obduro

Special Upgrade Offer (SUOs)

Special Upgrade Offers are a one-time opportunity to upgrade to the next cabin for a fixed cash amount. They are normally sent within 14 days of departure via email, and an example of the email is found below (thank you to delfindo who originally shared) :

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Dear Customer,

We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to upgrade your travel for booking reference XXXXXX.

Economy to Business Class on flight QR 0002 on Tuesday, January 06, 2015 from London Heathrow Apt to Doha at a special price of GBP 482 per person.

This exclusive offer is available on a first come first served basis until 04-Jan-2015 20:30 GMT.
Upgrade to Premium Class and get:
- Access to premium cabin
- Access to premium lounge
- Additional Baggage as per cabin

Important information

- This exclusive offer is applicable to all passengers named and listed on the booking itinerary referenced above.
- The upgrade is only valid on the specific flight number and date mentioned and may not be applicable for the entire journey/itinerary.
- You can only purchase this one off deal using your Credit card (Visa, Master, Amex and Diners) via the link provided in this e-mail.
- All passengers in the booking must purchase the upgrade.
- It is not permitted to purchase upgrades for specific passengers selectively within the booking.
- This offer to upgrade select itineraries within the booking is non-refundable, non-changeable and non-transferable.
- Qmiles will accrue based on the original ticketed class and not the upgraded class of travel.
- If you have other Qatar Airways flight indicated on the booking not included in the offer, it will remain in the same class of service as originally booked.

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QR say to be eligible to receive a SUO, the fare must be ‘eligible for upgrade’ and booked at least 8 days prior to departure. It is not clear how bookings are selected for the offer, or whether there is some sort of priority list.

Some FAQs about Special Upgrade Offers

Can I reserve the upgrade now and pay for it later?
No, you will need to immediately book and pay for the upgrade. The email will not have solely been sent to you, and upgrades are subject to availability – so if you would like to take the offer up, do it as soon as you can.

Can I upgrade my flight with cash at the airport when I check in?
This is called an Airport Upgrade (AUP) and is discussed later in this wiki. It is possible to do this, but will be at a different rate (possibly better than the Special Upgrade rate) and availability is not guaranteed.

Is the upgrade transferable to another passenger on a different PNR?
The upgrade offer is only valid for your booking reference. If they have not received the offer separately, they will not be able to upgrade at this rate.

Can I just upgrade myself and not others on my booking?
SUOs are not transferable and all passengers on your PNR (booking) must purchase the upgrade to take advantage of the offer.

Will I earn Qmiles or Qpoints by accepting the SUO?
Points earned are based on the original booking class, not the upgraded class. You will earn credit for your original booking only.

Will I earn the miles of the upgraded class in other FF programs when I accept the SUO?
No. Miles earned will reflect your original class of booking.

If I upgrade from Y to J, can I further upgrade my flight from J to F using Qmiles or Qcredits?
No. SUOs offer cannot be combined with any other upgrade options.

If I change my flight or travel date, can I still get the upgrade? Can I cancel my flight and get a refund?
SUOs cannot be refunded or changed. You may rebook your flight, but you will not be rebooked into the upgraded cabin.

Will I get lounge access by accepting an SUO?
Yes. Passengers accepting the SUO will be entitled to lounge access if upgrading to at least J class.