Qantas Upgrades - Successes or Failures (post results)

[HockeyMonkey]

QF68 BLR-SYD Y->J return flight upgrade success at T-7 days as a WP1.

My two colleagues who caught QF68 a couple of days later had an interesting experience.

SG member got an at the gate upgrade to J, WP did not.

 

[burneracc]

sounds like some PCV magic?

 

[SeatBackForward]

sounds like some PCV magic?

I agree, perhaps from QF's perspective, there's benefit to incentivise a Gold to make further bookings with Qantas than a Platinum. It's a bit like asking for favours with the airline by showing how much future bookings you have with them - this is actually LESS reason for them to take care of you as you've already committed to them.

 

[TeaKozy]

I agree, perhaps from QF's perspective, there's benefit to incentivise a Gold to make further bookings with Qantas than a Platinum. It's a bit like asking for favours with the airline by showing how much future bookings you have with them - this is actually LESS reason for them to take care of you as you've already committed to them.

A gold being denied an upgrade is an incentive to work towards WP. I’d be pretty ropable given prioritised upgrades is a published benefit. Did they elect for an upgrade at the gate or book a lower priced ticket?

I’ve had a SG beat me (at the time WP) for a J seat, however they were seated in W and myself flexY. For full flights close in they’ve typically waited until T-6 or thereabouts before processing all upgrades, cabin by cabin (I ended up getting his W seat!).

 

[downgraded]

A gold being denied an upgrade is an incentive to work towards WP. I’d be pretty ropable given prioritised upgrades is a published benefit. Did they elect for an upgrade at the gate or book a lower priced ticket?

Suck it up prince(ss). I think the mantra goes: buy the ticket for the class you want to travel in. No expectation that QF will upgrade anyone - other airlines have upgrade strategies where your upgrade offer is confirmed early. QF keeps the international upgrade process a closed book. PCV or some other process could easily make an SG a better upgrade options than a stuck on WP who thinks they've cracked how to game the system.

 

[muppet]

sounds like some PCV magic?

I suspect the WP did not tick the “at gate” upgrade option.

 

[TeaKozy]

PCV or some other process could easily make an SG a better upgrade options than a stuck on WP who thinks they've cracked how to game the system.

I wouldn’t say qualifying for a higher status tier with an expectation of higher upgrade probability is ‘gaming the system’. QF themselves advertise the benefit and use it to explicitly drive demand.

 

[dairyfloss]

I suspect the WP did not tick the “at gate” upgrade option.

This is the likely answer… Either that; or their ‘upgrade request’ was actually a Bid Now points offer which left them behind Bronze with a classic request.

 

[HockeyMonkey]

This is the likely answer… Either that; or their ‘upgrade request’ was actually a Bid Now points offer which left them behind Bronze with a classic request.

It was a classic upgrade request with the at the gate option ticked.

Who knows how the QF upgrade black box works. I had a similar outcome right after COVID as a WP with a SG colleague..

Our flight was late landing in T4 in LAX so we sprinted to the gate at TBIT for our connecting LAX-MEL flight making it with 2 min to spare with the last few passengers still boarding. They had given away our good economy seats so my colleague and I were both at the gate desk with two different agents at the same time getting replacement seats. He was upgraded to Y+ and I wasn't. Just how it goes sometimes.