oneworld May Launch Alliance-wide Upgrades this year

[SeatBackForward]

ET posting an article about oneworld alliance wide upgrades..woohoo!

(not sure If I'm allowed to post the link!)

 

[tdimdad]

Hooray! Hopefully they create a good and equitable system and get it going well.

Something that I noticed from the ET post is the airlines negotiating bilateral points conversion rates. Wouldn't it be easier for OW to create a nominal currency and the FF programs are pegged to that (similar than how national currencies were converted into Euro). Then the upgrades would be priced in the exchange on that OW currency but charged at the pax's "local" FF currency.

 

[justinbrett]

I'm not holding my breath - when everything else demonstrates airlines would prefer to look after their own first, and then offer the remains to the rest of the alliance; I imagine it will be similar with upgrades.

Eg, I imagine QF would be more than happy to offer domestic 737 upgrades to oneworld, but SYD-LAX, not so much.

 

[jrfsp]

how long has this been on the cards…..
A bit like the lounges ….managed 1 so far

 

[SYD]

I'm not holding my breath - when everything else demonstrates airlines would prefer to look after their own first, and then offer the remains to the rest of the alliance; I imagine it will be similar with upgrades.

Eg, I imagine QF would be more than happy to offer domestic 737 upgrades to oneworld, but SYD-LAX, not so much.

It’ll depend on where/how QF put them in the upgrade Q?

It will be another dimension to this question…

Can Bronze get business upgrades?

I'd like to use my points to upgrade to business on the long haul section of my flight. Looking at Melbourne, Singapore, London, Or Melbourne, Dubai, London Just wanting to know the likelihood of getting an upgrade to business as a bronze member. I Have enough points according to the...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

how long has this been on the cards…..
A bit like the lounges ….managed 1 so far

That‘s more international lounges than than VA2.0 - sorry, cheap shot.

 

[justinbrett]

It’ll depend on where/how QF put them in the upgrade Q?

I wouldn't be surprised if oneworld upgrades require U (or eqv) availability and will be confirmed prior to departure, exactly how confirmed domestic upgrades work.

I doubt the conversion of J/C/D/I to U as occurs for QF members on departure will be extended wider. It's already the Hunger Games as it is.

 

[DejaBrew]

Slightly OT...

A bit like the lounges ….managed 1 so far

And even that is a joke to be honest. I didn't know it existed when I was travelling through ICN last month. Checked in for my QF J flight as a WP and was directed to the KAL Lounge. Came up the escalators to the Lounge to find the OneWorld Lounge there. Asked the KAL Lounge staff and was advised that the only Lounge for use by QF pax was the KAL one. Should have gone with my gut and just walked into the OW Lounge but the point is I shouldn't have had to do that. If the Lounge is there for the use of OWE pax or those flying J etc, then why are relevant pax not advised of its existence or their ability to use said Lounge??

 

[jase05]

Hooray! Hopefully they create a good and equitable system and get it going well.

I hope QR still play enemies with QF and give them absolutely nothing and assert some authority over other Avios cartel members

 

[Himeno]

They've been talking about alliance wide upgrades for years. Hasn't happened yet.
While they can get a pass on delays to getting alliance lounges going due to covid, that doesn't excuse the delays to the often reported alliance wide upgrades.

If the Lounge is there for the use of OWE pax or those flying J etc, then why are relevant pax not advised of its existence or their ability to use said Lounge??

I'd say it depends on how the oneworld lounge is being funded. If QF has a better rate for use of the KAL lounge at ICN then they do for use of the alliance lounge, they'll send pax to the KAL lounge.
Just look at LHR T3. 4 lounges operated by oneworld members. All next door to each other. QF will send people to the QF lounge because its cheaper to do so then having their pax use the CX, BA or AA lounges.

 

[serfty]

Slightly OT...

And even that is a joke to be honest. I didn't know it existed when I was travelling through ICN last month. Checked in for my QF J flight as a WP and was directed to the KAL Lounge. Came up the escalators to the Lounge to find the OneWorld Lounge there. Asked the KAL Lounge staff and was advised that the only Lounge for use by QF pax was the KAL one. Should have gone with my gut and just walked into the OW Lounge but the point is I shouldn't have had to do that. If the Lounge is there for the use of OWE pax or those flying J etc, then why are relevant pax not advised of its existence or their ability to use said Lounge??

I believe the oneworld lounge was just "Officially" opened. The KAL lounge is not listed as available for Qantas on the oneworld Lounge pages (MH only).

Airport Lounges: oneworld Lounges & Airport Lounge Access

Enjoy airport lounge access at 600+ airport lounges worldwide through your oneworld Priority tier. Exceptions may apply.

www.oneworld.com

 

[levelnine]

If they put them behind Bronze in the upgrade priority, they might as well not exist for medium- and long-haul routes (ie the routes where people most want upgrades).

 

[DejaBrew]

I believe the oneworld lounge was just "Officially" opened. The KAL lounge is not listed as available for Qantas on the oneworld Lounge pages (MH only).

Airport Lounges: oneworld Lounges & Airport Lounge Access

Enjoy airport lounge access at 600+ airport lounges worldwide through your oneworld Priority tier. Exceptions may apply.

www.oneworld.com

Interesting… definitely looked operational when I was there (Dec 23rd).

 

[tdimdad]

If they put them behind Bronze in the upgrade priority, they might as well not exist for medium- and long-haul routes (ie the routes where people most want upgrades).

That is true. Processing the QFF pax first and then looking at the requests by partner FF's would be very aspirational for the partner flyers.

An alternative would be to go through by level: QFF WP (CLP1 > CL > P1 > WP) > partner OWE > QF SG > partner OWS > etc... But this immediately exposes another question: in which priority order do you process the partners? Does AA come before BA before JL before...? How about codeshares on QF metal (and vice versa)?

I don't envy those who are designing the service. However you slice & dice this, there probably is no optimal way to arrange this.

 

[SYD]

in which priority order do you process the partners? Does AA come before BA before JL before...?

For partners, presumably sort of FIFO list (ie based on when an individual puts in their request?).

Isn’t that how it works now eg 2x WPs have requests in, whoever lodged first is processed first?

But yeah, it’s not going to be interesting how it pans out.

Looking at *A alliance wide upgrades - codeshares are out for “technical reasons”.

 

[elanshin]

That is true. Processing the QFF pax first and then looking at the requests by partner FF's would be very aspirational for the partner flyers.

An alternative would be to go through by level: QFF WP (CLP1 > CL > P1 > WP) > partner OWE > QF SG > partner OWS > etc... But this immediately exposes another question: in which priority order do you process the partners? Does AA come before BA before JL before...? How about codeshares on QF metal (and vice versa)?

I don't envy those who are designing the service. However you slice & dice this, there probably is no optimal way to arrange this.

Honestly, I don't thinn there's any solution all airline parties will be happy about.

On one hand, sure you're now getting more for all the OW customers, but on the other you're kind of shooting yourself a bit with your own loyalty program.

I think if they force it through it'll be compromises. Maybe a system where on any given flight there can only be X number of OW upgrades, but you yourself can open more inventory on a light load for your own PAX.

Like QF still needs to br able to upgrade Bronze members from time to time so the narrative isn't "forget it no chance". Atm it's usually "low odds, but not unheard of - here's some things that help improve your odds".

In terms of priorities across partners, outside of issues like QF and QR, I would imagine the fairest would just be first come first served across the partners for same status.

 

[Mwenenzi]

For partners, presumably sort of FIFO list (ie based on when an individual puts in their request?).

Isn’t that how it works now eg 2x WPs have requests in, whoever lodged first is processed first?

But yeah, it’s not going to be interesting how it pans out.

Looking at *A alliance wide upgrades - codeshares are out for “technical reasons”.

The upgrade philosophy of USA and non USA airlines is very different (all alliances)
AA & AS have cross airline upgrade now
AA and BA/IB have cross airline upgrade now. But not BA<--->IB IIRC.
Both have onerous t&c's

For those airlines using avios (QR BA IB AY) as the ff currency may be a little easier. But they do not do cross airline upgrades now.
The method/timing and cost of an upgrade on the airline of your ffp varies a lot now.
Will be hard to get a common *fair* value and fair method/timing for all.
Given the cost of QF awards and upgrades, compared to other ffp's, struggle to see any benefits for QF freq flyers.
Will benefit "frequent spenders" and not "frequent flyers". More ffp's are morphing into frequent spender programs.

Star Alliance has a cross airline upgrade scheme. Requires a high priced base fare on the native flight. No codeshares. Useless for most people.