upgrade question

[Rusty776]

Hi All

just wondering if someone can clarify an upgrade question. Purchased a sale fare a while back which from my understanding can’t be upgraded. Once confirmed I checked it and sure enough I couldn’t use points to upgrade LAX -MEL. But I could submit an upgrade request from MEL -PER. The app is showing upgrade requested, just do t want to get my hopes up after the long haul in Y. Thanks to this forum I did book 71D though so not all lost.
Thanks

 

[JohnM]

You can upgrade any domestic fare, but not so international.

 

[Rusty776]

You can upgrade any domestic fare, but not so international.

Thanks John... gives me some hope on the way over!!

 

[Hvr]

Thanks John... gives me some hope on the way over!!

Noting that domestic fares are upgradable, if you request it and there is a seat available then it is upgraded immediately.

So, if it hasn't come through you'll have to hope someone cancels their J seat and it is released to a fare grade that can be used to upgrade.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Noting that domestic fares are upgradable, if you request it and there is a seat available then it is upgraded immediately.

So, if it hasn't come through you'll have to hope someone cancels their J seat and it is released to a fare grade that can be used to upgrade.

Sorry but that isn't quite accurate.
On domestic flights, there is a "bucket" of award seats on each flight which are available for awards or for immediate upgrades.
Once that is exhausted, upgrade requests are queued.
This does not mean the requested cabin is full, or that you won't be upgraded unless someone cancels.
There will almost certainly still be seats for sale in various paid fare buckets (J, C, D, I for example).
About 24 hours before the flight the queued upgrade requests are processed (it may be later for Qantaslink operated flights).
If there are any remaining unsold seats in the requested cabin, the upgrade requests will be processed in order of priority until the cabin is full.
It doesn't matter which fare bucket the remaining seats were available for sale in.
I have occasionally seen an upgrade processed a few days out from departure, but I have no idea why this would occur.
One possibility is that it is the cancellation scenario to which you referred, with an award/upgrade seat coming back into inventory.

 

[bertflyer]

Also, if you’re flight MEL-PER is on QF9 then that upgrade request will only clear around 24h prior as it’s treated like an international flight for UG requests.