Different Treatment as an Upgrade Customer

[Keftetha]

It's probably about gauging the consideration given to status versus staff. I know, as a Qantas platinum, that I've missed out on a space available upgrade (it's a thing they offer) because of a staff upgrade. That might be a unique situation but staff were given preference.

If it's what I'm thinking of then it's because Qantas has a different policy than Virgin. With QF, some staff such as crew members are required to be given J seats as part of their duty travel. This is higher than staff travel and space available upgrade.

Virgin do not offer this to their crew even when they are travelling for duty.

 

[medhead]

If it's what I'm thinking of then it's because Qantas has a different policy than Virgin. With QF, some staff such as crew members are required to be given J seats as part of their duty travel. This is higher than staff travel and space available upgrade.

Virgin do not offer this to their crew even when they are travelling for duty.

It was just an example. The question is about comparing the policies of the airlines not about determining what happened.

BTW it wasn't duty travel in that example.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm trying to understand what the concern is here....

I'm not sure there is any concern. Speaking (typing) for myself, I've been asking questions out of curiosity rather than concern.

So if VA staff "buy" a chance at a J seat (presumably at fairly attractive staff rates) and they miss out due to a status upgrade, do they lose that extra cash or is it refunded?

 

[Keftetha]

So if VA staff "buy" a chance at a J seat (presumably at fairly attractive staff rates) and they miss out due to a status upgrade, do they lose that extra cash or is it refunded?

Should a seat in PE still be available they will be offered that. Failing that, then it'll be a seat in Y with the difference refunded for both classes. If they choose not to travel then yes it does get refunded in full.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Should a seat in PE still be available they will be offered that. Failing that, then it'll be a seat in Y with the difference refunded for both classes. If they choose not to travel then yes it does get refunded in full.

OK, so for an int. upgrade with VA, the pecking order is:
1 - Non-staff upgrade with points or cash platinum
2 - Non-staff upgrade with points or cash gold
3 - Non-staff upgrade with points or cash silver
4 - Staff upgrade paid with cash
5 - Op-Up non-staff platinum
6 - Op-Up non-staff gold
7 - Op-Up non-staff silver
8 - Op-Up staff

Would that be correct? Are the cash or point upgrades on a status priority (and for that matter, does cash trump points?), or a first in best dressed arrangement?

 

[Keftetha]

In my experience it hadn't mattered whether it was points or cash. Just a status priority. I had paid in points and a colleague had paid in cash and I got the J upgrade. Both of us were WP. YMMV.

As for the pecking order that's as close as we are going to get it I think. But basically if you are a revenue pax then regardless you will go ahead of the staff member. At least in theory that's how it's supposed to be done.

Happy Landings.

 

[toowongman]

OK, so for an int. upgrade with VA, the pecking order is:
1 - Non-staff upgrade with points or cash platinum
2 - Non-staff upgrade with points or cash gold
3 - Non-staff upgrade with points or cash silver
4 - Staff upgrade paid with cash
5 - Op-Up non-staff platinum
6 - Op-Up non-staff gold
7 - Op-Up non-staff silver
8 - Op-Up staff

Would that be correct? Are the cash or point upgrades on a status priority (and for that matter, does cash trump points?), or a first in best dressed arrangement?

Perhaps add
0 - Club Member (?)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Perhaps add
0 - Club Member (?)

Naw, I only consider real people, not Gods!

 

[medhead]

last 3 flights over the weekend have been upgrades or awards. The only hint of different treatment was serving row 2 first on one of the flights, with myself (award) and 3 others that got their seats about 45 minutes before the flight. But asked the CS who said that she likes to change it up sometimes and serve oldies first when they're off on holiday. She took my order, window seat, before the others in row 1. So no different treatment experienced. All crew were really good.

 

[webslave]

Traveled MEL->PER in J on an Airbus on the weekend and then back in Y on a 737. My wife and I (and 19 month old son) booked Flexis and used two of my WP comp upgrades for the J leg, and a colleague used his points as SG to upgrade from Flexi to J. The lounge unfortunately called the flight for boarding around 20 minutes before it actually boarded, but no matter.

Finding our way on-board there were three or four others in the J cabin. The flight was delayed around 40 minutes because our FA was late coming from another flight. As a result we ended up with two PDB's to kill the time. The new business suites are nice, although I found there was nowhere to store much stuff (eg; my tablet lives in a case and therefore won't fit in the tablet storage part). The seat itself was fairly comfortable, although later in the flight I found myself wishing the touch-screen for adjusting it either was dimmable or could be set to turn off more quickly. The suite felt a little claustrophobic compared to when I've had a double of J seats to myself on other flights, but if the cabin was full it would be a significant improvement.

The touch-screen IFE was quite an improvement over the previous generation, both in quality and responsiveness. The redesigned hand controller felt like it was missing buttons compared to the previous model which could be a bit annoying when performing a couple of tasks. The ability to chat and watch something at the same time was quite welcome, however switching between full-screen and side-by-side was a bit fiddly. The feature of being able to watch something at the same time as another person and chat about it was a pretty great idea, although we did notice it didn't actually synchronize anything.

Prior to take-off we had an off-duty FA up the front filling in and keeping us company while waiting for ours (she would later go and sit down the back of Y) who was a real delight. We filled in the menu cards to help our FA save time when she arrived, but she came around and confirmed our orders anyway. Just prior to meal service (and around 90 minutes into the flight) the FA came past and told my colleague and I that they didn't have enough of our meal option and someone would have to swap (we both chose the red duck curry, the other options were some sort of fish dish and a feta pie). My colleague begrudgingly swapped. We were served meals, and after dinner offered a drink and something from the pantry menu before our FA disappeared behind the curtain to ride out the flight. I used the crew call bell to ask for another drink which arrived after a 20 minute delay. Later in the flight I flagged down a passing FA and asked for a refill only to be told "First I need to know how many you've had, you've probably already had four". Certainly a first for me - and all the more unlikely given I was travelling with wife and child. Another FA later told me that this is what they do now for RSA - it doesn't come down to an assessment of you, but rather one drink per hour. Really?

All-up not the best MEL-PER I've done by a long stretch. It reinforces to me just how much the service forms part of the product - you can have the nicest J suites in the sky but it doesn't mean much if your staff aren't on their game. My colleague was all the more disappointed.

 

[jpk]

asked for a refill only to be told "First I need to know how many you've had, you've probably already had four". Certainly a first for me - and all the more unlikely given I was travelling with wife and child. Another FA later told me that this is what they do now for RSA - it doesn't come down to an assessment of you, but rather one drink per hour. Really?

Did you say you'd only had three? Smells like cost cutting to me.

 

[jazza1971]

Later in the flight I flagged down a passing FA and asked for a refill only to be told "First I need to know how many you've had, you've probably already had four". Certainly a first for me - and all the more unlikely given I was travelling with wife and child. Another FA later told me that this is what they do now for RSA - it doesn't come down to an assessment of you, but rather one drink per hour. Really?

Wow that would suck, not that I've travelled the trans-con A330 now for a while....but last time I was well and truly kept watered which made for a great trip! I think I had 3 or 4 PDBs before we even left due to a delay.

 

[webslave]

Yes, my previous experience was certainly that keeping you fed and watered for the trip was par for the course, naturally provided you weren't getting silly. I did reply that I thought I'd had three so she told me she would go and check and never returned. It was quite a mood dampener.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Another FA later told me that this is what they do now for RSA - it doesn't come down to an assessment of you, but rather one drink per hour. Really?

Did she actually say one drink per hour? Given the old rule of thumb being 3 drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour later was to (supposedly) keep a male under 0.05, a blanket "one drink per hour" has nothing to to with RSA......more like RSB (really saving bucks).

Actually, it sounds to me like the east coast FA disease (of doing the bare minimum and then hiding behind a curtain with a gossip magazine) might be spreading.

On a positive, my last CNS-BNE was on an UpgradeMe minimum bid and the FA (Ben) was great. He offered everything pre-flight, drink, paper, Galaxy etc, and then then during flight did a great job with the meals and asking about drinks (I only had two sparkling waters, so RSA wasn't an issue ) and he was also able to help a solo lady with baby. He baby sat whilst mum used the J lav and then he did the same again later just so she could have her meal. He was excellent and it was really a refreshing change to the apparant FA disease which seems to have become so rampant!

 

[toowongman]

Actually, it sounds to me like the east coast FA disease (of doing the bare minimum and then hiding behind a curtain with a gossip magazine) might be spreading.

Nailed it. "Think up a BS excuse that sounds official so I don't have to do any work."

 

[webslave]

Did she actually say one drink per hour? Given the old rule of thumb being 3 drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour later was to (supposedly) keep a male under 0.05, a blanket "one drink per hour" has nothing to to with RSA......more like RSB (really saving bucks).

She certainly did, and I must admit I was thinking the same thing. I get the idea of cutting costs, but here? Ditching dessert and trays in Y trans-con is pretty cheap, but I get it. Slow-playing business travelers who have paid a premium (granted I wasn't full price, but was at least a flexi) to be there? Nah. We all agreed that if you'd paid full price for the ticket you'd be thoroughly annoyed.

Actually, it sounds to me like the east coast FA disease (of doing the bare minimum and then hiding behind a curtain with a gossip magazine) might be spreading.

Have noticed that one. I get that it was late at night (~20:50 departure) and probably their last flight of the day, but we're not talking about a full business class cabin here with demanding drunks. We're talking about six passengers out of a cabin of twenty seats, and given there was one FA per aisle we're talking about a single FA for three people, one of which with a sleeping baby.

 

[mannej]

Did she actually say one drink per hour? Given the old rule of thumb being 3 drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour later was to (supposedly) keep a male under 0.05, a blanket "one drink per hour" has nothing to to with RSA......more like RSB (really saving bucks).

Isn't it 2 Drinks in the first hour?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Isn't it 2 Drinks in the first hour?

Does it matter? RSA is not about keeping someone under 0.05. Is it not about responsibly serving alcohol to ensure a person can maintain a responsible demeanour whilst enjoying a number of drinks, which does not necessarily relate to being under 0.05? After all, a pax is not flying the plane (hopefully).

 

[mannej]

Does it matter? RSA is not about keeping someone under 0.05. Is it not about responsibly serving alcohol to ensure a person can maintain a responsible demeanour whilst enjoying a number of drinks, which does not necessarily relate to being under 0.05? After all, a pax is not flying the plane (hopefully).

Well in the scheme of things no, but worth the correction none the less.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Well in the scheme of things no, but worth the correction none the less.

That's true.....but is it a correction? I read your comment as being a question and I cannot answer it. I was always told 3 drinks in the first hour then one per hour after, but as we know, everyone is different and any such "rule of thumb" guides should never be relied upon as a measure of ones driving capability. I often wonder why vehicle manufacturers don't include a breathaliser as a standard fit option these days. I'm quite sure many people believe they are under 0.05 when they may not be and such a device would assist those who do try to do the right thing (IMHO at least ).