QANTAS - upgrade to FIRST class

[OneWorldExplorer]

Hello All,

I have a question regarding complimentary upgrades to FIRST and how they are decided.

Presently I am a Platinum member of QANTAS with an annual travel spend of approx AUD 100k of which most goes to Qantas. Usually I fly the Frankfurt to Sydney segment in business class on a J class ticket but recently I have just started to fly SYD-LAX-JFK-LHR-SYD on a OneWorld Explorer ticket booked in business class on a D class ticket.

It seems that everytime I fly on the OneWorld Explorer on a flight that has a First Class cabin I am automatically upgraded to FIRST .... can someone advise if this is standard practice due to the ticket type or does it have something to do with my Platinum standing.

As my usual SYD-FRA flights do not have a FIRST cabin does anyone know if I would meet the same lucky fate if I am on a normal return LHR-SYD flight booked in business on a J class ticket?

Thanks

 

[samh004]

From the posts made here I was going to say don't expect to be upgraded, but seeing as you have been, yes it does depend of FF status. Being platinum, you're very close to the top. There is something higher but you wont be able to get there even with your spend (from what I've seen posted here).

So the reason you are being upgraded is due to your status. But don't count on it obviously, perhaps the increased reason you are being upgraded is due to the current economic conditions and the cabin not being so full. If sales pick up, it may not happen as frequent, if at all.

Someone with a higher "status" might have a different theory though.

 

[Mal]

Qantas has been overselling their Economy cabins in recent times, and Business and First sales are not really very robust.

So if the Economy cabin is oversold, and not enough people have failed to show at the airport/cancelled at the last minute/put in for points upgrades etc, then a ripple effect occurs where Economy people are moved into Premium Economy (if on the plane) or Business, and if these are also full, then people can be moved up into First.

Similarly, Qantas sells Premium Economy on several routes. If a flight with Premium Economy scheduled suddenly has to be substituted with a plane without Premium Economy the seat shuffle can also occur.

Selectees are often chosen primarily on their Frequent Flyer status - ie your Platinum puts you very high up on the list. However, other selection methods can be used.

I think that's what has been occurring. I've heard of quite a few SYD-LAX/SFO upgrades in recent times, as well as SYD-HKG.

Enjoy it, but it's neither a benefit of your ticket or a benefit of your status. Just luck on your side

BTW, Welcome to AFF.

 

[OneWorldExplorer]

Thanks Mal for the information.

I thought maybe it had something to do with a business class OneWorld Explorer ticket, as each time I have bought one (3 so far) and I have flown in a QF plane which has a FIRST class cabin I have bumed up (4 times so far).

The latest was on a LAX to SYD flight. I was one of seven people in FIRST and business only had about 15 people in its two cabins. So over booking was definetly not a reason.

 

[Flashback]

Well I certainly wouldn't be complaining, that's for sure!

BTW, welcome to AFF OneWorldExplorer!

 

[Alanslegal]

Welcome to AFF OneWorldExplorer

I like your use of CAPITAL LETTERS for FIRST class and just using small letters with business class. A good symbolism that FIRST class is just that way much better than business

 

[Mal]

The latest was on a LAX to SYD flight. I was one of seven people in FIRST and business only had about 15 people in its two cabins. So over booking was definetly not a reason.

Hmm. Just enjoy it while it lasts

The only other reasons I could think of are for load reasons (although on a 747, where passengers sit really isn't overly important compared to smaller planes), service recovery (ie you've been stuffed around by Qantas in recent times), a want for Qantas to have more than a couple of people in F for service or catering reasons (not really something I'd expect) or something similar.

Do you perchance have CIP written on your boarding pass or have a Travel Agent who has a particularly good $$$$ relationship with Qantas? Or earn the equivalent of Platinum several times over per year from flying?

Just trying to work out why!

 

[haydensydney]

Qantas has been overselling their Economy cabins in recent times, and Business and First sales are not really very robust.

I think that's what has been occurring. I've heard of quite a few SYD-LAX/SFO upgrades in recent times, as well as SYD-HKG.

I agree with this. Last week my partner and I grabbed a couple of those $1000 SYD-HKG-SYD sale fares for the easter break. Outbound we were upgraded as the Y cabin was oversold by 9. Allegedly there was a domino effect and my partner and I were bumped into premium economy. I found this strange because none of us have ever had status on QF - all we have is a Qantas Club membership that comes along with Centurion so not sure why we were top of the list... won't complain however

 

[pblackm]

Hello All,

It seems that everytime I fly on the OneWorld Explorer on a flight that has a First Class cabin I am automatically upgraded to FIRST .... can someone advise if this is standard practice due to the ticket type or does it have something to do with my Platinum standing.

Thanks

I have flown about 10 x DONE4s in the last eight years and was Plat at all times. I got SYD/LHR and LAX/SYD upgrades to First on one of those trips only. Here's hoping that this might be a more frequent occurrence!

 

[NM]

I have flown many DONE4s over the years, both as a Qantas Platinum FF and as an AA Exec Platinum FF member. In al of those trips I have only ever been operationally upgraded from business to F twice - both times with CX (once LAX-HKG and once HKG-LAX, both when using AA FF number in the booking). Not one op-up on QF, BA or AA. But since being AA EXP, I have managed to upgrade to F on every possible AA operated flight using EVIPs. I have also managed several QF FF points upgrades to F on QF operated flights. Just never had an op-up to F from anyone other than CX.

 

[OneWorldExplorer]

I would probably get enough Status Points to satisfy the Platnium levels two or three times a year ... so maybe that is the reason.

As for the travel agent having a good $$$ relationship, I am not sure. They are a large travel booking company but I know they prefer to use the Star Alliance carriers.

CIP does ring a bell (but not sure where I have seen it) ... what does it stand for?

Hmm. Just enjoy it while it lasts

The only other reasons I could think of are for load reasons (although on a 747, where passengers sit really isn't overly important compared to smaller planes), service recovery (ie you've been stuffed around by Qantas in recent times), a want for Qantas to have more than a couple of people in F for service or catering reasons (not really something I'd expect) or something similar.

Do you perchance have CIP written on your boarding pass or have a Travel Agent who has a particularly good $$$$ relationship with Qantas? Or earn the equivalent of Platinum several times over per year from flying?

Just trying to work out why!

 

[Mal]

CIP does ring a bell (but not sure where I have seen it) ... what does it stand for?

Commercially Important Passenger (can appear on a boarding pass as CIP).

Maybe you're just flagged in the system as a VIP passenger, or some other reason for the run of upgrades. Pretty unusual to have so many in such a short period of time though.

 

[Ewok]

I got bumped to first from SIN to LHR week before last, the plane seemed pretty full though.

 

[Alanslegal]

Commercially Important Passenger (can appear on a boarding pass as CIP).

Maybe you're just flagged in the system as a VIP passenger, or some other reason for the run of upgrades. Pretty unusual to have so many in such a short period of time though.

And maybe OneWorldExplorer is a possible CL in the making :?:

 

[vt01]

My last 2 trip on SYD HKG in March and April midweek, I was bumped from Y to PE.. Very happy! Obviously not as good as J to F but still better than Y. I'm platinum so I assume that has something to do with it.

 

[winetraveller]

Qantas has been overselling their Economy cabins in recent times, and Business and First sales are not really very robust.

So if the Economy cabin is oversold, and not enough people have failed to show at the airport/cancelled at the last minute/put in for points upgrades etc, then a ripple effect occurs where Economy people are moved into Premium Economy (if on the plane) or Business, and if these are also full, then people can be moved up into First.

Similarly, Qantas sells Premium Economy on several routes. If a flight with Premium Economy scheduled suddenly has to be substituted with a plane without Premium Economy the seat shuffle can also occur.

Selectees are often chosen primarily on their Frequent Flyer status - ie your Platinum puts you very high up on the list. However, other selection methods can be used.

I think that's what has been occurring. I've heard of quite a few SYD-LAX/SFO upgrades in recent times, as well as SYD-HKG.

Enjoy it, but it's neither a benefit of your ticket or a benefit of your status. Just luck on your side

BTW, Welcome to AFF.

My recent experience is that op ups are getting more common.

I recently had to fly back to Australia in a hurry for personal reasons. Using LH points I was able to to fly F on UA back to Australia, but there were no business or First seats available on the return flight (for award redemption). Therefore I was booked in whY, and not happy about it I can tell you.

On the BOS-LAX leg I was the only person in F who had not been upgraded. I knew this because the other three people traveling together with me in F were so excited about their upgrade they had to ask me whether I was upgraded as well.

On the LAX-SYD leg I was one of two people in F, and on the leg to MEL the only one.

On the return flight (this time via SFO, I never come back in via LAX) I checked in at the F counter with dread. I had decided to pay for an upgrade (going rate just over AUD$1000) but the check in staff informed me that there were none offered. I knew the C cabin was almost empty, but she told me that UA were alternating upgrade for cash offers between the SFO and LAX flights as otherwise nobody would be paying full fare for business.

My heart sank, but only for a moment. She said that they had REALLY overbooked coach, and that there were going to be lots of op ups. She grabbed my Hon Circle card and ran up to the supervisor, who decided to give me the mother of all upgrades, from Y to F.

Ahhh that's better I thought.

On arrival at SFO I went to the gate for my flight to JFK and was on the upgrade board, and again was upgraded to business on the p.s service. The inflight meal was a cheese burger (there were two other choices, but both contained onions, which are not my favorite) and I knew I was back in the good old US of A.

 

[Ms Lucy]

On arrival at SFO I went to the gate for my flight to JFK and was on the upgrade board, and again was upgraded to business on the p.s service. The inflight meal was a cheese burger (there were two other choices, but both contained onions, which are not my favorite) and I knew I was back in the good old US of A.

Cheeseburger as in-flight MEAL in BUSINESS class? Hmmmm! Little Bronzey me, who has only ever travelled Bus class on three domestic sectors of a FF booking, would have been MOST disappointed.

 

[pblackm]

Cheeseburger as in-flight MEAL in BUSINESS class? Hmmmm! Little Bronzey me, who has only ever travelled Bus class on three domestic sectors of a FF booking, would have been MOST disappointed.

Ah, know you understand how spoilt we are in Oz. About four years ago I was doing a DONE4, and had almost all my travel documents, some cards and money stolen at Sydney Airport whilst in the chemist shop. I did have my passport and boarding pass, so flew on to LAX, where a Qantas rep met me and sorted the rest of the trip. This meant missing the first connection - a two hour lunch flight to Denver, and going on the 3pm flight. In the USA, most flights are two class - F & Y, so I was in F and the service was a bowl of hot nuts and beverages. On an afternoon flight Qantas flight in J, you would get a very pleasant light meal.

 

[winetraveller]

Cheeseburger as in-flight MEAL in BUSINESS class? Hmmmm! Little Bronzey me, who has only ever travelled Bus class on three domestic sectors of a FF booking, would have been MOST disappointed.

Now their are cheese burgers and their are Cheese Burgers, and this wasn't one of the better ones. The other two choices were OK, but the GF doesn't like garlic or onions, and as she was meeting me at the other end, a big smooch was more important that not having the cheese burger.

I have to say that I do enjoy UA's warm nuts, they go real well with a beer (not American of course, yuck). The green brew from Holland is my choice.

 

[OhSoTired]

Qantas has been overselling their Economy cabins in recent times, and Business and First sales are not really very robust.

So if the Economy cabin is oversold, and not enough people have failed to show at the airport/cancelled at the last minute/put in for points upgrades etc, then a ripple effect occurs where Economy people are moved into Premium Economy (if on the plane) or Business, and if these are also full, then people can be moved up into First.

Similarly, Qantas sells Premium Economy on several routes. If a flight with Premium Economy scheduled suddenly has to be substituted with a plane without Premium Economy the seat shuffle can also occur.

Selectees are often chosen primarily on their Frequent Flyer status - ie your Platinum puts you very high up on the list. However, other selection methods can be used.

I think that's what has been occurring. I've heard of quite a few SYD-LAX/SFO upgrades in recent times, as well as SYD-HKG.

Enjoy it, but it's neither a benefit of your ticket or a benefit of your status. Just luck on your side

BTW, Welcome to AFF.

Mal, you are correct. As opposed to SIA, CX and AA who routinely upgrade you, (these are my only other experiences as a premium FF), as a CL with Qantas now for 11 years, for the very first time I was recently granted a "complimentary" international upgrade in Singapore (J to F)…..the Qantas rep subsequently (and nastily) demanded that I agreed to the standard points deduction….what a bad PR exercise, and if I had refused?- what a waste of a clearly overbooked aircraft. And inconvenience for at least one person who hoped to fly that day.
Finally CIP seems to trump CL- I have no problem with that. But "VIP" offends me greatly. Many of these folks will only fly Qantas once.