jfkeze

OpUped on LIS-BCN, cheapo TAP flash sale fare... pretty decent meal served on the short hop from Lisbon to Barcelona...

hermes1

Just got my first upgrade. LGW-IST on TK. It happened at the gate. I didn't get a new boarding pass, the old seat number was scribbled over with a pen.

I'm not sure whether they were expecting me or not. I missed the priority boarding but went to the front of the queue, while economy was boarding. Told them I was *A gold (which they could also see from the ticket) and immediately upgraded me. I just wish I could scribble over all my boarding passes.

The only other occasion (which wasn't exactly an upgrade) was last year on A3. The flight from ATH-LHR was delayed and I had used an upgrade coupon. I woke up to find a form on the seat beside me with an apology from A3 for not providing the service that they would have liked. I was to use the form to book another ticket to anywhere on their network. They confirmed that I could rebook a business class ticket even though I had originally booked Y and used my coupon for this particular upgrade. There was an obstacle course, though. I could only book it at the airport and had to pay 48 euros for the booking fee. Not bad for a J ticket from ATH-LGW.

Knobbgb

I've never met anybody who actually successfully used one of those "apology letters" to get a free flight. Do you mind telling how it went? Did they need the details of the original flight, for example (to check the delay and class) or did they just accept the letter as proof? Btw - I think the 48 Euro you paid was the tax (as the free ticket doesn't include this) - NOT a booking fee. Sorry to be pedantic but it's different and if you were to book the free ticket by phone (it says you can on the letter) then there is an ADDITIONAL 20 Euro booking fee of course. I know this is off topic, but I think many people would be interested to hear how this works - they do seem to dish out these letters almost for fun. For example, I got one on a domestic flight last week that was delayed by only about 1hr10 mins.

hermes1

I really can't remember whether I had to present my old boarding pass or not. I'm pretty sure it meant an airport trip only option so I chose ATH-LGW as ATH is an easier airport to get to. They looked up the original booking to verify that it was me that had received the voucher, checked my identity and the class I had flown. They, then, gave me a printout with my new booking in J. I don't think it was eligible for mileage accrual. I don't even think that a telephone option was available at the time. The original flight was September 2015 and I used the voucher in November 2015. I think you have to use the voucher within 365 days. All went smoothly and the whole process took me an hour from home to airport and back with a 48 euro "airport tax" fee. It would have taken me much longer to get to the airport in the UK which is why I opted for ATH-LON. Hope this helps.

Arrivals

You call the call center and tell them you've got one of those letters. Then they ask you about the original booking code. They verify the delay and the class and you can (immediately) book a new flight in Y (or C, if the delayed flight was in C). You have to pay the taxes, no 20 € booking fee for calling, no miles for the flight though. The letter also excludes most of the interesting dates - not during summer, easter, christmas.
On domestic flights you can ask for the letter if you have had a delay of at least one hour.

Knobbgb

Thanks. I may try to use this one I've got but it's only for domestic so hardly worth it. I do wonder if a specific fare bucket (i.e. the cheapest) has to be available or if one of these free booking can be had at short notice in the higher classes when it's more worthwhile. I will post about my experience if I ever book anything.

mdonley

Upgraded on OZ (Asiana) 746/745 HKG-ICN/ICN-HKG, both times from Economy to Business at the check-in desk at the airport, despite having checked in online.

On the way to Seoul overnight I had an A380 business seat which was amazingly comfortable, and on the way back an A330 non-fully-flat seat which did the job for a 19:45-22:30 flight.

Interestingly, the flight on the way there was only a Y meal service in C; the flight leaves HKG at 00:40 so you don't want a huge meal anyway. I believe they sell this as a cash upgrade for around 75-80 USD but I received it for free (edited to add: yes they do! here is the link). The agent at the check-in desk said "I have a better seat for you, but it's not an upgrade" - only after inquiring what he meant did I understand.

On the way back I had checked in online again, and yet at the airport couldn't use the kiosk to print a paper boarding pass; I went to the Star Gold desk at Incheon as I presumed someone needed to see my visa for Hong Kong and after a quick phone call and without asking, I was given the C upgrade.

I doubt I'd get the same upgrade on a Korea-origin ticket headed to the US or something; there are probably too many of their elites on that route. But one does wonder!

roberino

Got to the gate last night to find I had a Y to J op up on LH2504 MUC-MAN due to oversold flight. I was on a W ticket (flex economy).

matio_svk

out of curiosity, when upgraded, were most of you checked-in online or not?

DrHalxx

2 recent flights on LH both oversold, no op-ups this year

KLouis

On-line! The last time, last November, the lounge fairy came to me while I was waiting in ATH and asked me, first, whether I would mind being upgraded before processing everything on the computer and coming back with the BP.

Xandrios

This happened to me as well in ATH; however it was on KLM and I was at the Goldair lounge. At the time I found it kind of odd that they would ask - but thinking about it they did ask specifically if I was travelling alone. Perhaps they were merely trying to avoid splitting up a party into two cabins..

In any case, the ground crews at ATH are great - as proven by these small 'extras' that would never happen anywhere else!

djjaguar64

Yes, but LH may have upgraded its Senators first.

DrHalxx

It would have, I mean no op-ups for ME this year, as I had 2/4 on LH last year

Xandrios

Today I flew AMS-ZRH-ATH on Swiss. The night before I noticed that I had been upgraded to business on the ZRH-ATH sector, which was awesome because it was operated by a 777! That meant one of these cool throne seats. Apparently all 350+ seats had been sold on this flight, and overbooked as well..all 60 seats in business were taken.

Additionally, at the gate, I was also upgraded for AMS-ZRH. It's a short flight and the product is nothing to write home about..but the empty middle seat was nice.

Kind of surprising to receive two upgrades in one day; which were also the first upgrades I ever received based on my M+B status