SeaProf

With apologies to all reading this thread, let me see if I have this process correct by piecing together the information included in your posts and from elsewhere.

1. Beginning far in advance (from the time of booking if you're the first or as early as 7 days in advance if not) Elite Recognition Upgrades are the first to be awarded, provided space is available. Seats will be allocated but the individual may not actually know this has happened until perhaps they check in or get to the gate, depending on the situation, because someone could end up buying the seats after they have been allocated thereby making fewer seats available.

2. Elite (standby) upgrades are then awarded if not gifted to someone of lower status. Once again, the individual may not know they have been successful until close to departure.

3. Gold then Silver Recognition Upgrades are awarded. Once again none of the individuals may know they are in the queue because someone else could buy the seats at the last minute, thereby reducing availability.

4. Elite (standby) upgrades that have been gifted to those of lower status are awarded. Once again, they may not be notified that a seat has been allocated for them because, once again, someone might be purchasing the seat close to departure.

5. OneUp upgrades are then processed. Those who definitely fail are notified 3 days in advance but those who might succeed are not notified either way because, as with the others, someone might be purchasing the seat close to departure and their bid is rejected at the last minute.

Is this close to accurate?

Thanks,
SeaProf

KiwiJC

Not quite - with regard to Elite RU's and APD upgrades, it depends on the availability of certain fare classes as to when these clear.

Typically a flight starts with a number of seats available in class A (PE Upgrades) & R (Business Upgrades) - as you indicate, there's a fairly limited number of these. While class A/R is available an Elite upgrade will clear and show immediately when requested, so I have two flights next year which have been upgraded & show as such already.

If there's no A or R available though, you're effectively just the first off the line in point 3 (ie. there's no 'seat allocated' or anything like that, as far as I'm aware).

I'm also not sure exactly where an APD upgrade falls if there's no A/R available (ie. before or after RU's) - I wouldn't be confident that it's before Gold/Silver RU's though.

sbiddle

My understanding is Elite standby upgrades sit below RU's when it comes to clearing at the gate. These are ranked in accordance of member status.

So at the gate it's probably (and this is my understanding from a contact there a couple of years ago, I don't see why this would change)

Elite RU, Gold RU, Silver RU, Elite standby, Gold standby, Silver standby, no status standby.

Now that they've started processing OneUp's right up until the gate by understanding is these sit below everything above.

The only thing I'm uncertain about is where staff travel fits. I have been told this sits above OneUp's and below standby upgrades, but am uncertain as to the accuracy of this.

minz56

Like the OP, I believe, I have a RU which was received as part of the Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard promotion when it was launched a few months back. However I am only Jade with NZ.

So where in the pecking order will these be considered? Below Silver RU or even lower? I have a RU request for AKL/DPS to business on the 767 on 3 October. I am hopefull!!

Kamadan

I am pretty sure E-APD upgrades are treated as if they are RUs, that is, if you are Elite, your E-APD should clear before Gold/Silver RUs.

And if you are gifted an E-APD upgrade, then it depends on your own status level and thus will clear according to the pecking order.

Me and my friend was gifted an E-APD from Y->PE on HKG-AKL last year, and I was only Gold at the time (with him Jade). It was cleared 7 days prior to travel for both (as it was on the same PNR, and which was 1 day earlier than the 6 days for Gold/Silver upgrades as officially listed), granted that flight was not premium heavy at all and 1/3rd of the 77R PE cabin went out empty in the end.

As far as what happens if there are more same-tier upgrade requests than seats (e.g. 6 available in J, 10 Elite requests be it RU or E-APD), my understanding is it then falls to time of request lodged as the tie-breaker (for before the gate consideration, if it ended up being at the gate then see sbiddle's comments above). But that's just my own speculation, unless years in tier (seniority) is actually considered, which is what most US based carriers used in such a scenario.


It would be after Silver but should be before OneUps being considered according to some anecdotal evidence on this thread.

Eugeniusz Bodo

Fascinating system! It would never fly in Canada. We wouldn't have patience/capacity/courage to understand and use it!

robbau

I have requested an upgrade from Y to C using 2 RUs.

So around 6 hours before departure, a dummy booking shows 4 seats in C available for sale.

At check-in, 2 hours before departure, counterstaff staff say they cannot confirm the upgrade as they expect the flight to be full, but did confirm still 4 BP seats available.

C fares were $8k. Do they really expect to sell 4 of those ?

What does this mean?

Thanks

SamB2356

Some seats are reserved up until check in closes. Upgrades can still be confirmed up to the gate.

Kiwi Flyer

What route are you flying? On some routes premium cabins have a reasonable number of last minute changes between flights.

And some flights NZ may be happy to oversell, knowing they have other flights to move pax to if necessary.

KiwiJC

Just reflecting on the comments above, I recently had an upgrade (Elite APD, Y to PE) submitted on NZ5 which hadn't cleared by check in. You hadn't been able to buy PE on either NZ1 or 5 for several weeks on that date though, so I wasn't holding out much hope!

At check in they informed me that they would not be able to confirm any upgrades until NZ1 had departed, which reflects exactly what Kiwi Flyer suggests above with regard to over selling or changes from the earlier flight.

In the end, my upgrade was confirmed ~20 minutes from boarding.

robbau

NZ80.

I suppose the lack of transparency in the process is the most frustrating part.

Facts were:

* Requested upgrade from Y to BP using 2 x RU
* Flight oversold 2 weeks before departure but metal changed from old 772 to refit (more seats)
* Four BP seats available for sale < 2 hours before departure per counter staff
* Confirmed by premium team the day before that I was first in line for upgrade
* Was asked if BP not available would I settle for PE (never been asked this before - it's normally all or nothing). answered yes.
* Was told there is a faulty table on one of the BP seats (nice for a new refit) - would I be happy to settle for this if last option? Answered yes.
* Ended up getting upgraded to PE

So my question is
1. Assuming no one bought last minute HKD$40k one way seats - who would have gone ahead of me to BP, based on the above?

I'm really not peeved at missing out (ok, just a little). .

The most frustrating part is the lack of transparency around the process, coupled with recent inconsistencies with AIRNZ service.

The greatest value I have got from this forum is that there are benefits available by simply knowing the rules. The problem is that the rules are frequently unwritten, deliberately not disclosed or inconsistently applied by AIRNZ

LyingFlat

Is it possible that there were other Elites who were a higher priority than you?

I always understood the priority to be based on the highest booking class - i.e. if there is one seat in BP and two Elites trying to get it (one in B class and one in M class), the one in B class gets it because they're on a higher fare.

Also, don't forget that CX leaves around about the same time as NZ does from HKG so there is every possibility that one or two people transferred across...

robbau

Hi LyingFlat

Whilst they told me (twice) that I was first in line (2 hours ahead), I am sure that what you suggest is possible.

Thanks for replying - this helps to know what the rules are.

weo

Thanks for all the info on RU and one up. I haven't seen this question though. I am booked PE on AKL to IAH NEW YEARS EVE! with return on Sunday 10 Jan. I am silver (13 years) with one RU available to use. Here are my questions:
- Is it better to apply for RU sooner rather than later (later I could guesstimate availability)
- Which flight should I request the RU v. the One UP? I could apply the RU on the first flight and if unsuccessful try it on the second. But I think the second flight will be busier cause it is Sunday and NOT on New Years Eve.And then I would have wasted the RU on the not busy first flight.
- Any educated guesses as to how much a OneUp would cost? I am thinking about $550 based on these forums.

This is VERY important to me because I have a spinal disease and am always in pain when sitting. And I am flying to see my son that I have not seen in 10 years and I only have 7 days with him and I don't want to be recovering the entire time.
Thanks for your help.

weo

OUCH! I'm not silver - just lowly 'whatever class' but I've been a Koru member for 5 years.