any more good upgrade stories?
Apr 5, 2009, 11:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Florida
Programs: AMEX MR, Diners USA,, Delta MM SM, USAir Plat, AAir Plat, HHonors, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 159
any more good upgrade stories?
Just read a good story on another thread about an obnoxious traveler who took a seat in Biz on an international flt and didn't want to move because he felt he had been promised an upgrade due to a schedule change.
Reminds of flying Lisbon > Boston in '97 on Iberia (I think) on a purchased coach tix ... this was back in the day when Delta issued paper coupons for upgrades and I desperately wanted just one on this long flt.
I asked on the phone and was told to ask airport. I asked at the ticket counter when checking in and was told to ask at the gate. I asked at the gate and was told that the last few seats where being held by the head FA.
I made sure to be on the first shuttle bus out to the runway and boarded early. The Portuguese FA was a man who said, ' We are oversold upfront, I don't have any openings in Biz.'
I resigned myself to sitting in coach, but just out of curiosity took a peek up front after take off just to see if one little seat might be open by chance of a miscount or no show.
I was shocked to see at least 3 open seats and the head FA was avoiding me! I basically had to demand he give me an upgrade or tell me why my Delta coupon was not valid...
He required me to sit in coach until he cleared my request with the Delta FA rep on board. Maybe he thought my coupon was bogus?
The punchline. After getting bumped up, I had a nice conversation with my seatmate who was the co pilot's wife. She informed me that several other relatives of crew were on comp tix in Biz...
Those were the good old days of international travel in what what basically domestic first class seats of today.
Reminds of flying Lisbon > Boston in '97 on Iberia (I think) on a purchased coach tix ... this was back in the day when Delta issued paper coupons for upgrades and I desperately wanted just one on this long flt.
I asked on the phone and was told to ask airport. I asked at the ticket counter when checking in and was told to ask at the gate. I asked at the gate and was told that the last few seats where being held by the head FA.
I made sure to be on the first shuttle bus out to the runway and boarded early. The Portuguese FA was a man who said, ' We are oversold upfront, I don't have any openings in Biz.'
I resigned myself to sitting in coach, but just out of curiosity took a peek up front after take off just to see if one little seat might be open by chance of a miscount or no show.
I was shocked to see at least 3 open seats and the head FA was avoiding me! I basically had to demand he give me an upgrade or tell me why my Delta coupon was not valid...
He required me to sit in coach until he cleared my request with the Delta FA rep on board. Maybe he thought my coupon was bogus?
The punchline. After getting bumped up, I had a nice conversation with my seatmate who was the co pilot's wife. She informed me that several other relatives of crew were on comp tix in Biz...
Those were the good old days of international travel in what what basically domestic first class seats of today.
Last edited by Norton26; Apr 5, 2009 at 11:32 am
Apr 5, 2009, 11:25 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 55
BCN-JFK
I flew BCN-JFK on the 30th and was upgraded to BE from a T fare due to the flight being oversold. It ended up being a win-win situation for everyone because I was battling a nasty sinus infection and had a row to myself.
The cherry was the upgrade on the connecting JFK to SFO flight. As a GM, I've come to accept that I rarely get upgrades but this return trip was truly amazing.
The cherry was the upgrade on the connecting JFK to SFO flight. As a GM, I've come to accept that I rarely get upgrades but this return trip was truly amazing.
Apr 5, 2009, 1:45 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: OAIX
Programs: Army Air- Triple Diamond, HH Diamond, DL Diamond, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 107
I flew BCN-JFK on the 30th and was upgraded to BE from a T fare due to the flight being oversold. It ended up being a win-win situation for everyone because I was battling a nasty sinus infection and had a row to myself.
The cherry was the upgrade on the connecting JFK to SFO flight. As a GM, I've come to accept that I rarely get upgrades but this return trip was truly amazing.
The cherry was the upgrade on the connecting JFK to SFO flight. As a GM, I've come to accept that I rarely get upgrades but this return trip was truly amazing.
Apr 5, 2009, 2:05 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: United Silver, AA, Delta, Marriott, Hyatt.
Posts: 432
Guess I'll pipe in this one... I was on DL 130 ATL-MUC, we got turned around 4 hrs into the flight for maintenance. DL creditied the flight as if it had made it to MUC, the next day was booked Y and Op'd up to Biz, and 1.5 MQM,s, DL was able to extend my stay in MUC one day because of the missed day going over; the only seat left was a middle seat way in the back. Got to the airport in MUC and asked for anything other than a middle seat, she replied with 'how about a Business Elite seat?'... Heres the neat part, I was on a T fare of ~$420 RT, and got $300 Delta dollars and 8K plus MQM's on top of my original itinerary for the maintenance issue....
Whew, that is a lifetime of good upgrade karma on one single trip!
I got an unexpected upgrade on an Air France TATL leg after missing my Delta flight in ATL earlier that night because of getting out of the midwest late. As someone mentioned earlier, it wasn't really THAT different from what you used to get in coach 20 years ago.
Apr 5, 2009, 3:11 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: DEN now - ATL and ILM in my heart
Programs: Not enough to count anymore
Posts: 451
Does a double op-up on Delta last month to and from MUC on a 500.00 T class ticket count?
I did a weekend MR and got very lucky and a little spoiled
I did a weekend MR and got very lucky and a little spoiled
Apr 5, 2009, 3:38 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,784
Coming back from SCL to ATL. GA called my name. Sir we need your seat. First thought, cool another day in SCL. My wife is flying with me. GA, we need her seat too. Okay. Go get the Mrs BP. Come, okay here are your new seats. Bummer seats 3C&D.
So here was the kicker we were flying on miles and we had bought a small box of wine on board figuring a long night flight in coach. Didn't need it.
So here was the kicker we were flying on miles and we had bought a small box of wine on board figuring a long night flight in coach. Didn't need it.
Apr 6, 2009, 9:48 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Marriott Silver, UA Premier 1K, AA Gold (MM)
Posts: 390
Personal Best (even after 20 years)
So, had to dig into the vaults (so to speak) for my personal best upgrade story.
Was returning to the US from NZ after a holiday with my sprightly, but still 80 year old, grandmother. We were waiting at AKL to check in for QF AKL-LAX and were, not surprisingly, not looking forward to 13 hours in Y.
As we're waiting in the queue, a QF TA comes up to us and asks, verbatim quote here, "We're a bit full today. Would you mind if we put you in Business Class?" Mind? Of course, we'd mind. We were looking forward to sitting in circa 1988 coach seats for 13 hours. How could you deny us that experience?
Very nice flight it turned out to be, by the way. C was on the upper level of the 744 and I remember enjoying a nice glass of Port (a big treat for a 19 year old from LA).
Was returning to the US from NZ after a holiday with my sprightly, but still 80 year old, grandmother. We were waiting at AKL to check in for QF AKL-LAX and were, not surprisingly, not looking forward to 13 hours in Y.
As we're waiting in the queue, a QF TA comes up to us and asks, verbatim quote here, "We're a bit full today. Would you mind if we put you in Business Class?" Mind? Of course, we'd mind. We were looking forward to sitting in circa 1988 coach seats for 13 hours. How could you deny us that experience?
Very nice flight it turned out to be, by the way. C was on the upper level of the 744 and I remember enjoying a nice glass of Port (a big treat for a 19 year old from LA).
Apr 6, 2009, 10:14 am
#8
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SDF
Programs: DL:360/DM/6 MMer; Bonvoy: Lifetime Titanium 10+M pts, 3100+ nights;
Posts: 1,441
You'll know this was a long time ago but....
I was on a flight on PanAm from Rio de Janiero back to the US with a coach seat. When I checked in, the agent told me I couldn't have a non-smoking seat because they were all gone. I would have to sit in the back in the dreaded smoking rows. I reminded the agent that they were a US-flagged carrier and at that time, the FAA required all US-flagged carriers to accommodate all non-smokers. I told them they could either move the first row of smoking behind me or they could upgrade me.
I ended up being upgraded to First on a 747. It was a very nice flight and the FA gave me a complementary bottle of champagne to take home. (Oh for the days when you could carry a bottle of liquids.)
Moral of the story... always know today's rules.
I was on a flight on PanAm from Rio de Janiero back to the US with a coach seat. When I checked in, the agent told me I couldn't have a non-smoking seat because they were all gone. I would have to sit in the back in the dreaded smoking rows. I reminded the agent that they were a US-flagged carrier and at that time, the FAA required all US-flagged carriers to accommodate all non-smokers. I told them they could either move the first row of smoking behind me or they could upgrade me.
I ended up being upgraded to First on a 747. It was a very nice flight and the FA gave me a complementary bottle of champagne to take home. (Oh for the days when you could carry a bottle of liquids.)
Moral of the story... always know today's rules.
Apr 6, 2009, 3:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 471
Was with a large group several years back (about 20 of us) from SLC to ICN. I was a bit selfish and made sure I was towards the front of the group so I wouldn't have to wait for everyone else to check in. Last 7 people opped up to the front because coach was oversold. 