How many times have you been upgraded on AF/KL ?
Nov 18, 2012, 10:19 am
#392
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LCY-ORY
Programs: BMI/SQ/AFKL/PC RAmbo®/Oyster/B&Q
Posts: 1,250
Got another Y code fare from CDG to Bangers { BKK ) ..on Dec 22 . Chances are low but it's probably is a good a bet as any in the year . But after dozens of easy peasy upgrades on the vastly superior SQ ....one doesn't care co much 
Nov 24, 2012, 8:06 pm
#393
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ヒルトン大阪
Programs: ゴールデングローブ
Posts: 1,982
AZ ignores AF status
Had a flight from FCO to JFK this week. Economy was OVERBOOKED and some people had to stay in Rome. And yet, NO upgrade for this AF Platinum member - not even to Eco+ 
There was also ain issue during the flight. My entertainment system did not work. Still no reason for AZ to upgrade me. The prucher said that he could not do anything because I am not an Alitalia MileMiglia status holder. I tried to explain that AF's highest status equals to AZ's highest status within the SkyTeam alliance. He didn't care and he completely ignored my AF status.
What the heck is this SkyTeam status good for
There was also ain issue during the flight. My entertainment system did not work. Still no reason for AZ to upgrade me. The prucher said that he could not do anything because I am not an Alitalia MileMiglia status holder. I tried to explain that AF's highest status equals to AZ's highest status within the SkyTeam alliance. He didn't care and he completely ignored my AF status.
What the heck is this SkyTeam status good for
Nov 25, 2012, 2:09 pm
#395
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: FB Platinum LT, HK Airlines whatever, Skywards Ex-Gold :-)
Posts: 122
Especially in Asian countries the "ranking" is very important. So I guess in outstations the station manager can decide OP-UP´s and I assume that they looking for people who are holding the highest tier in their FFP when they upgrade (at least in Korea & Japan). This happened to me often in the past, when I travelled from ICN with EK. But they still differentiate as I got one time a seat in the last row in BC, when I asked for a seat more in front they told me polite, that those seats are blocked for passengers who have paid for BC...which have to say it’s fair.
With AF I did unfortunately not had so much luck after their "enhancements", in one year (2008) no upgrade at all, at least at one flight they upgraded silver and gold members whilst I as platinum was left in coach on a heavy oversold flight. This was the flight I qualified for "Platinum Lifetime", as a result I switched to EK one month later...!
Dec 30, 2012, 10:09 am
#396
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: NL
Programs: AF/KLM FB platinum for life
Posts: 1
500+ flights on KLM/AF, platinum elite for life, upgrades: maybe 1% 
Most upgrades on AMS-LHR (pointless)
20+ flights on SQ, upgrades 25%, including upgrades to first class
Last KL flight (MIA-AMS) ground staff offered us upgrades at 400 USD per person (travelling with my wife and 2 Kids). Thanks, but no thanks.
Most upgrades on AMS-LHR (pointless)
20+ flights on SQ, upgrades 25%, including upgrades to first class
Last KL flight (MIA-AMS) ground staff offered us upgrades at 400 USD per person (travelling with my wife and 2 Kids). Thanks, but no thanks.
Dec 31, 2012, 7:11 am
#397
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: MEM
Programs: FB Gold
Posts: 16
Hi!
Out of 8 TATL last year, 4 were on KL metal and 2 were on 74M. Strangely whenever 74Ms are involved I seem to luck out.
First time was in the beginning of the year on a VIE-AMS-ORD-MEM where i just got a boarding pass in VIE assigning seat 2K. Unfortunately, it turned out that they had oversold that flight quite a bit and had just moved all the Elites from EC to the front section while still only doing a Y service!? Has anybody ever heard of that?
This time, I was on a RSW-JFK-AMS-VIE (yes, I am FB Gold, yes, I buy sLUT fares which post 25% status miles, yes, I qualify on segments). The flight out of RSW was late by 2 hours, because the machine coming in from ATL was late. Most people were rebooked onto a LGA flight, and we ended up being 14 pax in a RJ! Admittedly, not many people leave Florida the week before Christmas. Besides the a couple of retired employees who were NREVS (they told me and showed me their BPs), I was the only one in F (and I was an upgrade), even better there was an actual lunch service... (I'd expected to grab food during my 3-hour layover in JFK, RSWs terminal is nothing to write about). I end up arriving at the gate for my AMS connection 20 mins before takeoff with a huge crowd in front of the counter. Turns out it's massively oversold, I seized my chance (i already had a protected seat on the AF CDG 40 mins later 3 Terminals away), but VDBing gave me 600 skypesos, an op up to J on a 74M and I got to enjoy the Oasis lounge at KLM! Even better, because of the AMS-VIE schedule I only lost 2 hours on my initial travel time!
Does anybody have experience on TATL upgrades on AF metal? Seems like most of my flights next year have routed themselves through CDG.
Happy new year to all!
Out of 8 TATL last year, 4 were on KL metal and 2 were on 74M. Strangely whenever 74Ms are involved I seem to luck out.
First time was in the beginning of the year on a VIE-AMS-ORD-MEM where i just got a boarding pass in VIE assigning seat 2K. Unfortunately, it turned out that they had oversold that flight quite a bit and had just moved all the Elites from EC to the front section while still only doing a Y service!? Has anybody ever heard of that?
This time, I was on a RSW-JFK-AMS-VIE (yes, I am FB Gold, yes, I buy sLUT fares which post 25% status miles, yes, I qualify on segments). The flight out of RSW was late by 2 hours, because the machine coming in from ATL was late. Most people were rebooked onto a LGA flight, and we ended up being 14 pax in a RJ! Admittedly, not many people leave Florida the week before Christmas. Besides the a couple of retired employees who were NREVS (they told me and showed me their BPs), I was the only one in F (and I was an upgrade), even better there was an actual lunch service... (I'd expected to grab food during my 3-hour layover in JFK, RSWs terminal is nothing to write about). I end up arriving at the gate for my AMS connection 20 mins before takeoff with a huge crowd in front of the counter. Turns out it's massively oversold, I seized my chance (i already had a protected seat on the AF CDG 40 mins later 3 Terminals away), but VDBing gave me 600 skypesos, an op up to J on a 74M and I got to enjoy the Oasis lounge at KLM! Even better, because of the AMS-VIE schedule I only lost 2 hours on my initial travel time!
Does anybody have experience on TATL upgrades on AF metal? Seems like most of my flights next year have routed themselves through CDG.
Happy new year to all!
Feb 23, 2013, 4:47 am
#399
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: France
Programs: FB Plat for Life, UAMP, BAEC, Accor ALL Platinum, Marriott silver, Hilton, Meliá silver.
Posts: 3,120
CDG SOF last Monday.
Full Y cabin. Was bumped to C.
A 319, so was fearing NEO seats, but fortunately, they were the old ones, with tablet in middle seat.
Main plus was the warm meal : smoked salmon, tasty chicken with cream sauce and polenta, cheese and two small gateaux (opéra and a financier).
Plus, guess what : WARM BREAD! Yes, warm (and good) bread.
In all a good meal experience.
Staff was not overly present, but friendly and responded immediately to calls.
Certainly not worth the € 1500-2000 they would charge for a return ticket on this route for a C class ticket, but a welcome change from the NEO white box.
Full Y cabin. Was bumped to C.
A 319, so was fearing NEO seats, but fortunately, they were the old ones, with tablet in middle seat.
Main plus was the warm meal : smoked salmon, tasty chicken with cream sauce and polenta, cheese and two small gateaux (opéra and a financier).
Plus, guess what : WARM BREAD! Yes, warm (and good) bread.
In all a good meal experience.
Staff was not overly present, but friendly and responded immediately to calls.
Certainly not worth the € 1500-2000 they would charge for a return ticket on this route for a C class ticket, but a welcome change from the NEO white box.
Mar 5, 2013, 6:54 pm
#400
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Usually Paris and Rome, but could be just about anywhere
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 294
Just got back from a BKK-PVG-ICN-PVG-BKK on MU/FM and assume that it was my Flying Blue gold that got me upgraded to business twice, once on a spiffy MU A330 with near-flat bed, individual entertainment and a hot meal, and once on a not so spiffy FM 737, with seats that barely reclined, a shared monitor and a couple of over-cooked dumplings on a plate.
Mar 31, 2013, 6:16 am
#401
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: CAK/CLE
Programs: Delta DM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 273
Was upgraded last week CDG-DTW on a DL W fare to J, and late last summer MUC-CDG on an S fare to J, both in oversell situations. This on over 20 AF segments over the last year, both TATL and intra EU segments.
Apr 2, 2013, 3:34 am
#403
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,729
AMS-TXL last week. Checked the seatmap just before leaving the lounge and every single Y seat was assigned. As it turned out, the J cabin (2 rows) was full too.
Apr 2, 2013, 3:01 pm
#404
Join Date: May 2011
Location: LOS, ABV
Posts: 34
ABV-CDG on March 31.
Happened at the seating area by the gate. Was travelong in Y, gate agent went to about 4 pax seemingly at random but on second thought we were among the better dressed pax (scheduled departure is 2320h so most people were in tshirts, hoodies, sweatpants) and asked for our boarding passes. Came back a few minutes later with new J boarding passes. Nice unexpected surprise. Didn't seem status driven, the pax sat next to me was also op-upped and wasnt even a FB member, it was her first time on AF...
Happened at the seating area by the gate. Was travelong in Y, gate agent went to about 4 pax seemingly at random but on second thought we were among the better dressed pax (scheduled departure is 2320h so most people were in tshirts, hoodies, sweatpants) and asked for our boarding passes. Came back a few minutes later with new J boarding passes. Nice unexpected surprise. Didn't seem status driven, the pax sat next to me was also op-upped and wasnt even a FB member, it was her first time on AF...
Apr 3, 2013, 2:42 am
#405
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,630
ABV-CDG on March 31.
Happened at the seating area by the gate. Was travelong in Y, gate agent went to about 4 pax seemingly at random but on second thought we were among the better dressed pax (scheduled departure is 2320h so most people were in tshirts, hoodies, sweatpants) and asked for our boarding passes. Came back a few minutes later with new J boarding passes. Nice unexpected surprise. Didn't seem status driven, the pax sat next to me was also op-upped and wasnt even a FB member, it was her first time on AF...
Happened at the seating area by the gate. Was travelong in Y, gate agent went to about 4 pax seemingly at random but on second thought we were among the better dressed pax (scheduled departure is 2320h so most people were in tshirts, hoodies, sweatpants) and asked for our boarding passes. Came back a few minutes later with new J boarding passes. Nice unexpected surprise. Didn't seem status driven, the pax sat next to me was also op-upped and wasnt even a FB member, it was her first time on AF...