Gold and Elite recognition upgrades
Jan 12, 20, 6:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 4
Gold and Elite recognition upgrades
I am currently Gold and have two RU's. I will hit elite on the 17th Feb and plan to gift the two Gold RU's to someone on my gifting register. I will do it on the day and before my 2 Elite RUs hit my account. Apparently they are processed each week on a Tuesday. Will this be possible? Is there a difference between "Elite gifting RU's" and "Gifting Elite RU's". Will i be able to gift the gold ones as an elite member?
I have just booked Auckland to Chicago - PE. If I used my Gold RUs, then hit Elite a month later, would they be counted as gold or elite? Does that make sense?
I have just booked Auckland to Chicago - PE. If I used my Gold RUs, then hit Elite a month later, would they be counted as gold or elite? Does that make sense?
Jan 13, 20, 1:18 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: AKL
Programs: NZ*E, A3*G, Accor Platinum, ClubCarlson Gold, GHA Black,
Posts: 239
Originally Posted by stevewill
I am currently Gold and have two RU's. I will hit elite on the 17th Feb and plan to gift the two Gold RU's to someone on my gifting register. I will do it on the day and before my 2 Elite RUs hit my account. Apparently they are processed each week on a Tuesday. Will this be possible? Is there a difference between "Elite gifting RU's" and "Gifting Elite RU's". Will i be able to gift the gold ones as an elite member?
I have just booked Auckland to Chicago - PE. If I used my Gold RUs, then hit Elite a month later, would they be counted as gold or elite? Does that make sense?
I have just booked Auckland to Chicago - PE. If I used my Gold RUs, then hit Elite a month later, would they be counted as gold or elite? Does that make sense?
Best for you to apply your Gold RU to yourself for the PE to BP both sectors, then you can gift your new elite upgrades.
The system I think when processing upgrades will recognize you are elite and treat them like "Elite" upgrades. The upgrades are not tagged themselves but tagged according to the member they are linked to, because you are / will be elite when you travel they will be seen as elite upgrades (this is why when you gift your upgrades they are looked at in terms of the tier level of who you gifted to).
I would ask about R class availability for your flights, you won't be able to get auto confirmation as a Gold but when you hit elite I would call the call centre back and see if they can get auto-accepted if there is R class available. It will be a bit hit and miss depending on who you get.
Cheers
Jan 13, 20, 1:35 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by JANZFlyer
You will get varying reports on this and it is difficult to confirm (I asked a similar question about 4 years ago).
Best for you to apply your Gold RU to yourself for the PE to BP both sectors, then you can gift your new elite upgrades.
The system I think when processing upgrades will recognize you are elite and treat them like "Elite" upgrades. The upgrades are not tagged themselves but tagged according to the member they are linked to, because you are / will be elite when you travel they will be seen as elite upgrades (this is why when you gift your upgrades they are looked at in terms of the tier level of who you gifted to).
I would ask about R class availability for your flights, you won't be able to get auto confirmation as a Gold but when you hit elite I would call the call centre back and see if they can get auto-accepted if there is R class available. It will be a bit hit and miss depending on who you get.
Cheers
Best for you to apply your Gold RU to yourself for the PE to BP both sectors, then you can gift your new elite upgrades.
The system I think when processing upgrades will recognize you are elite and treat them like "Elite" upgrades. The upgrades are not tagged themselves but tagged according to the member they are linked to, because you are / will be elite when you travel they will be seen as elite upgrades (this is why when you gift your upgrades they are looked at in terms of the tier level of who you gifted to).
I would ask about R class availability for your flights, you won't be able to get auto confirmation as a Gold but when you hit elite I would call the call centre back and see if they can get auto-accepted if there is R class available. It will be a bit hit and miss depending on who you get.
Cheers
Thanks for the info. This is what i am going to do as its consistent with the other advice i have.
Jan 13, 20, 9:04 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Airpoints Elite
Posts: 12
Yep, this worked for me.
I had flights booked in PE about 9 months in advance from AKL to LHR via LAX. At the time of booking I was Gold, and applied an RU for each leg to move up to BP.
When I became Elite a few months later I phoned the call centre to see if I could get upgrades confirmed well in advance Elite-style. They checked for R class and were able to confirm one of the upgrades about 6 months in advance (i.e. my RUs were definitely being treated as Elite, not Gold, even though they were Gold when I lodged them). The second RU cleared at checkin.
The only upgrades you will be able to gift will be the new ones you get when you become Elite.
I had flights booked in PE about 9 months in advance from AKL to LHR via LAX. At the time of booking I was Gold, and applied an RU for each leg to move up to BP.
When I became Elite a few months later I phoned the call centre to see if I could get upgrades confirmed well in advance Elite-style. They checked for R class and were able to confirm one of the upgrades about 6 months in advance (i.e. my RUs were definitely being treated as Elite, not Gold, even though they were Gold when I lodged them). The second RU cleared at checkin.
The only upgrades you will be able to gift will be the new ones you get when you become Elite.
