Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

I think this route is almost the exception that proves the rule. At NRT, there are lots of DL employees at check in counters and working as GAs, as well as redcoats available.

In HKG, contract employees are used, especially for the airport express train station check in desk, but they seem to know and follow DL rules as well as having easy phone access to some sort of DL help line when problems arise. The bottom line is that IME HKG staff seem to be very well trained in DL procedures.

Have you seen OPUPs on this route when coach is not full? At times, there has been a bit of discussion whether the intraAsia flights should be treated differently from TATL/TPAC long haul with genuine BE food, wine, amenities, and service. I could imagine an unpublished benefit to sometimes upgrade especially Asian elites on these flights but I don't know whether DL ever actually does this. I think PMNW did, but it might have been considered to be part of the phantom upgrades program.

Originally Posted by jsmith50

Exactly my experience. It's a rare OPUP from the States but returning home from Asia, it has happened many, many times. Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be any protocol for OPUPs even in Asia. Flying from MNL-NGO-DTW last summer, when I checked in, I was told "congratulations, you've been upgraded." However, I was only OPUPd on the NGO-DTW leg. The flight from MNL-NGO, the BE lower deck BE cabin on the 747 went out so empty they kept the lights off in it for the entire flight. Why the system bumped me up from NGO-DTW and not on the first leg, I have absolutely no idea. OPUPs across the board to me are a mystery, but I'm sure thankful when they happen!

Originally Posted by jsmith50

While I agree that this is the most common scenario and I would say that the vast majority of OPUPs I've had have occurred in this situation, I think it is far more common in Asia for them to recognize elite status and elect to OPUP pax even on less than full flights. Just because this is not the way things commonly happen in the US doesn't mean that it is the standard by which DL does things world wide.