They seem to be having a technical issue and on my last two flights, I was not getting discounted upgrades. When I called the call center, they told me they were facing an issue with the system and that they should be able to process the discounted upgrade at the airport. At the checkin counter they told me they could see my Skywards+ membership but that the rate was not being discounted due to a technical error, but that the first class lounge would be able to process it (plat member). At the first class lounge, they also could not process the discounted rate but told me that they can deduct the full miles and that if I write to the Skywards team, they’d refund the rest. They also mentioned that a lot of passengers were facing the same issue. So I did that (in the lounge, not onboard). And when I reached out to the Skywards team and explained the whole situation, this is the condescending response I got back:As per the Skywards+ procedure, instant upgrades are not eligible for the 20% Discounted Upgrade Rewards. You need to upgrade the flight online in order to get the Discounted Upgrade Rewards benefit.



Thanks for giving us the opportunity to explain the Skywards+ programme.



Let me know if you need further help.


The refund is only 2000 skyward miles so it’s more a matter of principle than anything else at this point. Any tips on how to proceed?

Is it me or has customer service for passengers across all tiers gotten significantly worst in the last year or two?