corporate-wage-slave

You make a good point, but then T8191 did give some explanation. Being a couple is a disadvantage, a vegetarian (or other special meal pre-ordered) even more so.

Stez

I think for your first WT, you should go hardcore long-haul.

MNManInKen

Sure, but this does not by all means give a full story. It's fanciful, I'm sorry to say, that by adding a lot of speculation and snippets of occasional fact to a lot of anecdote you'll get a reliable model of how things work.

Humans also tend to see causal relationships where these might not exist, we are conditioned for this. Correlation does not imply causality however.

TravellerFrequently

I quite agree, but without it, there would be far fewer threads on FT!!

It is interesting to compare experiences, without drawing any conclusions. As we know, there are so many variables involved here.

LCY8737

I'm not arguing that the sample size is going to be big enough to come to any meaningful conclusion. But why would it need to be? This is FlyerTalk and not a scientific project...

(Though, technically, this is not random data...)

Edit: Just saw that TravellerFrequently beat me to most I had to say...

T8191

I'll try to be more precise. Not random data, just a simple statement of facts.

Over the last 5 years, flying twice a year in CW on BA216/217 in May/Jun and Sep/Oct between LHR and IAD, as a couple, we have never been OpUp-ed.

I don't know why. And I don't actually care.

Fruitcake

I'm sure that's true, but the 3 Fruitcakes, which included a child meal, did all get upgraded together, all as silvers, from WT+ to CW from JFK after the ash cloud. Special circumstances then though!

As a silver, I would say opup WT+ to CW for Mrs F and I is about 20% - we have had quite good luck - usually when travelling alone as cws says, and on YYZ/ IAD / JFK routes.

Mrs F and I also got an op up from VCE to LGW very recently - the only time ever on s/h and also as golds. Little F was left behind the curtain with his friend - he didn't mind!

Jenzo

I have been upgraded as a silver from wtp to CW a few times, however we had luck when i emailed a week before asking if there was any availability to be upgraded on our LAX-lhr flight with our family of 4 after recently being silver (just me) and was lucky to be given a upgrade for the whole family from wt+ to CW.

wyvern

Only been op-uped on longhaul flying solo, on maybe 5-10% of longhaul BA flights, and this is despite a SPML request in the booking. It's always a nice surprise...

I would prefer it if there was an option in the profile to 'disregard meal request in the event of an op-up)', but then SPML on BA has not resulted in any lack of op-up to date.

mec72

Gold:
WT-->WTP: --%
WTP-->CW: 50%
CW-->F: 0%
ET-->CE: 5%

expat_flo

As a Gold:
I only travel one specific route long-haul, and there:
CW to F on 4 out of 6 flights MIA-LHR
CW to F on 0 out of 6 flights LHR-MIA

Other BA flights were CE or long-haul F.

No upgrades on any AA domestic flights.

I think my luck must be down to the Miami station. Heathrow's central upgrade management seems to favour others.

lorcancoyle

I'm at maybe 10% for long haul, all CW-F (1 each for PEK-LHR, ICN-LHR, ORD-LHR, 2 for LHR-JFK) - 4 as Gold and 1 as silver IIRC. One was, I think, thanks to BA ticket desk when I had a problem with TA booking that got corrected with 5 mins to spare and then got the beep at the gate. Only 1 ET-CE, but mostly fly for work or on ex-EU CW itin within Europe so not really relevant datapoint, probably 15-20% range.

Have had AA transcontinental from economy to business which is 100% hit rate as gold!

Like others I don't expect it, so nice when it happens once every 12-24 months. Am aiming for GGL this year or next as have a stack of TPs after less than 3 months

TravellerFrequently

Welcome to FT and the BA Board, expat_flo!

A good success rate on MIA to LHR flights!

VolcanoMan

Can't give you detailed stats (no idea how you others do it!) but for me it's something like:

Past 12 months as Gold:

CW -> F :: 2 opups, from 4 sectors (50%)
WT+ -> CW :: 100% but I only did one leg so hardly representative!!!
WT -> WT+ :: 100% same comment as above. This was the outbound leg to Toronto a while ago, and I decided to upgrade with cash to WT+ on the way back... which is the WT+ to CW above...

ET->CE 1 opup, the only time I have ever had an opup in shorthaul in 9 years as a BAEC member of any colour. It was AMS->LHR.


Previously, as Gold (~12 months) / Silver (ages)...

I did OK. Got 1 opup to F once (from an avios upgrade to CW). And maybe ~6 upgrades to CW over the years from WT+. Probably about a 20% ratio. I very rarely fly WT, preferring to upgrade with cash myself on top of the work refunded base economy ticket. Fairly good value these days too (185 GBP last time I did it).


vm

Swanhunter

I flew WT on a LH 767 back from IST last year. Hugely over-rated experience.

My last long haul experience is now over 10 years ago.