On-board upgrade for miles
 

I do not fly AF much these days, so I do not know if the practice I saw last week on a CDG-SCL flight is new : after the doors closed, flight attendants went with their iPads to see some passengers in the PE cabin and offered them an upgrade for miles. Some bought up, some not. I talked to a F/A about this later in the flight and what I got from the conversation is that :

• A few eligible pax are designated on the flight manifest -- but she would not tell me according to which criteria ;
• Because I had already upgraded (for cash) into PE at checkin, I could not eligible for a further upgrade ;
• It is an upgrade to the seat only -- catering (at least the meal tray) will be that of the lower class ;
• I could not figure out how many miles would be deducted for that segment, and if the offer is the same for all eligible pax, and always the same for a given segment .

Does anyone know more about this practice ? An idea about what it takes to be eligible, and the approximate mileage levels ?

The miles needed are based upon your original bookingclass, the cheaper that was, the more miles needed, the more expensive it was, the less miles needed to upgrade. So that can be different for each pax.

Last time onboard a CDG-NRT flight, the chief purser told me he sold an onboard upgrade (Y->J) to a guy for 180.000 miles (yes, all of that for a NEV4 seat!). There was only one seat left in the J cabin, which might be why the price is so outrageously expensive. (But still doesn't fully justify it in my opinion.)
However he got the J catering and every perk of the onboard J service.

I don't see how they could charge you the miles for a J upgrade and then give Y catering. Sounds unusual. They will usually only sell seats in J if enough meals are available.

Why not? If explained to the pax, and the pax really only wants the seat/bed [not that it applies to AF, but I have had some awful, inedible meals served in J on the likes of DL lately], and/or you have already eaten anyway prior to going to sleep for the night, I think it would be bad for both the company, and the passengers, to forego such upgrades just because a "J meal" wasn't loaded and available.

It would sort of be like saying - any customer who has a special meal should only not be selected for an op-up, but should never even be asked if they'd like to have an upgrade.