AustralianPoochie

That should have read, Qantas Club members...

In my dream, I would see it that there, somewhere in the Qantas system, that when I have checked in online, and turned up at the airport, and that there are empty seats in Business (J), that Qantas would, (I dream/wish so), that without me having to ask, I get an offer to get up to Business Class. Domestic/Trans Tasman.

Anyone seen it happen?

Thanks OR more so

Himeno

No.
There are only 3 ways to upgrade on QF
With cash paying change fee and fare difference
With points within the rules of the QFF program
Rare Operational upgrades

og

As said by Himeno.

Unlike UA and AA (etc) there is no free formal process for moving people up to J if there are empty / unsold seats. QF values the J cabin more highly that the US airlines and makes it difficult to get into unless you pay ( preferentially $$, or lots of points ).

If you want more comfort in Y, select your desired seat - and pay for it or have high enough status so you can allocate it without extra cost.

UpwardlyMobile

Even with operational opgrades, priority would go to Chairman's Lounge, Platinum One, Platinum and Gold in that order before a Qantas Club member (which I think QF ranks between Gold and Silver).

BD1959

What about OWE and OWS - would they slot in between WP and SG and SG and QP respectively, or don't QF consider oneworld status when considering who to upgrade for operational reasons?

What about Skywards members?? (Considering the phenomenal success of the EK alliance!!)


Regards,

BD

Lucky_man

AustralianPoochi,

There is nothing like dreaming. You can by a lotto ticket and roughly reckon they are about equal chance of coming home with the big one in this situation.

There are however two more situations in which can get upgraded from my experience.

Extra Way 1
QF concede they let you down and some one at the time was pro-active enough to mark your account with - upgrade next available opportunity or similar. Had this once.

Extra Way 2
At the discretion of the Lounge Dragon or similar. In my limited experience much more likely to happen in the highest lounge level available. I had this once on my Honeymoon. Myself and ms Luck_man upgraded to J SYD-HKG.

AustralianPoochie

Noted, thanks you all.

Dream (bubble) popped!

RichardMEL

Extra Way 2.75 -

At discretion of Lounge staff, based on Status.

Had an interesting experience out of SYD back in January. I had been booked on K fares to/from a regional destination with MEL-SYD either way. On the outbound, website let me waitlist for a J upgrade using points, but J checked in full (noting 2 uniformed crewmembers on the flight, probably deadheading - so no assumptions made there). It was a 73H, so wasn't surprised. On the return, could NEVER get the website to offer a seat let alone a waitlist, just saw "no seat available. try again another time" type stuff (and at the time didn't think to check for actual U avail). I did call morning of flight, but told it was under airport control. At regional destination told they can't do anything, even though it was within the 3 hour check-in window for the flight in question. Anyhoo, so get to SYD and the QC (Business/Plat lounge closed at that point in time) about 40min prior departure pretty much thinking no way to get a J seat on a busy Sunday evening SYD-MEL. Hand over BP for row 23 asking if there was any chance of a seat being free. Agent says "Oh yes, here you go. Oh, and don't worry about points. This one is on us. We try and look after you when we can" and it was comp. She then went on to apologise for the J lounge being closed and "Try and make yourself comfortable here until your flight" apologetically. That was a new one.

Now I didn't ask for the upgrade to be comp - I have more than enough QFF points burning a hole in my account but it was a very nice gesture, and the J seat home was definitely appreciated!!

Now sure, I'm P1, and always been treated with a fair degree of deference by QF staff (or sometimes a tad cloying) but I certainly don't EXPECT something like that.

Next time I wised up when I had that "no seat avail"message, looked up saw plenty of U so phoned and was upgraded on the spot (with points, btw)

thadocta

Another way 2.75.2 - Also at discretion of lounge dragon (at the door in my case).

Flying SYD-MEL on a flexible fare, arrived ridiculously early, transferred to an earlier flight (with enough time to sample the delights of the bar, of course). Between then and my new flight, several flights were xxxld or downsized, due to aircraft going tech. The results> Hundreds of people delayed getting home on a Friday afternoon/evening.

I approached the reception desk (the queues were horrendous at the service desk) and offered to transfer back to my original flight, so that at leasy one person would have a reduced delay. No skin off my nose, I would be getting in when I originally planned. They accepted my offer, and gave me a new boarding pass, with seat 2A on it. They said it was because I was being a nice guy.

Dave

RichardMEL

That's a win/win for them so the J seat is good compensation.

You've shown an understanding of the situation and willingness to make the switch for them to free up a seat on that earlier flight. Even if their delayed pax cascaded to your original flight, it's still worth giving you a J seat as it effectively frees the Y seat for them, when the number of delayed paid J pax would probably be 0 or 1 at the very most. In the process they reward your loyalty too (status wise) and make you feel appreciated at little cost to them (apart from bar stock in SYD ). good move - and good move by you to.. move (and ask at the reception desk to not tie up resources - I'll have to keep that one in mind)

AustralianPoochie

Mmm, #9, lucky you, guess that this shows that QF staff do have the leeway/authority (if they wish to use it) to "assist" us QF flyers.

Anyway, I will be back to discuss after I do this NZ trip, will they "upgrade me" from my "comfort extra seat" to J.

Hoss007

A couple of years ago I had asked for upgrade to J from Y+ JNB-SYD which was granted at checkin. At the gate the BP was torn up and I was given opup to F! Thanks QF! Now they've taken F off that route, so when will they put the 380 on it?

Himeno

The first time I got an upgrade was SYD-LAX in 2009. Points upgrade from Y to Y+, then given an opup to J at check in.

AustralianPoochie

I will ask nicely when I do the NZ runs (flights) later on this year.

One of my flights will be an EK, bought a business class seat, but its a 777 with F class on it! Also will try with the QF subclass of Y.

Thanks again you all.

thadocta

Good luck, you will need it.

There is no "QF subclass of Y".

"Y" has two meanings, the first is to cabin, and is generic in that it means the economy cabin.

The second is to fare class, and means Full Economy, which NOBODY actually pays.

If you have paid for Y, then they saw you coming, you could have got a discounted J fare for less.

Dave