MAN-ORD New Econ upgrades
 

Does anyone have ideas on the availability of upgrades to New Econ on the MAN-ORD route?

Someone not unconnected with BMI told me these could be had for £120 cash at checkin, subject to availability.

But are they ever given as complimentaries to BD Gold holders? Given that all my recent pleas for upgrades on other routes have met with "It's now vouchers only, sir" I expect not, but I can hope.

The unofficial automatic transatlantic upgrade to New Economy for Gold card holders has certainly dried up. I had a couple of lucky escapes recently - the CSD on board noticed me and moved me forward, otherwise I'd have been stuck in the particularly uncomfortable seating at the very back - and it looks like vouchers only from now on.

I guess the trick is to bring the vouchers and hope they don't actually take them, but that relies on cultivating some friends in dispatch http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Where would one go to look for these vouchers?

Four can be yours for 600 of your precious BD points.

BTW they are really valid for a year - a batch was printed and issued with only 2 or 3 months validity (I initially had some of these) but this was apparently a mistake.

Don't gold members (if that isn't too "Austin Powers" a concept!) get some vouchers for nothing each year?

I hope to hit gold this summer.

Stephen

Golds get 4 in the membership kit every year (along with a collection of Avis upgrade vouchers). Although you can buy these vouchers using DC points, you have to be a Gold card holder to use them, no?

Strange things, these vouchers. There must be an easier way of handling Gold perks.

First, they are dated "valid until 28 February 200x" regardless of when you qualified for Gold, so if you made Gold on 20 Feb you would only have 8 days to use them. In practice, as grayst says, they will allow them to be used up until the expiry date of your Gold card. If you ask nicely.

Second, they are strictly subject to availability and there is no mechanism for requesting such an upgrade at check-in. So you hand them over to the check-in agent, who looks puzzled. She tucks them in to your boarding pass to be taken later by a gate agent. Gate agent doesn't know you're trying to upgrade until you ask because there is no relevant inventory on the system which indicates that although you are in Y, you have vouchers for C. So you end up having the same pleading conversation with different staff until you get a C seat. Why can't they do it electronically in your booking in advance and move you up automatically as with operational upgrades or Gold award bookings?

Third, each voucher says you may upgrade yourself "and one companion". Sometimes they take one voucher per person, sometimes they take one voucher per two.

All that hassle for "Food On The Go"...

The one and only time I've used the vouchers was on EDI-LHR-MAD and back. Couldn't use them on checkin at EDI, but did so at the desk in the DC lounge in LHR and had new boarding cards issued.

On the way back used them at checkin at MAD, got C-class cards and lounge access stickers.
And then was able to use the same vouchers again for the final LHR-EDI leg, again at the LHR DC lounge desk - but that's another story.

When using vouchers, I've nearly always been upgraded at checkin. Only once, at CDG, did the checkin agent say I had to see the gate agent.

I have only once been told at checkin (at LHR) that there was no availability to use a voucher but in the DC lounge they upgraded me no problem, without the voucher! Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch!