The Operational Upgrade Thread

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Randomly got an op up with my partner on SYD-HBA (In Sept 2022). Was in J lounge and checked boarding passes. Moved from some random Y seats to 2D and 2F. Flight was full but very lucky as a WP and Silver to get that I think.
Nothing like it has happened on 60 odd flights since...

 

[flyingfan]

Rekindling this thread with an op-up on CX for the two of us TPE-HKG from Y to J.

Nice of CX to show generosity to OWE. They said it was a very full flight.

 

[Cloud9]

Rekindling this thread with an op-up on CX for the two of us TPE-HKG from Y to J.

Nice of CX to show generosity to OWE. They said it was a very full flight.

And the love from CX keeps on coming.

2x Y to J for me and lady Cloud last week HKG - SIN.

 

[BCons]

And the love from CX keeps on coming.

2x Y to J for me and lady Cloud last week HKG - SIN.

Apart from an odd upgrade from QF (they once put a 747 onto Syd Bris to move a weekend rugby test crowd and we ended up in the nose..), CX are the only airline from which I could ever regularly expect a bump-up..

Back in the days when they had F from Aust (I was OWE and frequently to HK with them) it was a delicious game to approach the boarding gate in Mel or Syd with a CX biz BP and see what happened when it was scanned - oh dear, the light went red, computer says 'no' ... and with a little smile the agent smoothly replaces my BP with a shiny new F one..

The flights up were daylight, the returns overnight and always too short for the service v. sleep conundrum.

Pleased to hear CX continues the practice..

 

[Aussie_flyer]

In the very early days of QF/EK partnership as a QF plat you rarely flew economy on EK

 

[Sprucegoose]

In the very early days of QF/EK partnership as a QF plat you rarely flew economy on EK

Very true, not so much these days

 

[defurax]

Nice J to F op-up on BA11 LHR-SIN last month.

 

[amclod]

Around 2008 I had the good fortune for four of us (wife, daughter, mother and me) to be operationally upgraded to QF business class on an overnight flight from Tokyo to Sydney. The reason was that the entertainment system in all the seats to which we were upgraded were broken. Suited us since we just wanted to eat and sleep! I think I was a Gold FF at the time.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

This thread is so quiet, the opup days are clearly over

 

[dairyfloss]

This thread is so quiet, the opup days are clearly over

According to this post; that's about to change for a while, soon:

M

Post in thread 'Qantas Courtesy Upgrade Love'

Saturday at 1:48 PM

The comp upgrades are back, from now until 30/11 inclusive for one pax PNRs where the pax holds CLP1/P1/CL/P. Comp upgrades will be processed from Y to J or J to F only. W pax are for some reason excluded...

For CLP1/P1 they'll be done at T-22h. For CL/P, for international they'll be done at T-22h and for domestic they'll be done at T-6h.

• madrooster

• 
• 

 

[Himeno]

This thread is so quiet, the opup days are clearly over

Over the last few years, I've either been on a single class aircraft or already booked in the highest cabin on the flight, so no op ups possible.

In mid 2023, I had a ORH-JFK AA flight. Some people at the back of the plane were moved up to the front, getting an upgrade in the process, once on board for weight balance reasons. I was just behind "first", so the upgrade wasn't offered.

I almost always got an opup on QF SYD-TYO flights when they were flying the 747. One trip, I got an opup at check in, lost it when rerouted via MEL to CX due to weather issues in SYD, then got the opup back when I got to the CX MEL lounge.

Got an upgrade each way for a short trip to CGK last year. Outbound upgrade was free, just because. Points upgrade on the way back via SIN on the AY lease flight.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

According to this post; that's about to change for a while, soon:

M

Post in thread 'Qantas Courtesy Upgrade Love'

Saturday at 1:48 PM

The comp upgrades are back, from now until 30/11 inclusive for one pax PNRs where the pax holds CLP1/P1/CL/P. Comp upgrades will be processed from Y to J or J to F only. W pax are for some reason excluded...

For CLP1/P1 they'll be done at T-22h. For CL/P, for international they'll be done at T-22h and for domestic they'll be done at T-6h.

• madrooster

• 
• 

Awesome news

 

[Dvg]

And the Cathay love keeps coming, over the last 6 years I’ve been Platinum, Gold and Platinum again and have been lucky enough to have scored a few Prem Economy upgrades with them. Never had one with Qantas in 30+ years lol.

 

[Volando]

Same here! Qantas is the airline I’ve been most “loyal” to over the years - in terms of maintaining status. Never had an OpUp on QF, but have had more op ups on other Oneworld carriers on account of my QF status

 

[clifford]

I've never had an op up from Qantas either, but as QF OWE, I've had several from BA out of LHR.

In the past I've also been upgraded directly from Y to F by UA on a 3-class transpac (747), and most recently, last year, from J to F on EY (787), based on my VA Platinum status. Not that VA have ever provided me with an op up either. In days gone by Ansett were a different kettle of fish, where I got an upgrade on virtually every flight I took out of CBR (usually twice a week), my home base.

I guess we Plats in Oz don't amount to much in the eyes of Qantas and Virgin Australia.

 

[VPS]

A few years ago when I think I was WP but maybe SG and on an award seat I got an opup from J to F from LHR to Sydney from Qantas

 

[Dvg]

I do miss Ansett, back in the day they handed out upgrades pretty regularly.

 

[Cloud9]

CX439 today, upgraded Y to J with compliments for being OWE.

It's not over yet.

 

[Tooner]

A few years ago when I think I was WP but maybe SG and on an award seat I got an opup from J to F from LHR to Sydney from Qantas

My experiences as a WP back in the day were similar. My first an only Op-up from J to F was onboard from SIN to LHR on a 747 and that taste got me hooked on upgrading to F!

I would have said my most surprising op-up was when VA cancelled my flight and rather than rebooking me into Y, upgraded me to J to MEL, but then last year on a flight from SYD - SIN SQ upgraded me from Y to Premium. As a VA Gold I was not expecting anything.

 

[ovtraveller]

Returning from Seattle to LA to Melbourne with married daughter in towe and applied for a point based upgrade from PE to J for the three of us. Approved 24 hrs prior our flight. Walked into Tom Bradley 's Qantas lounge to get our new boarding passes to much astonishment from daughter. With a return to work the following day, she was able to have a minimum of 8 hrs of sleep and has sworn to never fly PE or E again. As for us, well, I reckon that being too old and grumpy is justification to only fly J anywhere I can and will.