Elite Upgrades
Feb 21, 2023, 5:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 12
Elite Upgrades
I have just booked PE for a Perth - Auckland flight in November when the Dreamliner is flying that route again. I have requested a recognition upgrade.and Air NZ cant confirm this at the time of booking. I understand that these are all based on availability but I have checked with the call center and the cabin is currently completely empty. Do Elite members actually get these confirmed sometimes at the time of booking or is it some Air New Zealand just say they do.
Feb 21, 2023, 5:18 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,115
If there is A (PE) or R (BP) class available at the time the upgrade is lodged the upgrade will clear immediately otherwise it'll only clear closer to the flight.Typically there are only 2x R class seats available.
What cabin are you trying to upgrade to? I am assuming you booked booked PE and upgrading to BP? If so is there a reason why you didn't just book economy (unless of course there are good points to be earned) and lodge the upgrade?
What cabin are you trying to upgrade to? I am assuming you booked booked PE and upgrading to BP? If so is there a reason why you didn't just book economy (unless of course there are good points to be earned) and lodge the upgrade?
Feb 21, 2023, 5:38 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 12
Thanks for the reply. I booked PE and trying to get into business. I booked this as if the upgrades didnt go through then a worse case would be flying PE. You say there are generally two R seats available so given the cabin is completely empty then I can assume there are still at least 2 available? How od I know if there are R available?
Feb 21, 2023, 6:01 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,115
Just because the seat map isn't empty doesn't mean there are no seats already sold - many people don't select seats so this can only be used as a guide.
I suspect that either the 2x RU have already been allocated or the possibility of Air NZ holding off allocating any A/R class to this route at present due to Wamos flying the route until the end of Oct and potentially allowing for any unplanned scenario where that could be extended. With only 21 rather than the 29 widebody planes they had prior to Covid things are going to be pretty challenging going forward.
I suspect that either the 2x RU have already been allocated or the possibility of Air NZ holding off allocating any A/R class to this route at present due to Wamos flying the route until the end of Oct and potentially allowing for any unplanned scenario where that could be extended. With only 21 rather than the 29 widebody planes they had prior to Covid things are going to be pretty challenging going forward.
Feb 21, 2023, 6:02 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SEA
Programs: NZ Elite (*G)
Posts: 657
I have just booked PE for a Perth - Auckland flight in November when the Dreamliner is flying that route again. I have requested a recognition upgrade.and Air NZ cant confirm this at the time of booking. I understand that these are all based on availability but I have checked with the call center and the cabin is currently completely empty. Do Elite members actually get these confirmed sometimes at the time of booking or is it some Air New Zealand just say they do.
I find it all rather hit and miss.
Feb 21, 2023, 6:40 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
In January I booked for next December/January. The December request was processed immediately from PE to Business. I'm still waiting on the January request even though the cabin appeared completely empty and it was the first day seats could be purchased for it.
I find it all rather hit and miss.
I find it all rather hit and miss.
And the robot doesn't always look at existing requests when R class is added.
And not all flights have A or R class added.
Mar 1, 2023, 11:51 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: Air Points; NZ*E; Accor Platinum; QF Gold
Posts: 19
Bad experience, A class showing on Expert Flyer that I pay for, and on airnz website. Called waited 2 hours, for the contact centre to say no it's not showing on our side..... Not to sure what to do, maybe e-mail [email protected],
Mar 2, 2023, 12:13 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,115
Bad experience, A class showing on Expert Flyer that I pay for, and on airnz website. Called waited 2 hours, for the contact centre to say no it's not showing on our side..... Not to sure what to do, maybe e-mail [email protected],
Expert Flyer does show A class availability when it is available as a paid fare class but you need to understand the fare rules and eligibility for this I'm guessing in this case it wasn't a valid fare for the route you wanted. I can just about guarantee guarantee if you did a dummy booking on the Air NZ website for the route it wouldn't have shown A class available.
Mar 2, 2023, 12:32 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: Air Points; NZ*E; Accor Platinum; QF Gold
Posts: 19
Yes it currently does...LAX - AKL, Shows as A Class available.. dates LAX - AKL - 30-09-2023.. Managed to get another agent to comment there is an error in the Robot we normally clear these, still shows now..
Mar 2, 2023, 12:33 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,194
Bad experience, A class showing on Expert Flyer that I pay for, and on airnz website. Called waited 2 hours, for the contact centre to say no it's not showing on our side..... Not to sure what to do, maybe e-mail [email protected],
The second CSR I spoke to querying why the robot had not upgraded that sector (GE using 1 RU) provided a clear explanation that there is revenue A and award A.
The initial bummer was the first CSR was confident it’d clear immediately as we were all seeing A class (EF, AirNZ web, and CSR system) - but the wrong kind. But once ticketed by corporate TA it didn't clear. Upgrade cleared about 2 weeks later.
Apr 25, 2023, 2:01 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,194
Whilst one is guaranteed nothing with AirNZ, if there is R class available and no one of the same/higher status is ahead of you, then the upgrade should clear.
May 25, 2023, 11:01 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Gold
Posts: 42
Related question - when doing a dummy booking, how do you specify the actual class you're looking to check for? I can see that if I search for a flight, at the top of the booking page it'll say (for example) "Business(D)" but I don't get a choice of which class it's choosing to put me in. Am I missing something?
Last edited by smashingly; May 25, 2023 at 11:04 pm Reason: improving wording