Originally Posted by
FREEKFLYR
On the outbound from JFK / MIA I was upgraded to Business (nice!!) on the return both times the desk at the BLR airport could not even upgrade me to World Traveller Plus (WTP hereafter). Half the seats in WTP we empty and get this the Business Class was completely empty (I kid you not!!). The BA agent told me that they were not allowed upgrade One World or any one unless they had BA status and or BA related upgrade materials. This I thought was ridiculous. I have been on quite a few flights in CONUS and I have seen BA elites getting upgrades at the airport, and I have confirmed the same with Gate Agents.
Hence when I got back I wrote a polite email to BA and informed them of the same. I have not heard back from them and it has been close to a year. So I am not entirely sure BA customer relations will lend a sympathetic year, did not in my case at least.
If you spent 5 minutes perusing the BA forum zoo would know that BA protects the integrity of its premium cabins and does not hand out upgrades unless it actually needs to, so despite me being BA Gold/OW Sapphire, had I been on the same return flight as you and booked into Y, that is exactly where I would have flown and exactly where I would have expected to fly. If I want to guarantee my butt being in J, I either pay for it, or use miles to upgrade. Otherwise, if an op-up comes along (which is what sounds like happened on your outbound flight) then I gratefully accept.
US carriers devalued their premium cabins long ago by dishing out upgrades to all and sundry and the result is that the "premium" product is far from premium. Airlines in the rest of the world have wisely resisted following the American example.
Oh, and I wouldn't be holding my breath on a response from BA on the matter.....