Yulbru

First time posting so apologies for any ignorance!

I had 35K status last year (2016) and noticed that I would almost always get upgraded from Flex to BC when travellling frequently to Europe.

This year, however, with the same status and out of the five same trips I've taken so far I seem to only get upgraded from Flex to Premium Economy despite there being many BC seats available on the flights (not that I'm complaining!).

Just curious:

1. If there was any change in policy re: upgrades for 2017 or if I was just lucky in 2016

2. What exactly determines the class that you could be upgraded to and if there are any tips on being upgraded to BC vs. Premium Economy

Thanks in advance!

AftOf245

No change in policy, if there is space, you use 20 or 26 eupgrades plus $500 co-pay for trips to Europe.

What puzzles me is that if you do 5 TATL's in January, why are you only E35K?

24left

Welcome to FT.

Questions:
1. what do you mean by "get upgraded"?
2. Are you using upgrade credits?
3. Are you buying a higher Flex fare and getting op-ups?
4. If you are using you credits, you have to select the cabin you want to upgrade to. Are you selecting business class?
5. If you are using credits, I assume you also have a co-pay?

Can you provide more details?


Ah, good question.

Wpgjetse

That's what I was thinking.

Adam Smith

OP, welcome to FT!

Perhaps OP is travelling more so far this year? But I had the same question. 5x YUL-BRU (or BRU-YUL) would be 17,255 AQM in Flex... (guessing from OP's handle).

flyquiet

I think OP means "free" (op up) upgrades. FWIW, at 35K 50K and now 75K, I have been op up upgraded not even one single time, neither PE nor J.

Since 35K is charged LOTS of eUps to upgrade even from high flex (along with a HUGE copay, er, "add on"), I can't understand how someone has enough eUps from 35K status to upgrade "frequently". But then, I can't understand how someone even flies TATL "frequently" and yet is only E35K. Hope the OP comes back to clarify.

Adam Smith

Good point. If OP is talking about op ups, that would be shocking.

YHZ_Flyer

First off welcome to flyertalk OP.

Not quite sure what to think of this thread. OP must have hit the opup jackpot. His luck seems to run out. Remember that opups aren't the airline being nice to you. They are just a nessecary part of operations and are never guaranteed for any status level. I've only received a few over my last two years with status and I consider myself quite lucky.

Yulbru

Hello all,

First of all thank you all for your messages and apologies for not being clearer/using the right terminology— still getting the hang of this.

I think if I answer 24left’s questions that will give you all some more context:

1. what do you mean by "get upgraded”?
- Great question, what I mean is what I now believe to know as getting an "op-up”, an upgrade that is NOT paid for with credits or a pay-on.

2. Are you using upgrade credits?
- I am not.

3. Are you buying a higher Flex fare and getting op-ups?
- My company has always purchased the regular flex fare (not Latitude) when I have gotten an op-up.

4. If you are using you credits, you have to select the cabin you want to upgrade to. Are you selecting business class?
- I am not using credits.

5. If you are using credits, I assume you also have a co-pay?
- I am not using credits.

Another clarification I’d make is that the 5 trips that I referred to were one way flights and one was from Vancouver so I believe a total of two round trips from YUL to BRU since the start of the year (roughly 15K earned as the Vancouver trip was Tango fare). Unfortunately I will not be earning points at this rate as my project in Brussels has come to an end. Last year I accumulated about 47K.

It sounds as though the 3 or 4 op-ups I received last year from Flex to J and the op-ups I’ve received this year from Flex to PE are rare and that I have been lucky as YHZ_Flyer said.

Looking for possible explanations, typically when I received the op-up, the flight was not packed. I also almost would always receive it at the gate and only once received it at the check-in counter. The aircraft is usually an Airbus A330-300 and I was always travelling alone and almost always with only carry-on luggage. My company has an agreement to recieve a preferential rate with Air Canada but that seems to be unrelated.

Hope that answers some of your questions. I had a question of my own: @YHZ_Flyer you mentioned that op-ups are "just a nessecary part of operations” what exactly do you mean by that? Are they done for weight balancing purposes? Does status have any influence on op-ups?

Cheers everyone!

jc94

I have never gotten an opup on any flight, with any airline, ever. Including TATL cabins cabins with empty J seats when I'm seated in PY and should be above everyone in Y.

I do query how some of us have ended up next to non-status peeps in paid for / upgraded PY/J before though, because I find it hard to believe there were no-one with status in the entire Y section of an aircraft.

I know some do occur, but I believe both those were small aircraft, overbooked, and that SE's will obviously get priority. AC, unlike some, does not auto-upgrade anyone regardless of space. I remember when I flew back on the one flight that made it out of NYC with 300 people in the airport and 3 empty seats in J.

YHZ_Flyer

Exactly opups often occur when Y is oversold or is full with pax on standby, or for Weight and balance reasons. In these cases opups are given to status pax in order to open up Y seats. Often the weight and balance upgrades are done of the E175s.

flyquiet

I'm with jc94. Never ever had an opup. I am a perfectly nice person, adequate size and smell, and would not conspicuously cheapen the cabin, yet if anyone has been getting opup on my flights, it has not been me, ever, with any status.

AtlanticXpat

In 6 years of frequent flying I've been Op up'd twice on AC. Once from DCA to YYZ for weight and balance & once on LHR-YYT because it was a week before Christmas, Y was oversold and J had space. In both instances I was E75k on Flex fares. These days as a tango travelling E35k I have zero expectations of this ever happening again!

meagicano

I'm a flex flying 35K and I'll let you know if it ever happens!

allizdog

Wow. As an E50 I've been pleasantly surprised how often an op-up has come along on shorter legs like YHZ-YUL or YHZ-YYZ. I'd guess I had at least half a dozen gate upgrades in 2016, generally on Flex fares but there was one instance when I was flying low Tango.

Sounds like op-ups are much rarer than I thought, so I've obviously been lucky.