NWIFlyer

With most Asian airlines, particularly SQ, zero chance of upgrade - you want that class of service, you pay for it.

UA - you might, outside the US, be lucky and get a Y+ seat for nothing - it's one of the rare times it's worth checking in at a desk when HBO rather than online. For domestic, expect to pay unless they've cut your connection time due to delays, in which case it's the need to make the next flight that gets you moved forward, not your status.

sokolov

My experience is more positive. As I've mentioned, I've even been upgraded in North America on UA, both as A3 *S and as A3 *G.

Air Rarotonga

I have to correct you, you're wrong:

Source: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/aegea...-upgrades.html

NWIFlyer

I would respectfully suggest that's the exception that proves the rule. My strong inclination is that if you asked 99+% of non-SQ *G, they would say they've never been upgraded.

djjaguar64

Yes, oversold !!

djjaguar64

SQ is a NEVER!! TG yes possibility, we were pushed to the front while in the Y cabin and someone came to sit in our seats, so they FA looked at our BP's and shoved us, literally to the front.

DELLAS

A lot of the time Im travelling in J with Star but in the past I had a few upgrades on UA TATL which was very welcome. I find there is no set procedure and depends on the gate agent and the loads of the flights, number of the airlines own FF status members travelling etc...

potjernik

When returning from Xmas holidays, my partner (no status) and myself (A3 G) were upgraded on AC flight from YYZ to ATH at the gates. Did not see it coming. One more person was upgraded. Plane was packed.

SQ - once I had the audacity to ask them for an upgrade at the gates for SIN-IST flight, they literary laughed at me. I know it was a long shot, but did not expect Singaporean staff to actually laugh... :-)

nk15

I am confused, how does Y get oversold in Europe since there is no business hard product section anyway, don't they just move the curtain up, making the business section as small as needed, or just eliminate it, making the aircraft all Y, if that's what people paid for? Or are we talking about aircraft with a business section with the middle seat permanently blocked?

Xandrios

There are two issues with that:

1. If the last row already has 1 business class pax, they cannot move the divider without downgrading the business pax. They can however still upgrade 3 people from Economy to Business.

2. Generally the crew does not know if the opup is required until just before departure. While the divider can be moved, it generally is not done while (some) pax have already boarded the aircraft (Though I have seen them do it). It would also require an update to the seat map which is technically complex. (Or at least more complex than upgrading people).

Another trick what they can do is, place the people that are upgraded in the same row and also use/fill the middle seat. Air france used to do that by upgrading people to Economy Comfort (Which is actually in the business class cabin, but with middle seat used/occupied).

NWIFlyer

The curtain is also not 100% 'portable' in many aircraft configurations, so usually there's a minimum of around 3 Business Class rows where the curtain can't physically move any further forward.

nk15

I see, it looks like more like a convenience issue.

benberg2013

I was on A3 TLV-ATH and i was the only biz passenger - i had pre-chosen seat 2d , and thats what i received with the curtain behind my head.

NWIFlyer

Yes, that's about what you'd expect - between 2 and 4 rows depending on aircraft type. Most are probably two.

Knobbgb

Yep, even on the flights that have no C class, the curtain sits between rows two and three (on the A320 at least).