stimpy

With AF I am often upgraded. With KLM it is rare, but this week I was recently upgraded both ways AMS-ATH-AMS, although the first leg I was upgraded only to the exit row. They didn't have anyone sitting there so I think they searched for a Platinum member to open the door in case of emergency. The return was a straight op-up to row 2.

On AF I am more often than not op-up'd on long-haul flights leaving CDG. And every once in a while leaving from BOM, including an op-up to F once. Also I sometimes get an upgrade to C on the AMS-CDG run when the back is full.

JC25

Really I didn't count, this year 2 times, last year bout 5 times all on long haul flights. From Y -> C (Plat since 8 years) 900 000 Q miles approx. Usually in Y I buy or K or H fares. Rarely upgraded on V fares, but I did one or 2 times.
From C-> F : never.

OttoMH

While Silver or Ivory = 0 out of maybe 30 sectors?

While Gold (this year) = 3 out of 16 segments, Y to ES.

Upgrades: at check in 1, at gate on standby 1, inflight due to double seat assignment 1 (she must have checked the manifest and chose me as elite + over infrequent flyer - well done pursar!!)

graraps

Yesterday I scored another "upgrade" from the A seat of the exit row to 3F. On a 2-3 config (F70).
Luckily the middle seat was empty and the food edible.

titanio82

In last 12 months 6 times from Y to C;

ARN - AMS 2x
AMS - GRU
AMS - EWR
AMS - MSP
DTW - AMS

Counsellor

Since the merger, I've received one intercontinental upgrade on Air France, from Business to First. I was a Platinum that year. No intercontinental upgrades on KLM.

Intra-Europe, I have been "upgraded" to ES from time to time since the merger, I don't recall the exact number but about five, almost all on KLM.

dechil

on KL or NWA ?

fredsxb

Once in a lifetime !

redtailshark

This sounds awful, but to give the blue demons their due, I've been op-upped more times than I can easily count over the last ten years. True, I fly other airlines more frequently than KL and I can't exactly remember all my KL flights, but my overall record is about 30% or maybe even more. I mean intercontinental, not just into ES. Triple op-up on award tix just last month, for instance.

There are various strategies for maximizing op-up chances at AMS. I don't want to repost that entire discussion, but if you're interested, you can search the forum for the historical postings on this matter. For example, I used several of those strategies in planning and executing my last award flight and clearly they didn't have a negative impact on op-up potential.

We can never know how effective these are without seeing inside the most secretive space in the known universe (the AFKL yield management system) but I doubt that without these forms of gaming the system, I'd be at 30+% with my profile.

The music of the machine...

*BEEP* 'SEAT CHANGE'

Dank U wel..

connor-highflyer

My upgrade record with KL hasn't been too bad at all.

I was upgraded on KL1830 from TXL-AMS, for the 50min flight. Although I'm not sure ES is an 'upgrade' exactly.

I was on KL617 to DTW however, with WBC full of vacant seats. I asked the purser if there was any possibility of an upgrade, showing her my FB card and justifying my enquiry by my status. An upgrade was not offered.
Later, I found the KL crew in the aft galley eating the WBC meals, and refusing to talk to the passengers.

I wrote to KL to explain this, and they were deeply apologetic. The said that "On occasion, passengers may be upgraded into the World Business Class given space available..." Hey ho, I got 7,000 miles compensation!

cercina

Being a Gold member for the last 3 years, I have only been upgraded once with Air France, a mere upgrade from economy to Tempo Challenge from Marseille to AMS.

However with KLM I have been upgraded many times. It seems like their 747 flight between Mexico and Amsterdam is always overbooked, even if they dont upgrade you to the real business class upstairs, they put you in a business seat (rows 1-4) with economy service
Another frequently overbooked route(at least summertime) which I have been upgraded on some times is between AMS and Sao Paulo.

Bas

8 years RoyalWing/Platinum, flying a lot to North America.

Got once an upgrade on KL (AMS-SFO) due to double seat assignment in Y
Got once an upgrade (incl. my wife) on KL (AMS-KUL), traveling on award ticket in Y)
Got approx. 8 upgrades on NW (BOS-AMS, AMS-BOS, DTW-AMS), due to oversold Y
Got once a downgrade (!) from C to Y on KL (MIA-AMS) despite having a seat assignment. Checked in too late they said, but they could not explain to me why they still would let me traveling on the same plane in Y. After lengthy e-mail and phone conversations got compensation (-the- wine package), beside the fact that my company got reimbursed for the difference. Of course this was the delta between my C ticket and the most expensive full fare single way eco fare....

af fp

Until 4-5 years ago, op-ups were frequent, maybe on 30% of flights with AF. Since then it's more like one per year at most.

This and consistent decreases in the AF quality of service (my luggage has been lost too many times, on direct flights, IFE is more and more of a joke) made me veer away from AF. Now, if a Skyteam partner has a direct flight (eg CO from EWR to HKG or ZRH) or a much better price (eg KE or CO for business class), I just take my business there. I even flew EasyJet for the first time a few weeks ago.

nicolas75

Quite the same

in Europe, it is nearly 100% on week-end flights (despite cheapest fare)
On leisure long haul flights, it is 30-40% upgrade (when travelling alone)

But I travel a lot (no less than 1 return flight a week, and sometimes much more).

I don't know if AF takes this into acount in their upgrade policy, or if this is just the Platinum statuts which helps)

arrozcomfeijao

Only once, the very first time I flew AF, back in 2003. I've been FB Gold for the past two years, doing only long haul trips, but haven't been lucky again so far...