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?

 

[sevenfourtyseven]

Have managed a double Y to J upgrade with my wife on SQ from MEL-SIN.

Didn't ask for it. Was given J boarding passes at check in

 

[Forg]

Got an upgrade SYD-MEL when travelling with a mate … check-in person said "anything else I can do for you", I joked "any chance of an upgrade" (and laughed), she just laughed & gave us the tickets … and when we boarded I realised that she'd actually done it & J extended a few further rows back than I expected.

SYD-MEL probably, literally, costs them absolutely nothing extra if it's empty, it's not like you can go through $800 of champagne flying domestically with 20 minute's of inflight service.

 

[TheInsider]

Got an upgrade SYD-MEL when travelling with a mate … check-in person said "anything else I can do for you", I joked "any chance of an upgrade" (and laughed), she just laughed & gave us the tickets … and when we boarded I realised that she'd actually done it & J extended a few further rows back than I expected.

SYD-MEL probably, literally, costs them absolutely nothing extra if it's empty, it's not like you can go through $800 of champagne flying domestically with 20 minute's of inflight service.

I can tell you for a fact, the check-in agent wouldn't have upgraded you. They are simply not allowed to (and most do not have the software permissions), it all gets tracked and questioned.

 

[dajop]

But at the same time I have never received the equivalent (getting more than what you paid for) from Woolworths,

Basically airlines are selling perishable goods - once it gets to the use by date (ie the flight departs), they can’t sell that good any more. So at least in the eastern hemisphere, they will sell it at a significant discount if they can to at least get some money for the seat (i.e. oversell economy).

With this is mind, yes I have purchased perishable goods just before expiring at Woolworths for significantly less than what I could have paid.

The airlines could of course do exactly the same - ie sell business class at extreme discounts close to use by date - but they don’t want to incentivise people to buy cheaper business fares so they sell economy and upgrade people on their terms rather than offering the discount fare to the passenger directly. At least one way of looking at it! In receiving an operational upgrade you are doing the airline a favour too!

 

[Forg]

I can tell you for a fact, the check-in agent wouldn't have upgraded you. They are simply not allowed to (and most do not have the software permissions), it all gets tracked and questioned.

So you reckon it was an op-up, most likely due to oversold 'plane, and it was pure chance that we joked about the upgrade?
That's an even better story!

 

[TheInsider]

So you reckon it was an op-up, most likely due to oversold 'plane, and it was pure chance that we joked about the upgrade?
That's an even better story!

Most likely

 

[Luke Gracias]

First post here. I usually fly premium economy on international flights and usually Singapore Airlines. I have been upgraded three times in this last year (on 3 sectors only ) eg. Brisbane - Singapore only on a Brisbane Frankfurt flight. For me this has been more frequent than it did in the past.

 

[jpp42]

I had several on CX in the days when they did it occasionally for other airlines higher status pax

Last month I got an op-up on a Cathay Dragon flight on a PEK-HKG segment. Not exactly CX, but close (it was a CX codeshare if that matters). I am OWE (Qantas WP), but was still quite surprised they didn't have their own FF members to upgrade first. I was also not on a particularly expensive fare. So who knows.

My only other op-up has been on QF, JNB-SYD when I was booked in Y+, upgraded to J. This was a fairly pricey fare, and as WP it wasn't too surprising they picked me for an upgrade. Not going to complain

 

[trooper]

My only op-up was also on CX...and I have NO OW status at all. Flying on that hugely missed SQ MNL-YVR J fare of days past.... (cheap and generous routing rules!) and was on a CX 747 for one leg..... Asked at gate if I was travelling alone, answered yes and was told they needed to change my seating assignment. I jokingly said "You can move me all the way forward if you like"..the agent scribbled on my BP and said "Sir, that's exactly what I've done" LOL... Bumped to F...... Clearly being solo was the deciding factor there....

 

[Forg]

My only other op-up has been on QF, JNB-SYD when I was booked in Y+, upgraded to J. This was a fairly pricey fare, and as WP it wasn't too surprising they picked me for an upgrade. Not going to complain

Apparently J is disproportionately more comfy over lower classes than on more modern aircraft, for the Vickers Vimy's that QF are still using on that route?

 

[Pierre_a]

I can tell you for a fact, the check-in agent wouldn't have upgraded you. They are simply not allowed to (and most do not have the software permissions), it all gets tracked and questioned.

I remember getting on a BA flight in Pisa a few years ago where they must have had an equipment change (old 737-400 I think). My allocated seat was a blocked middle seat as the business cabin had been extended on a previous flight. So I was told to sit in 1a where I received club Europe service including mediocre champagne and lousy finger sandwiches. I was pretty chuffed - my one and only experience of BA intra-europe J.

Perhaps in your case an equipment change was not reflected in the system and your allocated economy seat became business.

 

[Helena Novak]

Though the seats and catering are unexciting, there are things that the crew can do to improve J experience on intra-Europe flights. I have flown J a handful of flights between VIE and AMS RT and one occasion stands out. It was an early morning departure from VIE and upon entering the plane I could smell the most welcome aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Yes, the crew brew it it for J passengers and it made the whole flight a pleasure. This, however, happened only once. Perhaps the crews were too sleepy to bother with such niceties for us on other occasions.

 

[juddles]

I think that many ideas about "free upgrades" are memories of past, distant, anecdotes.

These days airlines become ever more focussed on extracting every last cent they can. Think of things like bulkhead and emergency aisles. The airlines identified these as better seats and worked out how to charge for them. The last thing the airlines need is for checkin staff to be swept off their feet by charming pax and giving them benefits for free. they are crushing this concept, both in training and in system access.

I am currently in an excellent position to assess this - am P1 with Qantas but am travelling in PE seats this year where the plane has J. I have had a single upgrade in maybe 80 flights (and that was system, not friendly staff) that made that happen.

In answer to the OP - yes, I think free upgrades are not just in the past, butr have been for a couple of years.

 

[JohnK]

Surprised to get op-up from economy to premium economy on SQ flight apparently oversold. No status and award ticket.

 

[astrosly]

I've only had 3 free upgrades since I started flying about 8 years ago and all for differing reasons.

- IRROPS: 5 years ago a delayed flight into Sydney had me miss my flight to Nadi so I was routed through Brisbane to catch another to meet my flight to Tarawa. It was Xmas and economy was full so I was put in J on FJ.
- Oversold cabin (I assume): Cathay bumped me from PE to J around 3.5 years ago, travelling during July and as OWS solo female traveller.
- UM: just over a year ago Qantas moved me from Y to J on Sydney to Brisbane as the cabin was full of males and there was an unaccompanied girl in the cabin. WP solo female traveller.

 

[MathNerd]

Have managed a double Y to J upgrade with my wife on SQ from MEL-SIN.

Didn't ask for it. Was given J boarding passes at check in

Lucky you are, I'm very jealous. In all my years of flying whY with my fiance on the MEL-xx_-BLR route (where xx_ = the hub of whichever airline happened to be the cheapest, be it SIN, BKK, KUL, HKG, and once even AUH [The MEL-AUH leg goes over BLR, might as well have parachuted out of the damn plane]), I've never ever come even close to an upgrade, whether it's being given one or asking for it. Makes me wonder what luck I'm destined for.

Currently in BLR with 10 days to go for our wedding. We did the usual MEL-BLR route, this time with the transit being at KUL. MH and their new MHUpgrade system sounded like the perfect way to get the fiance and I on J for at least the bigger MEL-KUL leg. No luck there, both bids unsuccessful. Tried at check-in (after waiting 3 hours in the line, what the hell happened to their check-in process that night?), "sorry no can do". Mention we're travelling to get married, "congrats but we're a full flight tonight". Those 2 flights were 2 of the most depressing ones. Couldn't even get exit rows for either. Even went to the "supervisor", and was dismissed with the most rude attitude.

Poor fiance, she wonders why I spend all my time on AFF and never experience the luck that I read about here (and consequently tell her about excitedly).

Help please...

 

[ithongy]

OpUps still exists if it will cost the airlines more money. Ie cost of putting up pax in hotel, meals, transportation to & fro from airport. Cost of staff, fuel, catering is all paid for so. So if they need to get everyone one to the flight, some people might be lucky to get an OpUp. Once on cheapest Y fare bracket on AA flying LAX-SYD, went to gate from QF Lounge to discover 10 pax on standby for that flight, then hearing my name called on PA to go to desk & was presented a J seat.

Had a few OpUps on AA as a lowly QF Silver in the past flying domestically in USA.

Supposed to fly DEN-LAX-DFW-ORD in First class then ORD-LGA in Y. LAX-DFW delayed & cancelled causing to miss all other connections. Called up AA and asked if possible to reroute LAX-JFK & scored last F (I had QF Gold) & J (travel mate was QF Plat) seats on 1st direct flight available 8 hrs after our flights were cancelled on 14th Feb 0000hrs. Explained all hotels were all full at LAX & stayed in airport. Guess people on phone do have some more power over gate agents.

 

[jch]

Upgrades on US airlines are like hunger games, they even have screens above the boarding gate showing everyone's ranking. I was upgraded on all my domestic legs except one and one of the long hauls to LAX on my status challenge with United.

I would be surprised if anyone has got a free upgrade on SQ recently. A couple of years ago there were only about 3 seats taken in one of the business sections of the A380 on SIN-PEK.

 

[ithongy]

Upgrades on US airlines are like hunger games, they even have screens above the boarding gate showing everyone's ranking. I was upgraded on all my domestic legs except one and one of the long hauls to LAX on my status challenge with United.

I would be surprised if anyone has got a free upgrade on SQ recently. A couple of years ago there were only about 3 seats taken in one of the business sections of the A380 on SIN-PEK.

Does having a Scoot metal plane swap to a SQ metal count as an upgrade? My folks had this recently late last year.

 

[JohnK]

I would be surprised if anyone has got a free upgrade on SQ recently. A couple of years ago there were only about 3 seats taken in one of the business sections of the A380 on SIN-PEK.

I was surprised to be upgraded to premium economy on SQ Christmas Day.

The experience was ok but hasn't left a lasting impression.