Are free upgrades a thing of the past?

[ddd]

I'm flying Etihad economy tonight out of SYD and when I checked in there was barely any line. I'm VA gold so I got to check in at the business counter (3 open counters with no passengers at them) and got chatting to the bloke at the desk. He mentioned that first class is empty and business is half empty. Thinking this would be my once in a lifetime chance to fly long haul business I asked if there was any chance he could bump me up, and he replied that unfortunately he can't - airlines (not just etihad) don't really do free upgrades anymore because they lose money from it.

Fair enough I'm not complaining, I've got what I paid for, but I was just quite surprised that's the case. I would have thought the cost to the airline of business over economy would be negligible if the seat is going empty anyway.

Anyone had similar experiences?

 

[mrsterryn]

Just to clarify you certainly can request an upgrade on QF11, I’ve done it several times successfully myself. Most recently June

Do we ring the help line ?
When we have tried it just said not available?
Thanks

 

[Helena Novak]

I'm flying Etihad economy tonight out of SYD and when I checked in there was barely any line. I'm VA gold so I got to check in at the business counter (3 open counters with no passengers at them) and got chatting to the bloke at the desk. He mentioned that first class is empty and business is half empty. Thinking this would be my once in a lifetime chance to fly long haul business I asked if there was any chance he could bump me up, and he replied that unfortunately he can't - airlines (not just etihad) don't really do free upgrades anymore because they lose money from it.

Fair enough I'm not complaining, I've got what I paid for, but I was just quite surprised that's the case. I would have thought the cost to the airline of business over economy would be negligible if the seat is going empty anyway.

Anyone had similar experiences?

When you ask for an upgrade at the check in counter, some airlines will say 'yes' and quote you a price for such upgrade. Often it is just a few hundred dollars thus letting you fly J cheaply. China Southern sometimes have upgrades for cash at check in. You need to be prepared to sit it out in Y though in cases when such last minute upgrades are not available. I have bought some of these upgrades on flights that were 5 hours long but I was prepared to spend 5 hours in Y if unsuccessful. Sometimes though, I've spend just $100 - $200 upgrade fee to lie down in comfort.
China Southern also gave me some free upgrades without me asking for them. Over the past 4 years, I had 3 unsolicited upgrades from J to F and 2 such upgrades from Y to J. Pleasant surprises al of them.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Do we ring the help line ?
When we have tried it just said not available?
Thanks

Yes, do it over the phone.
The online system can’t cope with it due to the aircraft change and lack of F on the JFK sector.
Very easy to do on the phone.

 

[Dougo]

Hmmm... interesting thread. I tried to upgrade from PE to Bus on QF1 in July but no dice.

I got chatting to a solo flyer in the line at the gate who told me when she rang QF to ask about an upgrade ) PE to Bus) she was told it would cost her $9k ... 2 months earlier she paid $4.5k for her ticket.

I’m heading back to the UK in the latter part of 2019, have already got my PE ticket and am going to try for an upgrade using points in the next month or so... I wonder how long it will take before I hear back from them...

 

[haymish]

I asked at the counter last night in Singapore flying to Perth on SQ, was going to cost $2500 which is more expensive then booking it and paying full fare. I also enquired regarding paying with Krisflyer miles which I've done previously and have good luck doing and was told no this time.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hmmm... interesting thread. I tried to upgrade from PE to Bus on QF1 in July but no dice.

I got chatting to a solo flyer in the line at the gate who told me when she rang QF to ask about an upgrade ) PE to Bus) she was told it would cost her $9k ... 2 months earlier she paid $4.5k for her ticket.

I’m heading back to the UK in the latter part of 2019, have already got my PE ticket and am going to try for an upgrade using points in the next month or so... I wonder how long it will take before I hear back from them...

With PE I’m not sure the angst of securing an upgrade is worth it. While some PE fares are becoming more reasonable (Cathay is offering paris from Australia in the region of $2799 next year), there are full flat business class options available for as little as $3400 (hainan airlines, also to Paris, but also some other euro ports). Others in the field are Sri Lankan, Viêt Nam Airlines and China Airlines all in the $4200-4800 range,

 

[dk4]

So do Delta. You can request it as on a Delta flight with VA status but you're dreaming if you think you'll get one. Maybe at 5am on a Sunday to coughsville to Pootown.

Oddly, I have tried it with a KLM Skyteam Elite card... I didn't even know (LAS-LAX Y) what it was (many years ago) but the DL check-in-agent asked "if I wanted an upgrade gate request:?!?!?! I said sure, "why not"?!" ... so started my first ever "USA lottery F/J" entry! ... hey, presto - my name was called @ the gate! ... "dk4, please come to the gate desk"... AWESOME! (and... basket&boozed later...I am now, many thousand of $$$dollars indebted to "the game" = I am hooked on J/F!!!!)

NOTE TO VA: get your cough together - Skyteamwise!

NOTE TO *1 get your cough together alliancewise in North America!

 

[Lukabs]

I am 1.9 m tall & used to routinely get upgrades until the introduction of premium economy.

Certainly when flying American Airlines domestically in the USA, I have received upgrades based on my frequent flyer status.

But to say they lose money on an upgrade is rubbish. They have cabin staff & food already scheduled for the upper cabin, so they are losing money either way.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

But to say they lose money on an upgrade is rubbish. They have cabin staff & food already scheduled for the upper cabin, so they are losing money either way.

When people state that airlines have the potential to lose money on upgrades, they are not referring to that particular flight. They are meaning that over time, if airlines have a policy of upgrading for free, many people will stop actually buying the J/F seats under the expectation of a freebie and hence they have a risk of losing a substantial amount of money over time.

 

[TheInsider]

I got chatting to a solo flyer in the line at the gate who told me when she rang QF to ask about an upgrade ) PE to Bus) she was told it would cost her $9k ... 2 months earlier she paid $4.5k for her ticket.
I’m heading back to the UK in the latter part of 2019, have already got my PE ticket and am going to try for an upgrade using points in the next month or so... I wonder how long it will take before I hear back from them...

Point 1: Yes it would cost that amount of money for the ticket. She is not purchasing a cheap discounted rate on the day, she is purchasing what ever is being sold to anyone without a ticket. Most likely too she would be needing to upgrade her return flight too.
Point 2: You will be waiting until the upgrades clear, from 24hrs prior to departure up until boarding time.

 

[wanderer_au]

I saw a former CEO of mine get unsolicited upgrades from Y to J in the CBR CL in 2015, twice. I fondly remember the days of 2006-2007 where I often scored unsolicited domestic upgrades (as a humble SG) from Y to J on say, MEL-ADL or MEL-SYD on a Saturday morning, or around lunchtime on a weekday flight. Nothing since then though. Now it's all points, baby. A work trip involving a lot of heavy client entertaining may result in me seeking a domestic Y-J upgrade to ease the hangover pain....

 

[Limewood]

Have no Status now with any airline now semi retired, past 3 months both wife and I had upgrade from Y to PE and PE to J on CX long hauls, one asked for other offered, so they still do exist.

 

[Blinky]

When you ask for an upgrade at the check in counter, some airlines will say 'yes' and quote you a price for such upgrade. Often it is just a few hundred dollars thus letting you fly J cheaply. China Southern sometimes have upgrades for cash at check in. You need to be prepared to sit it out in Y though in cases when such last minute upgrades are not available. I have bought some of these upgrades on flights that were 5 hours long but I was prepared to spend 5 hours in Y if unsuccessful. Sometimes though, I've spend just $100 - $200 upgrade fee to lie down in comfort.
China Southern also gave me some free upgrades without me asking for them. Over the past 4 years, I had 3 unsolicited upgrades from J to F and 2 such upgrades from Y to J. Pleasant surprises al of them.

When my wife and I flew to Europe on Etihad 5 years ago in business class on Velocity points I asked how much to upgrade to first class. $800 each for both legs. A bargain when you consider they were serving $300 bottles of champagne! And it was the same on the way back. So I now always ask as checkin what it costs to upgrade. You might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[WeeGraeme]

Back in 2013, I was booked in PE on BA from SYD to SIN on BA15. It was my first ever flight on BA as a QF Bronze. I got an op-up to J. I stayed in Singapore for 24 hrs before leaving the next night on BA12. That night it was a 29 year old 747-400 which was ever one of its 29 years! No such luck with the upgrade lottery the next night though.

It would've been nice to have the lie flat bed on the overnight flight instead of the afternoon flight. But I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[Denali]

When my wife and I flew to Europe on Etihad 5 years ago in business class on Velocity points I asked how much to upgrade to first class. $800 each for both legs. A bargain when you consider they were serving $300 bottles of champagne! And it was the same on the way back. So I now always ask as checkin what it costs to upgrade. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Y to J but coworker did the same on EY recently for her husband and adult daughter. She didnt even know she could ask until I was telling her the night before (thanks to AFFer).

 

[Silvia]

Well, believe it or not, QF still gives “complementary upgrades “

 

[Hvr]

Well, believe it or not, QF still gives “complementary upgrades “

Straight to the "Grammar Thread" with that spelling (for Qantas, not the OP)..

 

[Forg]

QUOTE="Hvr, post: 1861684, member: 10182"]Straight to the "Grammar Thread" with that spelling (for Qantas, not the OP)..[/QUOTE]
Maybe it's Qantas' way of saying, to their customers, You complete me! … ?

On upgrades my better-half is on her way home from Rome via Doha on QR and has developed the beginnings of a cold. Because the department she works for is a stingey pack of ******** (who will still send paper-pushers ie. the "bosses" in Canberra around Australia in J), she's been made to fly Y return to Italy for a crucial 3-day meeting. So I told her (after reading this thread recently) to ask at check-in about upgrades.
She couldn't get anything all the way through, but it was €500 for just FCO-DOH which is only a 5.5hr flight … probably about the same as the standard fare increase for J over Y for that leg.
It doesn't sound as cheap as some others here have quoted (eg. Oz to Europe with J->F upgrade for about the same money) … what does the Brains Trust think?

*edit*
But she did feel like they looked after her really well, mixing up hot honey & lemon drinks & stuff like that.

 

[openseat]

My best upgrade started with aY ticket on BA BKK to SYD. At checkin it was an upgrade to WT+ which i thought was nice. Then at the gate my boarding pass was rejected. My thoughts of a downgrade were extinguished when a boarding pass for 64A was given in exchange.

 

[juddles]

As a frequent flyer with Qantas, and having P1 status, upgrades are still a very rare thing. But at the same time I have never received the equivalent (getting more than what you paid for) from Woolworths, the local servo, nor any other business. I can also not recall the actual airlines ever advertising free random upgrades. This expectation (or hope) I think comes from individual lucky experiences, and those eternal stupid travel-tips blogs, which are just rubbish. I love to live with Hope, but I never would expect a free upgrade from an airline.....