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Unable to upgrade 1 leg, even over the phone?

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Unable to upgrade 1 leg, even over the phone?

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Old May 12, 2024, 1:39 am
  #1  
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Unable to upgrade 1 leg, even over the phone?

Hi Everyone

I’d like to upgrade the shorthaul leg of a DXB-LHR-LIS flight.

The DXB-LHR is in WT+ and the LHR-LIS in ET. I am unable to upgrade online so I called BA, and they said it’s not possible to upgrade only one leg. They could only quote me for the full trip.

Should I try again or is this normal? Will I be able to upgrade the single leg at the airport?

Thanks
James
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Old May 12, 2024, 1:48 am
  #2  
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are you looking to do a cash upgrade or using avios?

if cash, maybe there isn't a DXB-(WTP)-LHR-(CE)-LIS fare so they can't calculate a fare upgrade
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Old May 12, 2024, 1:54 am
  #3  
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Assuming that you are looking to pay in cash - You would need to either upgrade the entire journey to business class or change the DXB-LIS booking to be a DXB-LHR booking and then book a separate LHR-LIS flight in business class
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Old May 12, 2024, 4:08 am
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
Assuming that you are looking to pay in cash - You would need to either upgrade the entire journey to business class or change the DXB-LIS booking to be a DXB-LHR booking and then book a separate LHR-LIS flight in business class
... or chance your arm on there being an AUP (upgrade purchased at the departure airport for the leg in question) being available. This is a completely different type of upgrade to upgrades on the web site or over the phone (the price won't depend on the fare bucket in which you have booked), and is subject to availability.

Of course another reason for inability to purchase it now is simply unavailability of the relevant seats.
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Old May 12, 2024, 4:27 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by abligh
... or chance your arm on there being an AUP (upgrade purchased at the departure airport for the leg in question) being available. This is a completely different type of upgrade to upgrades on the web site or over the phone (the price won't depend on the fare bucket in which you have booked), and is subject to availability.

Of course another reason for inability to purchase it now is simply unavailability of the relevant seats.
Trying to purchase on the day is different - I would doubt very much that BA markets a premium economy fare at a reasonable price that would allow for part travel in business class - looking on EF, the full W fare would seem to permit business class , but not the others
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Old May 12, 2024, 7:41 am
  #6  
 
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I've had similar before. I can only guess that it is a "feature" of BA's IT systems.

Seems a strange business attitude to be turning down money from a customer willing to spend it with you.
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Old May 12, 2024, 8:47 am
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Originally Posted by Camflyer
I've had similar before. I can only guess that it is a "feature" of BA's IT systems.

Seems a strange business attitude to be turning down money from a customer willing to spend it with you.
Nothing to do with IT in this instance. Its down to the fare rules which mean you cant combine a long haul business class fare with a short haul connecting flight in economy.
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Old May 12, 2024, 11:32 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by Anonba
Nothing to do with IT in this instance. Its down to the fare rules which mean you cant combine a long haul business class fare with a short haul connecting flight in economy.
That is something that you can do and the OP already is doing the intercontinental flight in a higher cabin than the intra Europe flight. the issue is that the PE fare doesn't allow a higher cabin for the intra Europe flight

The OP could do it by buying DXB-LHR and LHR-LIS as separate fares - which may or may not be able to be issued into a single through ticketed itinerary

It is indeed simply down to fare rules though
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Old May 12, 2024, 1:03 pm
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by Anonba
Nothing to do with IT in this instance. Its down to the fare rules which mean you cant combine a long haul business class fare with a short haul connecting flight in economy.

unless of course the two different flights offer different classes of which often WT+ is not available due to aircraft ie middle row empty business class...in which case the fares are priced accordingly
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Old May 12, 2024, 1:54 pm
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
That is something that you can do and the OP already is doing the intercontinental flight in a higher cabin than the intra Europe flight. the issue is that the PE fare doesn't allow a higher cabin for the intra Europe flight

The OP could do it by buying DXB-LHR and LHR-LIS as separate fares - which may or may not be able to be issued into a single through ticketed itinerary

It is indeed simply down to fare rules though
I specifically meant you cant do it on one pnr with business class as the higher cabin…..im well aware it can be done under separate bookings or with WT+ as the higher cabin.
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Old May 12, 2024, 2:23 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by Anonba
I specifically meant you cant do it on one pnr with business class as the higher cabin…..im well aware it can be done under separate bookings or with WT+ as the higher cabin.
Your post stated the opposite though
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Old May 19, 2024, 2:20 am
  #12  
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Thank you for the responses. I'd like to know the likelihood of being able to upgrade at the airport. Does anyone know the availability of CE for:

LHR-LIS BA500 on Thursday 23rd May
LIS-LHR BA519 on Sunday 26th May
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Old May 19, 2024, 2:47 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by JamesNCL
Thank you for the responses. I'd like to know the likelihood of being able to upgrade at the airport. Does anyone know the availability of CE for:

LHR-LIS BA500 on Thursday 23rd May
LIS-LHR BA519 on Sunday 26th May
It's too far away to say for 26 May. For 23 May it looks good for at least 1 AUP on BA500 but we would get a sharper view tomorrow after we've seen what Theoretical Seating has done.
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Old May 19, 2024, 2:55 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
Your post stated the opposite though
?? eh?? Are we speaking different versions of English? I am not reading Anonba's post as saying what you imply it is saying.
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Old May 19, 2024, 3:40 am
  #15  
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Originally Posted by NickB
?? eh?? Are we speaking different versions of English? I am not reading Anonba's post as saying what you imply it is saying.
How else do you read "you cant combine a long haul business class fare with a short haul connecting flight in economy." as being anything other than not being able to have the long haul in business class with the shorthaul in economy

Whet the OP wanted to do was have the long haul in Premium Economy with the shorthaul in business which seems to be the complete opposite
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