Is this true or a myth? checking in late may give you a free Business class upgrade?

[CaptainPersia]

Hey guys,

Someone told me the other day that if you don't check-in online and go to the airport an hour before flight and check-in at the counter, the airline may have ended up over allocating economy seats and then have to give you a free business upgrade, he told me he's done a few times with Emirates.

Is this true? I think it's too good to be true, has anyone else done this?

 

[jase05]

Hey guys,

Someone told me the other day that if you don't check-in online and go to the airport an hour before flight and check-in at the counter, the airline may have ended up over allocating economy seats and then have to give you a free business upgrade, he told me he's done a few times with Emirates.

Is this true? I think it's too good to be true, has anyone else done this?

If Y is overbooked there is more chance of you being bumped off the flight than being upgraded IMO

 

[Deleted member]

Myth

 

[CaptainPersia]

If Y is overbooked there is more chance of you being bumped off the flight than being upgraded IMO

But you can't get bump off if you have a ticket?

 

[henrus]

On Virgin you're likely to score a free Economy X seat if all the other economy seats are full.

 

[Hvr]

But you can't get bump off if you have a ticket?

You certainly can. Airlines often oversell flights knowing that a certain percentage of passengers will simply not turn up.

They will then determine an alternative which may be on another airline or simply be old to wait for days to get another flight.

It's not unknown for passengers in F/J to be put into a lower cabin and told to take it or not fly.

 

[dajop]

But you can't get bump off if you have a ticket?

Yes you most certainly can if the flight is oversold. Even if you have checked in and have a boarding pass, you can be bumped. Not so common in Australia, or Asia but plenty of discussion on the internet of people travelling on US based carriers, already checked in, rocking up at the gate 25-30mins before departure and being denied boarding because their seat had been given away.

 

[Lynda2475]

But you can't get bump off if you have a ticket?

Unfortunately this isn't always true as some airlines oversell some flights in the hope that some people wont make the flight, so you could end up not being able to get on the flight. The airline has to get you from A to B per your ticket, but they have some leeway wrt varying the time or aircraft.

If economy is over allocated and there is Y+, J or F available, Id assume the airline would look at upgrading those passengers who had bid for an upgrade, make a special call to see if anyone wants to pay/bid for upgrade at the gate or just upgrade someone with a higher status to free up a Y seat for you.

 

[Pushka]

Myth. They are more likely to bump a frequent traveller at the gate if there are business seats available. If none of available then on check in you might get bumped. As explained upthread.

 

[ozfflyer]

But you can't get bump off if you have a ticket?

of course you can. Occasionally 401 people turn up for 400 seats.

 

[Lynda2475]

Not so common in Australia

They always call for volunteers to give up seat on US domestic flights and I've seen late arrivals bumped there a lot. Id not seen this here in Aus, until last week when I was in Exmouth and a girl who was on my snorkel tour said Qantas has emailed her saying her flight was over sold and offering her a credit voucher if she would take a later flight from PER - so starting to happen here.

If i really have to be somewhere make sure I check in early, so Im not the one who gets bumped off a flight.

 

[ozfflyer]

Unfortunately this isn't always true as some airlines oversell some flights in the hope that some people wont make the flight, so you could end up not being able to get on the flight. The airline has to get you from A to B per your ticket, but they have some leeway wrt varying the time or aircraft.

If economy is over allocated and there is Y+, J or F available, Id assume the airline would look at upgrading those passengers who had bid for an upgrade, make a special call to see if anyone wants to pay/bid for upgrade at the gate or just upgrade someone with a higher status to free up a Y seat for you.

all airlines oversell their flight if they can cos they work off average no show factors. If I was holding an economy seat booking & checked in late, I think airline would look for any frequent flyers(not those with lots of points from credit cards) & upgrade them 1st.

 

[ozfflyer]

have seen plenty of airline staff/travel agents/travel industry people flying on cheap tickets, often subload(standby) get kicked off flights, even when already seated.

 

[CaptainPersia]

glad I posted this question! , I make sure I'll check-in early

 

[ozfflyer]

glad I posted this question! , I make sure I'll check-in early

just make sure if flight closes 60 mins prior that you turn up at least say 15 mins before that. Many airlines will allocate seats to standbys & upgrades the second 60 mins is hit, if flight is booked 100% full.

 

[Quickstatus]

But you can't get bump off if you have a ticket?

The document you need to get a seat on the airplane is a boarding pass. The ticket is just a contract to say the airline agrees to transport you from A to B for the consideration you paid. The conditions of carriage allows the airline to complete the carriage at any time not necessarily at the agreed time

Otherwise it’s a myth that upgrades chance is better the later you checkin.

 

[ozfflyer]

On Virgin you're likely to score a free Economy X seat if all the other economy seats are full.

or get bumped off flight, if aircraft full

 

[Quickstatus]

I think airline would look for any frequent flyers(not those with lots of points from credit cards) & upgrade them 1st.

Not necessarily. A passenger with a more expensive ticket within a cabin class is likely to be up front. So a WP with a deep discount sale fare could be trumped by a non Status with a flex fare

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Yes it's true that it's a myth.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

all airlines oversell their flight if they can cos they work off average no show factors.

It's a little more complicated than that.