Other Asian, Australian and South Pacific Frequent Flyer Programs - A very brief BR trip report

I will do one of my patented BR full trip reports after I get home, but a couple of notes from flying SFO(!)-TPE-BKK on 29/30Jan.

The SEA-TPE flight was not operational on the day that I needed, so SFO on BR 17 it was. This flight was Diamond heavy. I only booked three days out and tried to upgrade from Elite to PL but did not clear. There were four other Diamond members in Elite, I'm not sure of the numbers in PL or coach, but the Diamond part of the SFO lounge was packed. The flight went out at 100%+ capacity including infants.

Yes, as previously reported menu cards are back in Elite (that will make it easier when I write the full TR). I noticed a slight improvement in food quality as well.

My TPE-BKK BR 67 flight had only one open seat in Elite, but PL was packed with deadheading crew; 10 of the 12 seats in the second PL section were crew as well as quite a few in the forward section as well. Menu cards were also handed out on this short segment. For the first time, I was given a priority card to get through Thai immigration, and it saved me at least an hour. Baggage delivery though was the worst I have seen it. Crew bags came out before Priority, and my Priority tagged bags came out almost last. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't get through immigration as fast as I did.

One interesting note, the flight deck no longer say "cabin attendants, service check" at 10,000 feet on either the ascent or the decent of the aircraft. It made timing a bathroom run awkward. :p

Well.. I'm all ears.

I've found BR67/68 can suffer from luggage prioritisation problems. The "priority" tags (PLs/Diamonds) seem OK but I got quite used to the "Evergreen Club" luggage on LHR-TPE coming out AFTER the non-priority stuff that had started in BKK or transferred to BKK.

There was a time that golds got a proper "priority" tag and LHR continued this practice for a long time after it was officially stopped.

I am back home and will post the full report in a couple days. A first for me on the return: my upgrade to PL TPE-SFO yesterday never cleared before departure from BKK but it did clear as a "battlefield" upgrade in TPE thanks to the great staff in the BR lounge.

Again, the TPE-SFO flight was a heavy Diamond flight, I saw 6 Diamonds and 10 Golds on the manifest in PL (something to stare at while waiting for a lav to open up ;)).

I see that the soup course has come back in PL - it was missing for a long time.

I will do one of my patented BR full trip reports after I get home, but a couple of notes from flying SFO(!)-TPE-BKK on 29/30Jan.

The SEA-TPE flight was not operational on the day that I needed, so SFO on BR 17 it was. This flight was Diamond heavy. I only booked three days out and tried to upgrade from Elite to PL but did not clear. There were four other Diamond members in Elite, I'm not sure of the numbers in PL or coach, but the Diamond part of the SFO lounge was packed. The flight went out at 100%+ capacity including infants.

Yes, as previously reported menu cards are back in Elite (that will make it easier when I write the full TR). I noticed a slight improvement in food quality as well.

My TPE-BKK BR 67 flight had only one open seat in Elite, but PL was packed with deadheading crew; 10 of the 12 seats in the second PL section were crew as well as quite a few in the forward section as well. Menu cards were also handed out on this short segment. For the first time, I was given a priority card to get through Thai immigration, and it saved me at least an hour. Baggage delivery though was the worst I have seen it. Crew bags came out before Priority, and my Priority tagged bags came out almost last. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't get through immigration as fast as I did.

One interesting note, the flight deck no longer say "cabin attendants, service check" at 10,000 feet on either the ascent or the decent of the aircraft. It made timing a bathroom run awkward. :p
what kind of upgrade were you using--using miles? or the 4 upgrade certs they give you when you become diamond?

what kind of upgrade were you using--using miles? or the 4 upgrade certs they give you when you become diamond?

Upgrade certs for the long haul flights.

what kind of upgrade were you using--using miles? or the 4 upgrade certs they give you when you become diamond?

Curious as to why you asked...?

Curious as to why you asked...?

i have 4 upgrade certs that expire in august 2012, and was just curious if they are guaranteed to clear or not (assuming that there are empty seats in PL)

i have 4 upgrade certs that expire in august 2012, and was just curious if they are guaranteed to clear or not (assuming that there are empty seats in PL)

I'm on my third set of certificates, and that SFO-TPE flight is the first that I have not been able to get confirmed. Granted, my request was 48 hours before departure, but still...

i have 4 upgrade certs that expire in august 2012, and was just curious if they are guaranteed to clear or not (assuming that there are empty seats in PL)

In my (short) experience, they have the same priority as if you upgrade using miles. Indeed London just make the reservation and then ask you after it has cleared whether you wish to use miles or certificates to "pay".

They are not guaranteed. I think they will still sell the seat in preference to letting you upgrade, if they can. I chop and change my flights quite a lot. Out of my 5 or 6 upgrade attempts since becoming Diamond, only one didn't clear promptly. I changed my flight anyway.