Upgrade Business to First

[aus_flyer]

I heard someone mention on a previous thread that they were upgraded a couple of times when travelling on a paid business class RTW ticket.

I have purchased a RTW business class ticket for travel at the end of the year. How common are free upgrades from Business to First?

As as Qantas FF, are upgrades more likely when travelling Qantas than on other Oneworld airlines.

Thanks

 

[NM]

I have done many OneWorld Explorer trips in paid business class (must be ta least 15 of these now, maybe up to twenty) and never been upgraded by Qantas to first except in exchange for points or upgrade credits.

I have once been granted an operational upgrade by CX (HKG-LAX), but never by any other OneWorld airline. I always use BA trans-Atlantic and have used AA trans-Pacific ORD-NRT.

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

Very little chance of upgrades unless you an elite tier FF of the airline on which you're flying and even then, it is only for operational reasons (overbooking in business class) that this will happen.

Most airlines have policies for everything - including who shall be upgraded when necessary and in what priority. FF's of other airlines (even if a member of the same alliance) come very low on the list.

I know for a fact that one carrier will upgrade management staff travelling on company business to first calss before they'll upgrade a commercial (paying) passenger! (Don't want those "customers" getting something for nothing now...)

RTW's are also one of the cheapest, lowest yielding fare types for airlines and generally booked in the lowest sub-class, so don't get your hopes up. "You're dreamin'!"