom and onboard was offered an upgrade to a middle seat last row in PE. I like aisles, and I like having no seats reclining into me so declined. Interestingly I wasn’t the only one sitting in the row to decline.

Similar, but i accepted the Middle PE seat. Was flying HKG to AKL in Y with Cathay. Had booked a front seat with extra leg room in a 777. Was offered an upgrade to PE Middle. I thought for a while, and decided 11 hours - yes better in PE. Got to the seat and an extremely large gentleman was in the aisle seat. He couldn't actually put down the food tray to eat. He had an uncomfortable flight and so did I. Never again when you have done the research before. Cathay PE isn't that special anyway.