dilpat84

I know the answer to these kinds of threads is normally 'It's random, don't question it, just enjoy it' but I wondered if you had any thoughts on this:

I booked LHR > DEL, BOM > LHR in CW a few months back, before upgrading the outbound leg using Avios to First. I've just landed back in London having been upgraded at the gate to First, meaning I was lucky enough to fly F both ways having only paid for it in avios one way.

I'm curious as to why I'd been selected given that I'm a lowly bronze. I wondered if it was perhaps because a full fair economy ticket had been bought at the last minute and so they'd had to bump people up to create space. Perhaps the GGLs, Gs and S's onboard all had special meals as I imagine that route might have more Asian Veg Meals than normal, but to confuse matters I popped back to CW during the flight and there were still some empty seats leading me to believe it wasn't due to their being a shortage of seats in CW.

Do you think that CW was supposed to be full but there were some no shows? Or that flying out in First somehow put me at the top of the list? I'd asked at check in how much a paid upgrade would cost and politely declined when given the figure.

I am, of course, grateful to have experienced the magic beep so soon after joining BAEC and I don't expect it to happen again any time soon, but can't quite understand how I managed to get upgraded before others.

darthlemsip

It's random, don't question it, just enjoy it

sunnyzip

It's random, don't question it, just enjoy it

Ziz

I don't ask questions. I get upgraded so often that I just hope they don't notice haha!

FlyerTalker6245

I get the impression that status is inversely proportional to probability of being upgraded.

The best advice I can offer you is to stay Bronze as long as you can.

corporate-wage-slave

I think not, at least I'm scarcely deprived of them. Depends on route and what-not, but the upgrade Gods have smiled on me more than a few times. I have never paid for First, either with cash, Avios, AUP, POUG, UUA, GUF, you name it, but it would be a rare month that I don't see the inside of a First cabin.

Anyway, for dilpat84, this is all part of BA's cunning plan, I think we will see a few status level upgrades over the next few months.....

Crampedin13A

Well with the amount of flying you do on BA I would hope they would reward you. However I have never received an upgrade on BA. That being said I have only flown in Y shorthaul twice since I returned to BA in 2005. The rest has been F,CW and CE so in a lot of cases there would have been no cabin to be upgraded from. WT+ seems to be the cabin on YYZ-LHR that is a real sweet spot for op-ups to CW. Loads of upgrades on the likes of AC,LH and LX though due to status.

circusboy

I was travelling as an AA EXP from MCO-JFK on AA connecting to JFK-LHR on BA on an I fare. Booked online with AA, I called BA to ask for discounted upgrade options, not possible. As I checked in with AA I didn't get the option to upgrade. On arrival in JFK I discovered I'd be OpUp into 2A. Still don't know why but I didn't complain.

Ziz

That's the route and cabin I've enjoyed most of my op-ups in. Occasional upgrade from WT to Wt+ too on the same route.

Redwood

It's random. Don't question it, just enjoy it! ��

On a serious note, I know the answer to this but not sure I can post it here... So I'll do my best to shed some light.

The truth is, there is no real formula to how upgrades work and they can happen for a number of reasons. Not just overbooking, although that is the most common reason. Generally though, BA gives complimentary upgrades if it suits them and it is true that status plays a big role.

FlyingScientist

Looks like a good commercial decision to me. There is a substantial potential that a bronze card holder who is willing to pay for CW will spend more money with BA.

At least, a similar strategy appears to have worked in my case. The bronze tier level was introduced just shortly after my membership year ended, in which I collected just above 300 TP, and BA decided to elevate me from Blue to Bronze. The following year, I again collected just above 300 TP. Then, I wanted to bring down the stress of travel, and so I decided to invest about £200 in WTP (trying it for the first time). BA upgraded me to CW on that flight. Now, if the fare difference is not too large, I tend to go for WTP and try to use Avios to upgrade to CW. I also actively avoid non-OW carriers. Result: I am now at 580 TP, which will become 690 TP (passing the Silver threshold) once I am back home, 2 months before my membership year ends.

Crampedin13A

Agreed. It was an op-up on CP YYZ-AMS 20+ years ago that got me buying premium cabin tickets first on CP then on other airlines. Before then I'd only ever thought of doing long hauls in Y.

Schultzois

It might not be random, but still, don't question it, just enjoy it.