Originally Posted by BlondeBomber

You can't access operational upgrades, you just get them (although some flyers try to "bribe" gate agents with chocolates ).

Operational upgrades most often happen when the econo cabin is full and they are looking for ways of accommodating passengers on the oversold flight. The best way is to move up frequent flyers to the front cabin (at least we think that is a good idea!). Your status and demeanour have a lot to do with whether you will get that upgrade or not. If LH Senator or on a higher fare, those passengers are ahead of Star Gold but Star Golds occasionally get the prize (ie operational upgrade).

Sometimes, the gate agents are VERY busy trying to accommodate everyone and will operational upgrade passengers with NO status. So it sometimes helps to ask very nicely (and only once and don't hover around the gate desk) if there is "any chance of getting an upgrade on this flight" if you know the flight is full.

Good luck.