New policy for paid and miles upgrades (AF/KL) - sept 2017
#1233
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: Flying Blue - Platinum
Posts: 135
#1234
#1235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Reality, Freedom • Fly Tarom •
Programs: AF FB Platinum For Life (F+ Rouge Vintage®) / Hertz President's Circle / SNCF Grand Voyageur Le Club
Posts: 10,077
It is a good use of those miles. I flew CDG-MIA in Premium Economy in early March; my tix were around 1200 euros roundtrip, and at OLCI they offered me and upgrade to J for 299 euros or 41000 miles (which I declined for various reasons, including it being an empty day flight). My return trip MIA-CDG was in early April, and I wasn't offered anything (flight was empty, too)! You just never know.
#1236
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NUE
Programs: *G (TK elite+), OW sapphire (QR), ST elite plus (AF). LA black
Posts: 3,674
they probably check your ticket history and I'd guess the more premium tickets you bought in recent history will increase the chance of the "NDPU" marker because they want the business class paying customers to keep buying premium tickets.
#1237
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 453
I used to take advantage of those discounted upgrades from Y to J, but exactly like what f0zzyNUE said, my travel patterns changed maybe 5 years ago or so: I started booking J tickets outright more often (prices between US East Coast and Europe in J started dropping significantly a few years ago, now it's pretty standard to find $~2k roundtrip, that used to be unthinkable). So I think that because I may now be categorized as a more premium flyer, they don't see a reason why they would extend discounted prices to me anymore, even when I book Y.
#1238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,904
You can see more details in this thread. But yes, that's supposedly what it means. I'm pretty sure I have it because back in January, I tried to get a discounted upgrade from J to P at the airport and the check in agent told me that I had a note on my file saying I couldn't get it (spoiler alert, I still got it, after a lot of negotiation and a very willing check in agent).
I used to take advantage of those discounted upgrades from Y to J, but exactly like what f0zzyNUE said, my travel patterns changed maybe 5 years ago or so: I started booking J tickets outright more often (prices between US East Coast and Europe in J started dropping significantly a few years ago, now it's pretty standard to find $~2k roundtrip, that used to be unthinkable). So I think that because I may now be categorized as a more premium flyer, they don't see a reason why they would extend discounted prices to me anymore, even when I book Y.
I used to take advantage of those discounted upgrades from Y to J, but exactly like what f0zzyNUE said, my travel patterns changed maybe 5 years ago or so: I started booking J tickets outright more often (prices between US East Coast and Europe in J started dropping significantly a few years ago, now it's pretty standard to find $~2k roundtrip, that used to be unthinkable). So I think that because I may now be categorized as a more premium flyer, they don't see a reason why they would extend discounted prices to me anymore, even when I book Y.
#1239
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NUE
Programs: *G (TK elite+), OW sapphire (QR), ST elite plus (AF). LA black
Posts: 3,674
I think it’s hard to draw conclusions here, like for trying to decrypt the famous AF algorithm for operational upgrades. I am Ultimate, so by definition, I am a premium class flyer long-haul. For paid upgrades on long- or medium-haul flights, over the last years before I was Ulti or since I am Ulti, I had sometimes some interesting offers and some non-interesting ones. I benefited from the interesting ones from time to time. Since the beginning of the pandemic, all my business travels stopped and all my flights were personal trips and all but one were domestic and EU trips for obvious reasons. For those trips since May 2020, it happened that I booked 2 or 3 trips in J upfront because prices were good (sometimes cheaper than Y), but for all the other ones in Y, the upgrade offers were all in the 300€ range. So, should I believe that because I booked 3 or 4 trips in J out of something like 20 in one year, I have this suspected insane NDPU mention in my profile? I have the feeling that it is more complicated than this. Could be wrong of course.
* do the previous trips look like business trips (e.g. return flight before the weekend)
* how often has an offered upgrade already been taken in the last months
* how frequently do you travel
* do you travel alone or with companions
* do you book flexible or discount type fares
#1242
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 453
Oh you are most likely not wrong . Just trying to find some logic in the madness, so thanks for your data points! We need someone to apply for a job as an Air France software engineer to take a peak at the code .
#1243
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: FRA/SXB
Programs: FB Gold
Posts: 1,979
Was offered at OLCI a few days ago the following :
IAD - CDG from Y to J : 1 279 € or 77 k miles
CDG - FRA : 279 € or 40 k miles
No thanks. Especially as the forward section of Y was pretty empty (had centre row of 4 to myself to lie down.....)
IAD - CDG from Y to J : 1 279 € or 77 k miles
CDG - FRA : 279 € or 40 k miles
No thanks. Especially as the forward section of Y was pretty empty (had centre row of 4 to myself to lie down.....)
#1244
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: DUS, BRU, POA
Programs: Skyteam E+ (FB PfL), Latam Black, LH MM, Iberia plus, HH: Diamond, Marriott Bonvoy: Plat
Posts: 1,116
Yes. Somebody with a strong AS programming background (AS = artificial stupidity).