Recognition upgrade use criteria
Mar 13, 2024, 11:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
Recognition upgrade use criteria
Hi all,
I've had a trip booked for work flying PE class (Christchurch to St Louis via AKL and Houston) with airNZ. Since I have a recognition upgrade to use by Nov, I thought I would try my first RU as I'm new to silver status for AirNZ airpoint loyalty program. I contacted AirNZ online help and was told that to enable me to request thr use of my RU, I have to first raise a OneUp offer for one of the legs, and once that's done I can request RU for the one of the remaining legs. Can someone please tell me whether this is true? I cant find such information on the website. The only thing states is to request. And since this booking have 5 legs altogether and only 1 out of 5 legs are eligible for an upgrade, if I am to do OneUp, there's not emailing leg I could use my RU. This doesn't make any sense to me. To me it sounds like I have to pay before I can use my RU?? Has anyone else encountered this before? Your help is highly appreciated.
I've had a trip booked for work flying PE class (Christchurch to St Louis via AKL and Houston) with airNZ. Since I have a recognition upgrade to use by Nov, I thought I would try my first RU as I'm new to silver status for AirNZ airpoint loyalty program. I contacted AirNZ online help and was told that to enable me to request thr use of my RU, I have to first raise a OneUp offer for one of the legs, and once that's done I can request RU for the one of the remaining legs. Can someone please tell me whether this is true? I cant find such information on the website. The only thing states is to request. And since this booking have 5 legs altogether and only 1 out of 5 legs are eligible for an upgrade, if I am to do OneUp, there's not emailing leg I could use my RU. This doesn't make any sense to me. To me it sounds like I have to pay before I can use my RU?? Has anyone else encountered this before? Your help is highly appreciated.
Mar 14, 2024, 12:16 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,208
A warm welcome to FlyerTalk.
Key question is which airline has issued the ticket. It need to be an AirNZ ticket to apply for an RU, ticket numbers are 13 digits and start with 086. If the ticket has already been issued, you can log into your account and select 'upgrade a sector'. That will bring up which sectors are available for applying your upgrade. So you should be able to do this online. It is true that the online system is poor at handling different kinds of upgrade instruments.
As a Silver member, sorry to break it to you but the chances of upgrades clearing is poor. Depends on the route and loadings of course, but you are at the bottom of the queue.
I'd look at you account online first, and see what is available for you to select. I'd then decide which sectors I'd apply the RU to and lodge it. It is a simple process.
If you can't also make a One-Up bid, then you'd need to call Air NZ to have this done manually.
The Agent may have got themselves confused trying to be helpful, but there is no way you have to lodge a OneUp before lodging an RU !!. If it is confirmed only one of the sectors is available for upgrade, then you'll have to decide which instrument you want to use - I don't think you can lodge an RU and also lodge a OneUp bid.
Key question is which airline has issued the ticket. It need to be an AirNZ ticket to apply for an RU, ticket numbers are 13 digits and start with 086. If the ticket has already been issued, you can log into your account and select 'upgrade a sector'. That will bring up which sectors are available for applying your upgrade. So you should be able to do this online. It is true that the online system is poor at handling different kinds of upgrade instruments.
As a Silver member, sorry to break it to you but the chances of upgrades clearing is poor. Depends on the route and loadings of course, but you are at the bottom of the queue.
I'd look at you account online first, and see what is available for you to select. I'd then decide which sectors I'd apply the RU to and lodge it. It is a simple process.
If you can't also make a One-Up bid, then you'd need to call Air NZ to have this done manually.
The Agent may have got themselves confused trying to be helpful, but there is no way you have to lodge a OneUp before lodging an RU !!. If it is confirmed only one of the sectors is available for upgrade, then you'll have to decide which instrument you want to use - I don't think you can lodge an RU and also lodge a OneUp bid.
Mar 14, 2024, 2:11 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
A warm welcome to FlyerTalk.
Key question is which airline has issued the ticket. It need to be an AirNZ ticket to apply for an RU, ticket numbers are 13 digits and start with 086. If the ticket has already been issued, you can log into your account and select 'upgrade a sector'. That will bring up which sectors are available for applying your upgrade. So you should be able to do this online. It is true that the online system is poor at handling different kinds of upgrade instruments.
As a Silver member, sorry to break it to you but the chances of upgrades clearing is poor. Depends on the route and loadings of course, but you are at the bottom of the queue.
I'd look at you account online first, and see what is available for you to select. I'd then decide which sectors I'd apply the RU to and lodge it. It is a simple process.
If you can't also make a One-Up bid, then you'd need to call Air NZ to have this done manually.
The Agent may have got themselves confused trying to be helpful, but there is no way you have to lodge a OneUp before lodging an RU !!. If it is confirmed only one of the sectors is available for upgrade, then you'll have to decide which instrument you want to use - I don't think you can lodge an RU and also lodge a OneUp bid.
Key question is which airline has issued the ticket. It need to be an AirNZ ticket to apply for an RU, ticket numbers are 13 digits and start with 086. If the ticket has already been issued, you can log into your account and select 'upgrade a sector'. That will bring up which sectors are available for applying your upgrade. So you should be able to do this online. It is true that the online system is poor at handling different kinds of upgrade instruments.
As a Silver member, sorry to break it to you but the chances of upgrades clearing is poor. Depends on the route and loadings of course, but you are at the bottom of the queue.
I'd look at you account online first, and see what is available for you to select. I'd then decide which sectors I'd apply the RU to and lodge it. It is a simple process.
If you can't also make a One-Up bid, then you'd need to call Air NZ to have this done manually.
The Agent may have got themselves confused trying to be helpful, but there is no way you have to lodge a OneUp before lodging an RU !!. If it is confirmed only one of the sectors is available for upgrade, then you'll have to decide which instrument you want to use - I don't think you can lodge an RU and also lodge a OneUp bid.
Mar 14, 2024, 2:22 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
Under the Manage my Booking on right hand column, should be request an upgrade and get request upgrade button and then the next page should have an option for RU. DOn't currently have any bookings that haven't already applied for so can't fully check.
Mar 14, 2024, 2:40 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
There is only OneUp option that is shown next to that leg of the journey. Although on top of the "table" it does says I have 1 RU but doesn't show up next to the eligible leg. Hope I'm doing it the right way? Sorry I was going have a snip shot but it wouldn't allow me to post it.
Mar 14, 2024, 2:54 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
There is only OneUp option that is shown next to that leg of the journey. Although on top of the "table" it does says I have 1 RU but doesn't show up next to the eligible leg. Hope I'm doing it the right way? Sorry I was going have a snip shot but it wouldn't allow me to post it.
Just to confirm this is on 086 AirNZ ticketstock. This is booked via a different airline or codeshare?
Mar 14, 2024, 2:19 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: Airpoints Elite
Posts: 123
Doesn't sound normal to me. Every time I've used an RU I've just gone in via either the app or the main website and selected my flight (if it's a through-booked ticket you can still click on the various component flights, e.g. Chc to Akl, Akl to Singapore or whatever). Find the one that is an Air NZ flight where you could use an upgrade and then find the upgrade option and go from there.
I will say that I've found the call centre knowledge of upgrades to be extremely inconsistent (e.g. one support person was certain that upgrades even for elite can only be approved in the departure lounge just before boarding, despite me having had multiple upgrades confirm either at time of booking or months before the flight).
I've been going around in circles, for example, trying to get a set of lodged RUs cancelled so I can put them towards another couple of flights. According to support the cancellation has been processed and I've been able to use the RUs towards two other flights BUT my app/site still shows the RUs for the original request as pending, so I'm now not able to try and use an APD upgrade for that flight as the system thinks an upgrade is already pending. Nobody has been able to help me with this, despite various 'we're escalating this' responses.
I think to some extent you just have to roll with the idiosyncrasies of the system and hope for the best. I'm not convinced anybody knows how the system really works at this point.
I will say that I've found the call centre knowledge of upgrades to be extremely inconsistent (e.g. one support person was certain that upgrades even for elite can only be approved in the departure lounge just before boarding, despite me having had multiple upgrades confirm either at time of booking or months before the flight).
I've been going around in circles, for example, trying to get a set of lodged RUs cancelled so I can put them towards another couple of flights. According to support the cancellation has been processed and I've been able to use the RUs towards two other flights BUT my app/site still shows the RUs for the original request as pending, so I'm now not able to try and use an APD upgrade for that flight as the system thinks an upgrade is already pending. Nobody has been able to help me with this, despite various 'we're escalating this' responses.
I think to some extent you just have to roll with the idiosyncrasies of the system and hope for the best. I'm not convinced anybody knows how the system really works at this point.
Mar 14, 2024, 2:23 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,119
The only scenario I've ever seen where the RU option didn't show was when it was either not ticketed on NZ ticket stock or booked on a codeshare flight.
Mar 14, 2024, 3:20 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,208
But sometimes it is necessary to call. It is all quite a mystery……
Mar 14, 2024, 3:38 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Wellington
Posts: 86
There is only OneUp option that is shown next to that leg of the journey. Although on top of the "table" it does says I have 1 RU but doesn't show up next to the eligible leg. Hope I'm doing it the right way? Sorry I was going have a snip shot but it wouldn't allow me to post it.
What you should see is something like this, where you get the option of both recognition and oneup upgrades.
Seems odd if you’re only seeing oneup as an option as the eligibility criteria for both RUs and oneups is the same, as mentioned earlier (NZ 086 ticket stock, NZ metal etc).
You might have to try and request a RU through the call centre if it’s not showing up as an option for you.
Mar 14, 2024, 4:25 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
Yes, I just checked it is 086 AirNZ ticket. However... it is booked through a travel agent since it's business travel. Does this make a difference?
Mar 14, 2024, 4:41 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
]
What you should see is something like this, where you get the option of both recognition and oneup upgrades.
Seems odd if you’re only seeing oneup as an option as the eligibility criteria for both RUs and oneups is the same, as mentioned earlier (NZ 086 ticket stock, NZ metal etc).
You might have to try and request a RU through the call centre if it’s not showing up as an option for you.
What you should see is something like this, where you get the option of both recognition and oneup upgrades.
Seems odd if you’re only seeing oneup as an option as the eligibility criteria for both RUs and oneups is the same, as mentioned earlier (NZ 086 ticket stock, NZ metal etc).
You might have to try and request a RU through the call centre if it’s not showing up as an option for you.
"If you're a Silver or Gold member, you must request a OneUp Upgrade first, and then you can make a Recognition Upgrade request on the remaining sector. If you're an Elite member, you must request the Recognition Upgrade first, then make a OneUp offer on the remaining sector."
Mar 14, 2024, 5:18 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2023
Posts: 67
Yes I think I should give the call centre a try. It is just odd how the online consultant is pretty much indicating that I have to raise the OneUp before I can ask for RU to be requested. See below quote from the AirNZ consultant.
"If you're a Silver or Gold member, you must request a OneUp Upgrade first, and then you can make a Recognition Upgrade request on the remaining sector. If you're an Elite member, you must request the Recognition Upgrade first, then make a OneUp offer on the remaining sector."
"If you're a Silver or Gold member, you must request a OneUp Upgrade first, and then you can make a Recognition Upgrade request on the remaining sector. If you're an Elite member, you must request the Recognition Upgrade first, then make a OneUp offer on the remaining sector."
So perhaps some misunderstanding by the agent?