How many times have you been upgraded on AF/KL ?
Jun 12, 2009, 7:21 am
#92
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: FB Ivory,Velocity Red, Qantas Bronze
Posts: 27
Back when I was a plat, I got upgraded fairly frequently on the European sectors. Never thought to keep any stats on it back then, but at a guess I'd say it would be around 25% of the flights.
One quite memorable upgrade was for a weekend trip from my then home city of Oslo to Amsterdam with a friend. We were travelling on the same booking.
When we were boarding, my boarding pass was scanned but the machine refused to accept it. I stepped aside to let other pax pass, and my friend followed me, a bit worried that perhaps something was wrong and we would not be allowed onto the flight after all.
The gate agent informed us that I had been upgraded to business class for the flight and handed me a new boarding pass.
I then informed her that I wouldn't mind passing the upgrade on to someone else as I was travelling with my friend here. The gate agent smiled, pushed some buttons, and upgraded my friend as well.
One quite memorable upgrade was for a weekend trip from my then home city of Oslo to Amsterdam with a friend. We were travelling on the same booking.
When we were boarding, my boarding pass was scanned but the machine refused to accept it. I stepped aside to let other pax pass, and my friend followed me, a bit worried that perhaps something was wrong and we would not be allowed onto the flight after all.
The gate agent informed us that I had been upgraded to business class for the flight and handed me a new boarding pass.
I then informed her that I wouldn't mind passing the upgrade on to someone else as I was travelling with my friend here. The gate agent smiled, pushed some buttons, and upgraded my friend as well.
Jun 12, 2009, 9:41 am
#93
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4
I had a not so cheerful experience CDG - VIE last April. I'm a platinum and the boarding machine beeped to upgrade me to business despite the cheap eco ticket. This is the first time i have ever been upgraded on AF after having done maybe 100 flights (KLM has op-upped me twice on a 20 flight sample). My wife was booked on the same reservation but did not get the same beep. I pointed out my diliemma to the gate personnel and was told I could either sit apart from my wife or give my C seat away.
Knowing already how little extra comfort one gets in AF European business class, I opted to keep my marriage happy...
Knowing already how little extra comfort one gets in AF European business class, I opted to keep my marriage happy...
Last edited by neilbo; Jun 12, 2009 at 9:48 am
Jun 13, 2009, 9:24 am
#94
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Glaschu
Programs: FB Platinum for Life; BAEC Gold Guest List; Accor Gold.
Posts: 2,549
Jun 20, 2009, 10:25 am
#96
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Cheltenham
Programs: KLM Plat for Life , BA Gold, HH Silver, (Other half Diamond), IHG Gold
Posts: 2,398
Just back from Hong Kong : The flight out was half full and a really helpful member of staff in the AF lounge at CDG managed to get me a seat free next to me in C. He could not actually block it ; but just waited until after the flight had closed. On the way back I saw the station manager at the gate and asked if the same could be done: He explained that the flight was full and they were upgrading from Y to C and C to F. being Platinum for 9 years I asked if he could see if i was one of the lucky C to Fs. Nope. I asked why and he was very helpful and explained that very recently they had been instructed by AF to upgrade on a fare value basis only and that elite status was no longer relevant . He told me he was not happy about it and he said he would probably fly with some one else if it was him!
Jun 22, 2009, 2:40 pm
#97
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LCY-ORY
Programs: BMI/SQ/AFKL/PC RAmbo®/Oyster/B&Q
Posts: 1,250
Upgraded myself to Temp Chal as the guy who had taken my seat had a TC ticket.He obviously thought he was doing me a favour(haha),but telling the AF FA about my new seating arrangements was frankly more trouble than it was worth but it was a full flight so had no choice(apart from eject a pax out of my seat) .TC...or whatever they call it now, is such an utter waste of time.Anyway thats an upgrade,albeit more of the DIY variety.
Jun 22, 2009, 8:11 pm
#98
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: UA 1K, AA ExecPlat
Posts: 820
I was once the recipient of an OpUp on KL on a packed Christmas day flight. Both I (on a dirt cheap ticket), and a family member traveling with me (economy award ticket) got a bump up to business due to my platinum elite status with NW.
Jun 25, 2009, 1:01 am
#101
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Amsterdam
Programs: FlyingBlue Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 21
Upgraded???
Only once on a short-haul from AMS to FRA, some years ago.
Though maybe it's going to happen soon..
I booked a dirty cheap economy flight (L-class) from AMS to CDG on airfrance.com. The flights are operated by KLM.
In my itinerary - under my reservations - on the KLM website it shows up as business class (for both AMS-CDG and CDG-AMS).
Does this mean that I have been upgraded in advance or is it a flaw in the system?
PS I have been plat for 3 yrs..
Though maybe it's going to happen soon..
I booked a dirty cheap economy flight (L-class) from AMS to CDG on airfrance.com. The flights are operated by KLM.
In my itinerary - under my reservations - on the KLM website it shows up as business class (for both AMS-CDG and CDG-AMS).
Does this mean that I have been upgraded in advance or is it a flaw in the system?
PS I have been plat for 3 yrs..
Jun 25, 2009, 2:42 am
#102
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Derbyshire, UK
Programs: FB Platinum
Posts: 520
He showed me the upgrade list - I was on about page 3! He said it was "probably due to the fact I had bought a very cheap ticket" (which I had). My previous upgrades in 2009 had all been on cheapo tickets so it may be that there has been a recent change in the upgrade criteria (particulalry since there are more around given J loads). FWIW he said the two people top of the upgrade lists were both Club 2000 members
I'm on an overbooked CDG-HKG next week so let's see
nickyboy
Jun 28, 2009, 6:28 pm
#103
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163
On Friday, after changing my itinerary - booked in L on CDG-OTP in 04D, and my boarding pass had Premium Voyager printed on it - at the boarding they ripped it up and gave me another one with 02C in C - however miles credited were only 25% for the L class.
Jun 30, 2009, 1:27 am
#104
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Derbyshire, UK
Programs: FB Platinum
Posts: 520
Due to financial constaints I have been flying cheapest economy UK-China for past 6 months and have a pretty decent upgrade track record (about 25%). However, on my last flight (which was overbooked in Y) I got chatting to the check-in agent at MAN about likelyhood of an upgrade on my CDG-PEK leg
He showed me the upgrade list - I was on about page 3! He said it was "probably due to the fact I had bought a very cheap ticket" (which I had). My previous upgrades in 2009 had all been on cheapo tickets so it may be that there has been a recent change in the upgrade criteria (particulalry since there are more around given J loads). FWIW he said the two people top of the upgrade lists were both Club 2000 members
I'm on an overbooked CDG-HKG next week so let's see
nickyboy
He showed me the upgrade list - I was on about page 3! He said it was "probably due to the fact I had bought a very cheap ticket" (which I had). My previous upgrades in 2009 had all been on cheapo tickets so it may be that there has been a recent change in the upgrade criteria (particulalry since there are more around given J loads). FWIW he said the two people top of the upgrade lists were both Club 2000 members
I'm on an overbooked CDG-HKG next week so let's see
nickyboy
That's 3/7 long haul this year, all of which have been cheapo economy tickets so maybe I'm just lucky!
nickyboy
Jun 30, 2009, 3:06 am
#105
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Amsterdam
Programs: FlyingBlue Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 21
Did you ask for the upgrade, did you put yourself on standby for upgrade or did they just surprise you (out of the blue)?
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Last edited by DirkAmsterdam; Jun 30, 2009 at 3:44 am