Paid Upgrades at the Airport?

[tuppaware]

A friend told me a trick to try .

He thinks if you want to get an upgrade from Economy to PE cheaply, then go to the airline counter just before you try to check-in and try offer them cash for an upgrade ( in the hope that you can negotiate the fare )

Has anyone ever tried this? Does it work ?

 

[cmon0005]

Depends on the airline I guess, some do some don't.
Would be good to know though which airlines do and don't.

 

[tuppaware]

I'm going Air NZ BNE-AKL-LAX and I was going to try turn on the charm and see if that might help the cost .... Although knowing my charm normally leads me into hot water more then anything else.

 

[harvyk]

The only airline that has offered me a paid upgrade is AA... In highsight I wish I had taken it, but it was only for SFO-LAX, it was missing the LAX-MIA leg of the trip (you know, the part where F would have been really nice)

 

[tuapekastar]

sorry - mispost

 

[JohnK]

UA is/was one airline which offered paid upgrades to business class. My friend and his then wife took the opportunity to upgrade both legs of a SYD-SFO return to business class back in 2006.

From memory you can also upgrade BA flights from economy to premium economy for a fixed cost on various sectors.

 

[tuppaware]

Good to know JohnK , about UA ...

 

[Intrusivefever]

I know that the Japanese Govt. outlawed it for all flights leaving Japan.

 

[trooper]

The only airline I am familiar with (*A that is) that does Upgrades For Cash (UFC) at check in is United as already mentioned... there is a HUGE thread on FT about it.. current pricing etc... Where available it DOES seem to be set costs too.... no haggling.

tuppaware - As a Gold Elite with NZ I have never seen upgrades for cash... AFAIK NZ manages upgrades very carefully indeed...

So good luck!... but if you have a Y ticket, then that's where I'd expect you'd be sitting... The saving grace of course is that Y on NZ is pretty good. Especially on the 744.

You might charm your way into "Space+" seating BNE-AKL... and where operated by the 772/744 that IS in the Y+ seats (but with normal Y service)....:mrgreen:

 

[drron]

I know that the Japanese Govt. outlawed it for all flights leaving Japan.

The only paid upgrade I have been offered was on AA out of NRT.$US500 to upgrade to F NRT-LAX.As we were on Aawards we considered it but turned it down.Just as well because we got an op up to F anyway.

 

[Isochronous]

Come to think of it, I remember Air Pacific offering upgrades to Business SYD-NAN a few years back at check-in. I think the price was $300.

 

[trooper]

Good call..... I believe that is still happening...

(I flew LAX-NAN in C on FJ... old fashioned seat but not too bad!)

I also (now) recall reading somewhere ages ago that NZ HAS allowed "UFC" in the past... reportedly ex-LHR... As I fly Transpac exclusively I have no experience of that!

Given the "occupancy rate" for the Y+ cabin in my experience there wouldn't BE many seats available anyway!

It started as 20 something Y+ seats on the 744 UD (and 18 on the 772).. 16 extra Y+ seats were subsequently added to the 744... and the Y+ cabin on the 772 has doubled in size...:shock:

 

[Dalescott]

Tried it with EK, was told that they are not allowed to do it.

 

[davidj-bell]

A friend told me a trick to try .

He thinks if you want to get an upgrade from Economy to PE cheaply, then go to the airline counter just before you try to check-in and try offer them cash for an upgrade ( in the hope that you can negotiate the fare )

Has anyone ever tried this? Does it work ?

I have with BA, from PE to J, and got a ridiculous price (£2000! or something silly). I enquired on board, and got an upgrade for £600.

 

[tuppaware]

I have with BA, from PE to J, and got a ridiculous price (£2000! or something silly). I enquired on board, and got an upgrade for £600.

On the flight you wanted to be upgraded ?? Or another flight ?

 

[MrJetset]

I've seen signs at SYD by Garuda offering them, though I'd never fly them, Jetstar apparently does them as does V Australia.

 

[davidj-bell]

On the flight you wanted to be upgraded ?? Or another flight ?

On the flight I wanted to be upgraded.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It never ceases to amaze me how the more scraggy looking the person the more audacious they are in asking for an upgrade and not expecting to pay for it!

Saw a woman the other day that looked like she'd just rolled out of a hedge go up to checkin with her boarding pass for 11A having already web checked in but then lowered her voice and said "can I have one of those special seats".

After the checkin agent asked her to explain what she meant by special seat the replied "you know the ones in the first 3 rows"!!!

After being told there were "no operational requirements for upgrades today" she probably retreated and consumed her nutmeat and mung bean sandwich.

Oz

 

[david870mdg]

RJ and FJ have nice little signs on the check in counter offering this option.

 

[tuppaware]

As I ended up getting the return bne-lax flight with Air NZ for $1000, I think any chance of an paid upgrade will be too much.

Although lets see how I feel before my return LAX leg.