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Old Oct 4, 2012, 12:53 pm
  #1  
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what are the chances of an upgrade

I am on BA 0009 to BKK on 25th, Flight is totally sold out on CW, with WT+ and 1st available

What are the chances of of getting an upgrade for money at the airport? I am going DME-BKK and have already via avios upgraded the DME-LHR leg
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 1:39 pm
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With your recent luck I would love to say it's a dead cert

However, it's a bit more complicated than that. As I always say though, it can't hurt to ask - as long as it is a genuine request, rather than some sort of entitlement rant.
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 1:47 pm
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Unfortunately I don't think your recent experiences will have any impact at the airport ticket desk

However it's always worth asking at the airport in my experience for paid upgrade options. Based on the loads I would have thought that they would love to take cash in lieu of invol op-ups.

I often ask at LHR to various destinations and am sometimes surprised and take them on the spot. I also do this relatively frequently out of DME and a £700 upgrade on MMB from WT+ can become a €450 one relatively often... usually of course on the 747 - and if it's a long haul aircraft... I wonder whether they offer cash upgrades from WT+ to CE ??
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 2:35 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by Behindthecurtain
I am on BA 0009 to BKK on 25th, Flight is totally sold out on CW, with WT+ and 1st available
Are you sure? Looks like at least 9 to me in each of Y, WT+ and CW.

[KVS Availability Tool 7.0.7/Diamond - Sabre: Availability/FS/US]
Code:
LHR  London Heathrow UK [EGLL]
BKK  Bangkok Metro / Suvarnabhumi Intl TH = BKK DMK [VTBS]
THU  25 Oct 2012

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  -----------------------------------------------------------------
BA         9       LHR   22:05     BKK   15:20     744      F6 A6 C7 D5 R5 I3 Y9 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 Q0 G0 J9 W9 E4 T0 N0 O0
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:06 pm
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BA.com -> Manage My Booking -> Upgrade My Travel Class With Money
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:10 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by surryson
BA.com -> Manage My Booking -> Upgrade My Travel Class With Money
I don't think that's what the OP had in mind. That will likely generate a large price tag compared to the upgrade prices offered - from time to time - at the airport.
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:13 pm
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Originally Posted by golfmad
I don't think that's what the OP had in mind. That will likely generate a large price tag compared to the upgrade prices offered - from time to time - at the airport.
Are these upgrades actually offered to everyone or do pax have to take the first move and ask?
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:14 pm
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Just so I understand: you fly 4 hours from LHR to DME, wait for about 3 hours and then fly another 11 hours to BKK - ie a total of 18 hours , when a direct flight is around 9 hours?
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:20 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by riga
Are these upgrades actually offered to everyone or do pax have to take the first move and ask?
If they are on offer then my understanding is that they are available to everyone. If they are really keen to sell them they sometimes put a little printed note up on the check-in desks. Last time we saw that we enquired only to be told we'd already been upgraded
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:25 pm
  #10  
 
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I would say that only in about 10% of the cases that I've done an airport upgrade there's been a notice.

Normally I just ask "Are you offering any upgrade deals today?" - that way I think they realise I'm asking for the airport special price rather than a bog standard paid upgrade.

I felt slightly awkward the first time I asked, but soon realised it's no different than asking if they have window seats available in the old days.
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 3:30 pm
  #11  
 
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Originally Posted by golfmad
I don't think that's what the OP had in mind. That will likely generate a large price tag compared to the upgrade prices offered - from time to time - at the airport.


Someone paying the going rate? It'll never catch on...
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 4:42 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by ThatT1Feeling

However it's always worth asking at the airport in my experience for paid upgrade options. Based on the loads I would have thought that they would love to take cash in lieu of invol op-ups.
I was shocked to find to the contrary! They said it cash upgrade wasn't on offer, yet op-upped people. Saying that, this was down route, not at LHR.
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 11:47 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by BlackBerryAddict
Just so I understand: you fly 4 hours from LHR to DME, wait for about 3 hours and then fly another 11 hours to BKK - ie a total of 18 hours , when a direct flight is around 9 hours?
Yes . I'm diving and filming with so the BA baggage limits save me 1000 pounds each way in excess baggage charges, plus the ticket is 1000 cheaper!!!

Sometimes there is method in my madness. 3k GBP less cash plus 560 tier points as opposed to 280 on Cathay. Plus I get no long day flights as all the directs come back daytime.

I go on Cathay at Christmas but the kit stays there between the two trips minus the cameras and rebreather so expect to only get a 1 way overcharge of about 300 GBP.

The costs from Moscow can be very high unless you go indirect. Cathay and the Gulf Carriers are not really much cheaper and the baggage limits are very low. Thai, only go three times a week and the dates don't fit, Aeroflop and Transaero are murderous on baggage
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 1:30 am
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by Behindthecurtain
The costs from Moscow can be very high unless you go indirect.
Is that true in reverse, ie, booking exBKK direct to DME etc?
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 1:50 am
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by Behindthecurtain
Yes . I'm diving and filming with so the BA baggage limits save me 1000 pounds each way in excess baggage charges, plus the ticket is 1000 cheaper!!!

Sometimes there is method in my madness. 3k GBP less cash plus 560 tier points as opposed to 280 on Cathay. Plus I get no long day flights as all the directs come back daytime.

I go on Cathay at Christmas but the kit stays there between the two trips minus the cameras and rebreather so expect to only get a 1 way overcharge of about 300 GBP.

The costs from Moscow can be very high unless you go indirect. Cathay and the Gulf Carriers are not really much cheaper and the baggage limits are very low. Thai, only go three times a week and the dates don't fit, Aeroflop and Transaero are murderous on baggage
OK - fair enough

As I typed my post yesterday, I realised the ex-EU I will be doing later in the year is not that different.
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