The Impossible Dream

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gaia

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Dec 1, 2003
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I fly more than 100 QF international flights per year. I doubt that anyone else does more than this on Qantas.

I requalify for Platinum within 6 weeks of year start.

I can't get an upgrade when I request it a week in advance.

What chance does anyone else have?
 
I suppose it really relates to the way the upgrade scheme works.

Since being a QF WP, my upgrades have been 6/6; coincidently all between Oz/HKG.

I tend to book well in advance, and may or may not pay the additional to be in an upgradeable class depending on budget/usefulness of upgrade/mood.

In 5 of the 6 cases the upgrade request was lodged at the max 90 day limit; the other at ~65 days.

So, I guess this is the criteria for WP's, if you request a week before you are behind all CLs and those WPs who requested before you.

In November I am travelling to NYC on QF in a non upgradeable class; I already have exit rows preallocated and will keep an eye out for the possibility of a 3 seater being free when I fly. (As a WP on these across the pacific, I am 2/2)
 
gaia said:
I fly more than 100 QF international flights per year. I doubt that anyone else does more than this on Qantas.

I requalify for Platinum within 6 weeks of year start.

I can't get an upgrade when I request it a week in advance.

What chance does anyone else have?
I have found that points upgrades can be had if you chose the flight carefully. I request an upgarde 4 days before departure for QF52 SIN-BNE 2 weeks back and it cleared ok. Avoid flights that are filled with people like yourself.
 
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I'm with you gaia, although my flying (150 international flights last year on top of more than 100 domestic) is spread over several airlines. My upgrade success has been minimal on QF (other than getting F seat on 2-class flights and J seat on 1-class flights due to equipment). Most of my upgrade credits expired unused and no points upgrades have been successful.

Then again, most of the time on QF I am already in the front cabin - either all economy flight or 2-class flight in business.

This isn't unique to QF. On NZ I also have top status and also struggle to upgrade. Some years I am unable to redeem my complimentary upgrades, others I have only used by gifting to others on short regional flights - a bit of a waste of an upgrade that can be used longhaul but better than getting no value from it. The routes I most want to upgrade are virtually impossible, and even getting paid business class is near impossible unless booked sufficiently early.

QF & NZ have in common a handful of routes with far too little capacity in the premium cabins :(
 
hey folks, just a comment. i flue only ontimes on qantas SYD-FRA and requested a standy upgrade in the sales office in frankfurt. they stamped my ticket and i got upgraded to biz in the cabin :D

as thai gold card member i use tg to australia. my upgrade success on check-in was 95% on tg international flights, and for upgrade vouchers on tg 100% (you get a confirmed c-seat at time of booking). you see, you dun need 100 flights and then have to stay in eco, only 5 return a year for star gold.

Kiwi Flyer said:
I'm with you gaia, although my flying (150 international flights last year on top of more than 100 domestic) is spread over several airlines. My upgrade success has been minimal on QF (other than getting F seat on 2-class flights and J seat on 1-class flights due to equipment). Most of my upgrade credits expired unused and no points upgrades have been successful.

Then again, most of the time on QF I am already in the front cabin - either all economy flight or 2-class flight in business.

This isn't unique to QF. On NZ I also have top status and also struggle to upgrade. Some years I am unable to redeem my complimentary upgrades, others I have only used by gifting to others on short regional flights - a bit of a waste of an upgrade that can be used longhaul but better than getting no value from it. The routes I most want to upgrade are virtually impossible, and even getting paid business class is near impossible unless booked sufficiently early.

QF & NZ have in common a handful of routes with far too little capacity in the premium cabins :(
 
gaia, I am guessing that it's the routes you travel and the flights you're on.
All of my upgrades have come through and I tend to book them less than 30 days out..
The ones of had success with:
Y -> J
lots domestically - on departure upgrade.. I think I've only missed out once or twice.
PER-SIN
SYD-LHR-SYD in 2003
Most of my international is J class
J -> F
HKG -SYD
LAX-SYD
SYD-LHR

It's not many I know.. But even a few is better than none. I also managed to use all my upgrade credits.. even if it did mean going to SIN via PER..

I would be interested to know on which routes and flight numbers you have tried to get upgrades.
 
kenji said:
hey folks, just a comment. i flue only ontimes on qantas SYD-FRA and requested a standy upgrade in the sales office in frankfurt. they stamped my ticket and i got upgraded to biz in the cabin :D

as thai gold card member i use tg to australia. my upgrade success on check-in was 95% on tg international flights, and for upgrade vouchers on tg 100% (you get a confirmed c-seat at time of booking). you see, you dun need 100 flights and then have to stay in eco, only 5 return a year for star gold.

Kenji,

Dont tell every-one about THAI...Let them all fly QF !

I am also THAI ROP GOLD, and I dumped QANTAS a couple of years ago. I could never get an upgrade, even when there was spare seats in business class to BKK. Joined THAI, and can get upgrades about 90% of the time when I request them

Rgds.............Peter
 
vt01 said:
gaia, I am guessing that it's the routes you travel and the flights you're on.

It's MEL<->BKK I'm aftre. I use BKK as a hub to fly to HKG, PVG, PEK mostly.
 
It may well be that paid J/F travel SYD/BKK is very popular both on BA9/10 and QF1/2.

Two weeks ago I flew on QF1 and BA9 and both flights were wide open in WHY but sold out in J.
 
Yep, i have noticed in the past year nearly all flights i have been in from MEL or SYD to SIN, HKG, BKK have all been full in J, even though sometimes i have managed a whole row to myself in Y to sleep across 4 seats. (No J upgrade but happy with that regardless !)

E
 
I do not recall a single flight that I have taken where J was not full - admittedly a few of the flights were upstairs but even on Airbus flights and 777 and US domestic it seems like every premium cabin is full :(

The only empty flights I have had have been in F HKG-TPE-NRT on CX.
 
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