Originally Posted by
samnz
No, for short haul you do not get the upgraded allowance until the upgrade clears. I had a bad experience AKL-MEL, on a seat only fare with RU applied for. Call centre told me the upgraded allowance would apply (ala previous experiences with long haul), got to check in and they tried to charge me $75 for a bag. Made a fuss which resulted in the upgrade being cleared with full bag allowance. Good outcome, but disapointing experience.
Sent an e-mail the next time I was in the situation, and got in writing that the upgraded allowance does not apply until upgrade clears for short haul.
Happy to PM you the full e-mail if you would like, but in a nutshell, buy the bag if the upgrade has not cleared the day before.
Why would short haul and long haul make any difference? I had a similar experience recently on an AKL-HNL sector. I booked a Seat Only fare but was told initially that I wouldn't get Business allowance if not cleared. I asked them if their policy had recently changed they said no. I told them again it was not the same policy if it was never changed. They went back and checked with a supervisor and confirmed my initial understanding was correct that I would get Business allowance regardless. My advice is do not always trust what one agent tells you.