QF Y > J Upgrade Chances

[AviationNZ]

Hi,

I am about to commence my return journey on my RTW business trip, heading firstly from LHR to HKG on Thursday 22nd (QF 30), then HKG to SYD on Friday 23rd (QF 188). I placed my points upgrade request (Y > J) in early September (from a NB account) and would like to know my odds.

From what I can gather on Class Availability Airline Flight Reservations the flights are;

QF 30 F7 A7 J9 C8 D8 I8 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V9
QF 188 J9 C5 D4 I0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V9 S9 N9

Am I right in thinking that my chances are very good for QF 30, and about a 50/50 chance for QF 188??? They were booked as separate flights and hence are separate upgrade requests.

Thanks,

Tim

 

[serfty]

E/F is showing:

QF030: F7 A7 J9 C8 D8 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 &
QF188: .. .. J9 C5 D4 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9

If you were a WP I'd say your chances would be pretty good, however being an NB, they are still good for QF30 but not so good for QF188.

The thing is. several QF30 J pax are likely to have requested upgrades to F - no such possibility for QF188.

 

[simongr]

swan_tim is a QC Silver so a marginal increase in chance. Did you put your request in right on the 90day mark?

 

[serfty]

... I placed my points upgrade request (Y > J) in early September (from a NB account) ...

I saw this as him being an NB, being PS does increase the chances.

"early September" indicates the request was put around 2½ months before the flight.

 

[simongr]

My mistake as well - I had missed that "from account" element. We still do not have conclusive proof as to which status matters - the provider of points or recipient of upgrade...

 

[Mal]

We still do not have conclusive proof as to which status matters - the provider of points or recipient of upgrade...

When using your points to upgrade an eligible family member, the upgrade will be awarded according to the eligible family member's priority not the status of the Qantas Frequent Flyer whose points are being used.

(I have always believed it was the other way around - the donor's status matters, not the recipients. Is this a recent change, or was I previously mistaken????)


My question is whether the OP means they were Bronze when they submitted the request (and are now Silver) or whether the points came from a Bronze member. I'm not sure how points upgrades are handled when your status changes between submitting the request and the flight. My best assumption is that status is calculated at the moment when the ordering process takes place when upgrades are being decided on.

 

[serfty]

(I have always believed it was the other way around - the donor's status matters, not the recipients. Is this a recent change, or was I previously mistaken????)

The web page has been updated some time this year to be specific about this. Before that the common belief of this forum was that it was the Status of the Points' owner that mattered.

My question is whether the OP means they were Bronze when they submitted the request (and are now Silver) or whether the points came from a Bronze member. I'm not sure how points upgrades are handled when your status changes between submitting the request and the flight. My best assumption is that status is calculated at the moment when the ordering process takes place when upgrades are being decided on.

I would suggest the OP was specific about being an NB account and the context implies that the account was not theirs.

:idea: I would suggest that if there was a specific programming change for these international upgrades as noted above, the revised software would more than likely take the current status of the upgrade applicant into account at the time of the request being processed. (From experience, I believe such would be simpler to program).

 

[simongr]

That segment of the QFF site has been posted here before but the empirical evidence has not always supported this - most people thought it was as you described. It is not something that one can prove either way as for each upgrade request we do not know who else has requested the UG the overall loads and then the final allocation of UGs. It is another part of the hidden systems within QF.

What we need is a recently retired long terms QF revenue management staffer who honestly posts correct information. Now that would be the icing on teh cake of this highly useful website

 

[serfty]

Here's the thread where sequel mention this appeared to have changed:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/upgrades-to-la-january-2008-a-11211.html

 

[serfty]

The actual T&C's have not changed:

14.3.5 Flight Upgrades will be awarded to Members according to their Qantas Frequent Flyer status levels in the following order: Platinum Members first, then Gold Members, then Silver Members and then Bronze Members.

What is relevant can be found on this page:

Frequent Flyer - Using Points - Flight Upgrades

The current text is as follows:

Upgrades are allocated according to your membership level: Platinum Frequent Flyers first, followed by Gold, Silver and then Bronze. When using your points to upgrade an eligible family member, the upgrade will be awarded according to the eligible family member's priority not the status of the Qantas Frequent Flyer whose points are being used.

Back on 11th October it read:

Upgrades are allocated according to your membership level: Platinum Frequent Flyers first, followed by Gold, Silver and then Bronze. When using your points to upgrade an eligible family member with a lesser priority, that member's priority will apply.

 

[AviationNZ]

Sorry about the delayed reply, just woke up here in London.

I am a Silver and have been for about 6 months, however, the account used to upgrade me was my uncles (NB). And the upgrade request was placed roughly 2 3/4 months from departure date tomorrow.

I do recall having this discussion in another thread on eligble family member uprades (http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/qantas-frequent-flyer/international-upgrade-chances-10729.html) but it seems that these new T & C have clarified this situation and by my understanding now uses my status as opposed to that of my uncles (who's points were used).

Fingers crossed in any case!!!

 

[MelUser]

I arrived back from US last Friday (LAX-MEL QF 94) and was successful in obtaining Y-J upgrade for both myself and partner.

We were upgraded in both directions - left Melbourne 1 month earlier. Outgoing flight was changed and upgrade only requested 48 hours before flight. Return flight upgrade request was in for maximum 90 days.

I make this observation as there is much moaning and complaining on this website from people who are unsuccessful in obtaining upgrades and thought it would be good to put in a good word for Qantas.

We are both "bronze" members so low on the QF pecking order however were successful for all upgrades requested.

I had a quick question for those in the know - at the T-21 hour stage when the reservation changes to "Business - Waitlisted", does this mean that the upgrade is a sure thing? I know that at about T-18 the reservation changes to Business - Confirmed.

thanks

PS: Flights in Y on American Airlines were dreadful but the upgrades on QF well and truly made up for this!

 

[MelUser]

Can someone please answer this:

"I had a quick question for those in the know - at the T-21 hour stage when the reservation changes to "Business - Waitlisted", does this mean that the upgrade is a sure thing? I know that at about T-18 the reservation changes to Business - Confirmed."

PS: Received an operational upgrade flying MEL-BNE the other day. No at check in, not at Qantas Club but when scanned at gate, scanner rejected and sent to desk for new boarding passes (2 pax).

 

[Mal]

Can someone please answer this:

"I had a quick question for those in the know - at the T-21 hour stage when the reservation changes to "Business - Waitlisted", does this mean that the upgrade is a sure thing? I know that at about T-18 the reservation changes to Business - Confirmed."

Nope, it's not a sure thing until you see the Business - Confirmed and the old economy section disappear. The waitlisting part happens when you are in the waiting line to receive an upgrade. If there aren't enough to go around, then that may remain until your flight.