Originally Posted by
elitefreak
I completely disagree. I was Op-Up'ed a number of times as a Plat and, once I learned that economy was overbooked, I always made sure to make myself known to the gate staff and ideally the concierge. They typically do the op-ups shortly before closing the door and there's usually other things going on so the concierge isn't looking to make their life more difficult if they have an eligible Plat standing nearby. And I usually was able to get my Silver colleague u/g'ed with me (in fact, they would ask if I was traveling alone).
Let me see - you are the
only person in Y who wants or will accept an upgrade??
And no one else on the bird wants to fly up front.
And you were the only elite on the flight that even
thought about the possibility of an operational upgrade...
Look at it from the gate agent’s perspective – they know already that
anyone would be happy to receive an Y to J upgrade: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Civilian, or Non-Rev. So by chatting it up with the airline personnel I send the same message (a presentable guy with Elite status) without having to asking, as they know an upgrade would make anyone's day.
But we are essentially saying the same basic thing i.e. making a personal connection can increase your chances.
SunLover