jagmeets

Hey folks - as QRC3288 and others have mentioned - the inability to upgrade a reasonable time in advance is a pet peeve with the MPC for a lot of us. While I don't have a clue about J->F, given only 6 seats, had a positive experience for a R->J upgrade.

One segment is in ~2 months while the other one is further into the future (but on a definite 'high traffic' day - flight just before a decent 'holiday weekend'). No award seats available, though paid bookings were still quite light.

I'd booked the segments in R, but not issued the tickets yet - a quick call and the DM line agent (without prompting) put me on hold to call 'control' and managed to get the seats.

Oh and it was for 2 pax, myself and my GO wife. The agent did ask if the miles were to come from my account or my wife's (they've in the past said 'if they're coming from your account, we could try getting seats released').

If they get consistent with this & seat blocking (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...eat-block.html), I might be incentivized to stick with the MPC, even if it requires me to send some travel CX's way where they might not have the most optimal routing/fare.

jagmeets

Yep, I've been burnt trying to upgrade an R fare in the past, when E had been available..ended up traveling on R..

Thankfully the website allows a 24hr hold revenue tickets now. In this case, the website had been throwing up an error, so I called in to book and requested for a 24hr hold. The helpful e-services agent gave a 5day ticketing deadline (with the $fare guaranteed for a day).

Once the MPC confirmed the award seats, I called back reservations and they issued the tickets while I was on the phone (was worried about them queuing to ticketing and them taking their own sweet time).

jagmeets

Perhaps we need to hive off a thread about DM experiences with award seat release?

So, today was travel planning day..another set of R->J upgrades (2 pax), in reasonably peak season (Oz in December), no U award seats on/around the dates, and they got me the upgrades.

Interestingly the outbound cleared really quickly (not quite sure how long sell works, perhaps that?), while the agent needed to put me on hold for a couple of minutes to clear the return ('let me try to call Control and see'). Again, without having to prompt them to call the inventory controllers. Quick enough that I hadn't finished my drink @ the QF SIN lounge, one that would've cost UL ~$50.

Revenue PE inventory was low (R3-4, E0, lower coach classes sold out, but decent availability in biz), so an op-up could have been on the table, but at 22.5k miles apiece, a mileage upgrade was worthwhile to me.

Perhaps, they are getting wise? Not complaining..(Referring to experiences where a mileage upgrade didn't go through, only for CX to have to opup).

Psychiatrist

I've never had trouble as a DM with award seat release - all my redemptions are outright J redemptions - not upgrade from PEY.

In the last 3 years I've had to call around 10-15 times - each time the seats were unavailable online and they released the seat to me after putting me on hold. The flights I had to call for were LHR, LAX, JFK, HND.

I've had 100% success rate with calling for redemptions. I do, however, book way in advance - sometimes exactly 365 days in advance (for CNY longhaul flights) or at least half a year in advance. The shortest time was perhaps 3 months ahead for LAX (to attend a FAA course).

One thing that happens each time - while I'm on hold, I hear a "ding" sound on my phone - it's a text message from CX saying that the flight has been confirmed. It's a very pleasant "ding"

jagmeets

Oh yeah- it's a pleasant ding for sure..now, I just tell the agent 'Awesome- Thanks a lot!, I already got an SMS' just as I get off hold.

My bookings mentioned (on this and an earlier thread) are a mixed bag- some in advance (but those are usually around a peak date, like CNY), some just a month away(but those are typically SIN-HKG, which I think is 'easy', or reverse).

On your success-rate, were the redemptions for you?

Wondering if that makes a difference..(though one agent had said 'could try if the miles are coming from your account')..asking because I was unsuccessful in a) ideal award flights, b) an upgrade, for my folks (SL) mid-late last year.

Only positive experiences this year (8x2 'award segment releases across 4 tickets' in total) but all were for self+wife (GO)- combination of outright (SIN-HKG or v.v.) & long-haul (JNB, MEL, SYD, SFO).

PS: I still want that meal! City Hall Maxim's?

QRC3288

Jagmeets and psychiatrist: that's great to hear.

Admittedly I haven't tried redeeming a tight flight in J for a while, except for two no-sweat J seats on a flight that was perhaps 20pct full, my recent requests (and complaints) have all been upgrade/straight redemptions in F, and the dynamic ive been whinging about in this thread and elsewhere. Your experiences puts some context around MPC agents pleading with me "my manager can't release the seat FOR F CLASS" - in hindsight, perhaps they were insinuating they can do this for J class!

It's definitely great news that CX appears to be accommodating for you guys trying to redeem into J.

cxfan1960

I very seldom do full award redemption. I have quite high failure rate (>20%) for upgrades, but I usually buy my tickets close to departure.

I just got a PEY to J for my wife (she is SL) for her Sept-Oct trip. She could use her own miles on the outbound in September, but not on the date she wants to return in October. When I switched over to use my miles, it got cleared immediately.

Psychiatrist

All my redemptions have been for me alone

alphaod

My redemption success is still pretty low right now... Have a couple routes still on waitlist, so I guess CX wins since I eventually just pay for the ticket.

The issue is I usually don't know where I'm going until only a month in advance, but even so the tickets are usually pretty open on the paid side, so they should clear.

Only a few tickets I have booked way ahead in advance, and still not cleared. Now the waitlist for those tickets look unlikely which is annoying.

Rivarix

If only I can have your failure rate. My failure rate is around 80%. Granted, I bought tickets closer to departure as well and I was looking for J -> F upgrade. Never had success ex-JFK. The 2 times I was successful were ex-LAX (CX884/885 seem to be more available than others ex-NA?) The rest I was wait-listed and nothing happened.

So my miles are primarily used by family back home and for straight J redemption, it is always confirmed immediately as long as it doesn't involved NA (never tried EU so don't know about that route). Last week just booked 4 J DXB-HKG-CGK. It was a bit odd though - MPC said waitlist/no availability (not even 1 seat) for that route but plenty on each sector so I think the MPC agent just booked it separately (though still charged 70k).

vantage03

I'm no longer Diamond, but until it expired 6 months ago I had a 100% success rate for Business Class redemption seat requests.

That said, I'd always pick flights where Expertflyer was showing more than a few seats still available for sale, and all my requests were within 2 months of flying. HKG-SYD was the usual route, also successful on HKG-KIX and HKG-LAX in 2014.

I think the trick is to pick a flight with low loadings at time of request... just like with QF.

jagmeets

BTW- this might be open to creative use/ abuse..when I'd called to issue one of the (then confirmed, given my DM status) tickets, the agent asked me if we were using my or my wife's (GO) miles...

Not for us in general as our mileage earning cards are reasonably well aligned/planned (mine and my supplementary to Asiamiles, wife's and one of her supp cards that I hold, accruing to Krisflyer), & I fly more on oneworld (hence have a decent Asiamiles balance), but in cases like cxfan1960's....