Originally Posted by
40love
I read here about people checking in and discussing or making requests about pending RUs (eg saying it would be ok if only 1 passenger out of 2 was upgraded/happy to sit separately).
How exactly does one make such requests when checking in overseas?
In my limited experience, airports in Asia use non-Air NZ staff at check-in, and there are no Air NZ staff at the designated lounge.
Meaning that the first contact with Air NZ staff is at the gate. Would I need to go to the gate early to discuss still pending RUs? (And is doing so at the gate potentially a bad idea/liable to reduce chances of success)?
At the gate is your only realistic option, but I don't see why it would 'reduce' the chances. I think there must be a process that looks at final loads, no-shows and the processes the RUs. I suspect, but don't know, if gate staff can actually process anything. Rather, I think the re-print boarding passes and can see the status of upgrades etc.
I have had a PNR split without being asked flying BKK-SIN-AKL-WLG in PE with RUs lodges for SIN-AKL. I noticed my seat allocation disappeared and then I was in biz. But Mrs TK was left in PE.
Our adult sone was on the same trip on a separate PNR in PE, and gate staff proactively had re-seated them together (we had TCP the bookings). I offered to swap with Mrs TK but she insisted I stay in biz.....