Different Treatment as an Upgrade Customer

[clipped_wings]

We've recently upgraded our paid PE seats LAX-SYD for J upgrade with 90,000 points. Waitlisted to use an extra 90,000 for the outbound sector. I gotta say, I am now nervous at the prospect of having sold this fabulous J experience to my husband, when in fact it may be very different to my expectations.

As stated before, the few times we upgraded to J domestically, we've been treated with great respect and style. Does anyone know how the points upgrade experience is when flying long haul?

 

[Ausbt]

We've recently upgraded our paid PE seats LAX-SYD for J upgrade with 90,000 points.

Clipped I've upgraded many J sectors SYD-LAX and SYD-AUH over the past couple of years, from Flexi and PE, and there is absolutely no difference in treatment at all. I've posted before that the CSM greetings seems to have dropped off (but I don't need the CSM to say hello to me anyway) but otherwise it will be as if you stumped up the cash for the ticket itself. Are you on the new fit-out? Can't wait to give this a go, but I have nothing upcoming at this stage unfortunately.

I've also burnt through my domestic J upgrades pretty consistently year-by-year and I have only experienced the standard J service, even when told 'catering is not assured' etc. I have not had any different service from any other J passenger.

 

[24601]

And Rex really mean it.On my last BWT-MEL flight several pax had their bags offloaded.Caused great consternation and a late departure.Basically those bags over 15Kg didn't make the flight.

"When will it arrive?" "Dunno, probably tomorrow..". To be fair, I'd checked in after closing and my bag did make it on and was first off at the other end. That was one example of excellent service.

 

[clipped_wings]

Clipped I've upgraded many J sectors SYD-LAX and SYD-AUH over the past couple of years, from Flexi and PE, and there is absolutely no difference in treatment at all. I've posted before that the CSM greetings seems to have dropped off (but I don't need the CSM to say hello to me anyway) but otherwise it will be as if you stumped up the cash for the ticket itself. Are you on the new fit-out? Can't wait to give this a go, but I have nothing upcoming at this stage unfortunately.

I've also burnt through my domestic J upgrades pretty consistently year-by-year and I have only experienced the standard J service, even when told 'catering is not assured' etc. I have not had any different service from any other J passenger.

Thanks Ausbt, our itinerary shows the new fitout. Flying August, so unless there is some catastrophic failure with the upgrade agenda, I'm confident that we'll be enjoying the new product.

Even if we don't get the upgrade on the outbound, I'll be able to post a TR for both classes, which will hopefully enlighten fellow travellers.

Having a guaranteed bed for the looong flight home is something I've always dreamed of and I'm just so excited! I'd love to have J on the way over as well, I'd probably stay awake for as long as I could to press every button and open every hidey hole ha ha. Not to mention, sitting on one of those bar stools to order a champs. (I've heard they put you to bed pretty fast on the LAX-SYD route).

 

[Jurahn]

We've recently upgraded our paid PE seats LAX-SYD for J upgrade with 90,000 points. Waitlisted to use an extra 90,000 for the outbound sector. I gotta say, I am now nervous at the prospect of having sold this fabulous J experience to my husband, when in fact it may be very different to my expectations.

As stated before, the few times we upgraded to J domestically, we've been treated with great respect and style. Does anyone know how the points upgrade experience is when flying long haul?

We upgraded from PE to J with points last year in both directions between SYD and LAX, as well as upgrading the domestic sectors both ways between PER and SYD (2 x comp Plat upgrades, 2 x points) and experienced excellent service on all flights. I have noticed on the 4 trips we've done to the US - twice in PE and twice in J - the outbound crews on the long-haul flights have tended to be more attentive and friendlier than the inbound ones from LAX. Just my personal experience, and nothing wrong with the service, just a little different. As you said in your other post, they do try to "encourage" you to head off to bed as soon as possible coming out of LA, so maybe that's the reason!

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Not the same issue as the OP, but I also had an unexpected experience earlier in the year, when my partner and I were op-uped to J flying SYD-ADL at the start of a long weekend. (I was WP, we were both on the same PNR.) We only found out when our BPs beeped at the gate ("Oh they didn't tell you at the lounge?"), so I did fully expect it to be catering not assured. Having said that…

After taking off with 6 in the J cabin, two other pax in J asked if they could move their travelling companions up from Y to J to join them, and to my surprise the answer wasn't just yes — but yes with J meal service too! We ended up being served dead last despite being in row 1, and of course the hot breakfast option had run out by then, so we didn't get any choice but muesli.

Being on an op-up, I didn't complain, but you'd think upgrade-on-the-ground still beats upgrade-in-the-air? It certainly left me confused about what kind of consistency is to be expected on VA J anyway.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

I have when doing a upgrade in the lounge

Can't really complain as the catering staff would already have serviced the cabin. Part of the risk of a last minute upgrade inmy book. it's not as if there is nothing and in reality if someone pays full fare and I upgraded in the lounge I reckon they are entitled to come first

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

If I was given an up up, I would not complain or mutter.
The mere fact that I have got given the space up there would be good/great enough.
Meal comes second.
I have been op up once by QF, never by VA.
NOW if I had used points to upgrade, and then see people daring enough to ask if their "companions" from Y can join them in J, then maybe I would mutter to myself under my breath.
I fear the AFP agents being called on landing, so on an aircraft, I never make a scene.

 

[drron]

On Finnair 2 women were brought up to J after boarding.There were still empty J seats so they asked if their partners could come up.They were told that they could swap with their partners or return to Y.Neither did.

 

[bean]

I've flown countless times with Virgin since they first started and always hovered in or just out of gold. Never been upgraded once

Flown with Air New Zealand only a handful of time across the ditch and have recieved an upgrade to business....

I guess it's just random dumb luck?

 

[Quickstatus]

Wasn't an upgrade but when husband and I flew on award seats between Brisbane and Adelaide on the way back from an overseas connection, the only other passenger in business class was clearly given preferential treatment. Even to the point that he was greeted by the cabin supervisor and got a beverage while we'd been seated without any greeting and no beverage for ten minutes (and we were in front of him, so the cabin supervisor walked past us to serve him.). He was offered two choices of meal, we were only offered one etc. I don't know what status he was and maybe he was worthy of the treatment but it felt very much second class service for us.

Might have been a VA staff member on a staff ticket.

 

[PDog]

We used my 4 WP upgrades last week, both times we were served first & offered a choice of meals (yay for choice being back!) despite the cabin being 8/8 & 7/8. Unless the entire cabin was on a reward seat, there was no difference in service I'm pleased to say.

 

[vitagen]

My wife had the same experience going per-mel yesterday. I upgraded her in the lounge before the flight. She was ok with the non guaranteed meal but she felt the service was very lack lustre compared to the other passengers in J. Which is unfortunate as I like flying Virgin. I think if you are seated in J regardless of how you got there you should be given the same level of service as everyone else.

 

[SpudOz]

I flew PER-SYD flexi recently and used one of my complimentary upgrades to J more than 24 hours prior to departure. During the meal service, I asked what dish I would like, when I responded, I was told that I would have to wait for everyone else to give their selection as only certain amount of the dish was loaded on board. I understand that an on departure upgrade immediately before the flight in the lounge may be not be catering guaranteed, but this upgrade request was confirmed more than 24 hours before the flight. It worked out that they did have one dish left that I wanted (which didn't taste that great in the end anyway).

Has anyone else noticed this now, or have been treated any differently by cabin crew from a upgraded ticket or award flight? I presume the manifest shows the fare class of all passengers? Does anyone know if QF adopt the same policies?


Cheers

In my limited experience, I am treated the same as other J pax with Qantas. I have flown QF 6 times this year where I have requested and received a J upgrade. There is no difference in how I am treated when I travel as a paid J ticket.

The J meals on my last flight were very ordinary so having a choice would not have been a big deal.Small plates = awful Big plates = awful.

 

[DC3]

... both times we were served first & offered a choice of meals ...

Well, that sounds different.

 

[jackthomas]

I've never noticed any difference in treatment from other PAX in VA J domestically when upgrading, definitely upsetting that some feel they have been.
Domestic upgrades are hardly the best use of points (even though I do it) so everyone should be treated equally, apart from potentially VIP clients onboard.

Although regarding the comment above about a VA staff on staff travel potentially being treated better, it's my understanding that VA staff aren't able to travel business domestically (cabin crew and ground services etc that is)

 

[SponsorSFC]

I had 2 pax on upgraded tickets on Friday. If anything we had better service than previous flights. We were in 1A & 2A and had meal orders taken first and plenty of refills without needing to search out the attendants.

I suspect that poor service reported may be down to the staff working the service than any VA directed policy as we had previously experienced very incnsistent service on one flight where I was treated like a DYKWIA WP where my wife was virtually ignored we were both NB on J redemptions.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Might have been a VA staff member on a staff ticket.

As I mentioned earlier up thread, VA staff don't fly J on domestic. It's not allowed.

 

[robtemt]

I've had some mixed experiences. On UA (why am I even surprised), when I flew on a paid upgrade (from Y-something cheap) to Z, I actually was skipped for my choice of meal until last. The guy next to me who was 1K thought it was BS.

On QF, I've never been treated any different, on domestic or international. On our SYD-LAX-SYD trip tis past Christmas we upgraded to J with points. On the SYD-LAX the CSM approached me to advise that my IFE was on the fritz, and offered me several options of new seats (all displacing staff travel). My offer to be sent to F was declined, but they were still very apologetic, and treated us as if they had ruined our trip. Champagne from F was brought to us immediately at our new seats, and throughout the flight. On our return, halfway through the flight, the seat control cable snapped, and my seat had to be manually moved adjusted by the crew. BUT, the legs wouldn't go down, so I could lie flat, or I could sit with my legs straight out in front of me. They offered to move me to F when I woke up (about 3 hours left in flight). They would have had to move a Captain on staff travel, but I said I would be ok. They served me breakfast in the lounge, and the CSM came and chatted me up while I ate. He'd obviously accessed my "permanent record", as he asked if I was still a paramedic (I had helped out with a medical on our way from SYD to HNL on the way to our wedding last Feb). He ended up giving me $500 in duty free vouchers.

Where I was treated differently was at check-in at LAX. We had chosen our seats well in advance, and checked them before we left the hotel for the airport. By the time we arrived at the counter, the agent was "sorry to tell you that we've had to separate you for the flight". Strangely enough, it was for a person traveling solo, with nobody next to him. We called Bulls@#t, but she, her manager, and the lounge staff all REFUSED to move this guy (Im guessing WP?). When we boarded, the CSM sorted it all out though. They guy was happy to move when asked. The excuse we were given at check-in was "you didn't pay for your seat selection, that's extra". It was all sorts of ridiculousness. I complained, and got 1/2 of my points for the upgrade back.

Sorry, what was the question again?

 

[medhead]

Although regarding the comment above about a VA staff on staff travel potentially being treated better, it's my understanding that VA staff aren't able to travel business domestically (cabin crew and ground services etc that is)

As I mentioned earlier up thread, VA staff don't fly J on domestic. It's not allowed.

I've thought about this since the reply to my previous post. So VA will refuse to take the money of a private person, who just happens to work for VA, for a business class airfare? I think perhaps that's not correct. Even if it's believable for staff travelling officially