Best Chance of Upgrade LHR <-> Tokyo
Jan 27, 2014, 4:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 5
Best Chance of Upgrade LHR <-> Tokyo
I'm going to be travelling from LHR to Tokyo (NRT or HND doesn't really matter) and back at the end of February. Its a work paid trip and they're likely to stick me in Y.
I'm BA Gold so hopeful I might get an upgrade. Are there any recommended flights to choose to increase my chances?
Going out I'm presuming, for example, BA4602 which is actually on JAL metal isn't going to upgrade. So I'm likely to go on BA5 (because of a connection I'd have to stop over to go out on BA7). Coming back though I could choose to do BA8 or BA6 if it would help my chances.
Thanks,
Och
I'm BA Gold so hopeful I might get an upgrade. Are there any recommended flights to choose to increase my chances?
Going out I'm presuming, for example, BA4602 which is actually on JAL metal isn't going to upgrade. So I'm likely to go on BA5 (because of a connection I'd have to stop over to go out on BA7). Coming back though I could choose to do BA8 or BA6 if it would help my chances.
Thanks,
Och
Jan 27, 2014, 4:19 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hampshire (LHR)
Programs: BA GOLD, Tufty Club, Virgin Silver, HH Diamond, Marriott Silver, ICH Platinum Ambassador. MAS Gold
Posts: 446
To be honest the only way to guarantee a higher cabin is to pay for it 
Otherwise, expect to fly in Y and if the upgrade comes along then enjoy it.
Oh, and welcome to FlyerTalk!
Otherwise, expect to fly in Y and if the upgrade comes along then enjoy it.
Oh, and welcome to FlyerTalk!
Jan 27, 2014, 4:23 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 5
Jan 27, 2014, 4:23 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
You paid cash to upgrade to a higher class
You used avios to upgrade to a higher class
The cabin was oversold and you were highest on the upgrade list
Service recovery
The first option will guarantee you in the higher cabin.
The second option will only be possible from a Y, B, or H economy fare or any premium economy fare.
The third option depends on how full the flight is. If it is not full in economy, there is no chance of upgrading.
You would need to find out which flight is generally oversold. You can look at the availability using Flightstats, ExpertFlyer, or any other availability tool. At the moment, neither flight looks busy in Y for the next few weeks.
Last edited by nux; Jan 27, 2014 at 4:32 am
Jan 27, 2014, 4:24 am
#5
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,163
Based purely on the fact that this is one of the best routes for Avios availability in all classes, I suspect the loads are not that high.
If I were you, I'd feel fairly certain of flying in the class you paid for.
However, as I said, Avios availability is good, so why not talk your boss into buying WT+ (there is a sale on!!) and use Avios to upgrade to CW. Otherwise, try for a paid airport upgrade. Lower load factors may make for attractive offers there. You may consider it well worth it for such a long flight.
If I were you, I'd feel fairly certain of flying in the class you paid for.
However, as I said, Avios availability is good, so why not talk your boss into buying WT+ (there is a sale on!!) and use Avios to upgrade to CW. Otherwise, try for a paid airport upgrade. Lower load factors may make for attractive offers there. You may consider it well worth it for such a long flight.
Jan 27, 2014, 4:29 am
#6
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,163
BA would only upgrade you if:
You paid cash to upgrade to a higher class
You used avios to upgrade to a higher class
The cabin was oversold and you were highest on the upgrade list
Service recovery
The first option will guarantee you in the higher cabin.
The second option will only be possible from a Y, B, or H economy fare or any premium economy fare.
The third option depends on how full the flight is. If it is not full in economy, there is no chance of upgrading.
You paid cash to upgrade to a higher class
You used avios to upgrade to a higher class
The cabin was oversold and you were highest on the upgrade list
Service recovery
The first option will guarantee you in the higher cabin.
The second option will only be possible from a Y, B, or H economy fare or any premium economy fare.
The third option depends on how full the flight is. If it is not full in economy, there is no chance of upgrading.
Jan 27, 2014, 4:30 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 5
Based purely on the fact that this is one of the best routes for Avios availability in all classes, I suspect the loads are not that high.
If I were you, I'd feel fairly certain of flying in the class you paid for.
However, as I said, Avios availability is good, so why not talk your boss into buying WT+ (there is a sale on!!) and use Avios to upgrade to CW. Otherwise, try for a paid airport upgrade. Lower load factors may make for attractive offers there. You may consider it well worth it for such a long flight.
If I were you, I'd feel fairly certain of flying in the class you paid for.
However, as I said, Avios availability is good, so why not talk your boss into buying WT+ (there is a sale on!!) and use Avios to upgrade to CW. Otherwise, try for a paid airport upgrade. Lower load factors may make for attractive offers there. You may consider it well worth it for such a long flight.
Jan 27, 2014, 4:39 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: BA Gold, M&M Silver
Posts: 445
Jan 27, 2014, 4:40 am
#9
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
I think the load on NRT is very dependent on tour group bookings.
I am not sure it's easy to predict the day of the week on which Y is particularly busy but I have been on a flight where the only empty seats were in F quite a few times on NRT flights, so I don't think the load is poor.
Either way I think the OP would be better off working out which flight is quieter so that he has a better chance of having an empty seat next to him than to hope for an op-up.
I am not sure it's easy to predict the day of the week on which Y is particularly busy but I have been on a flight where the only empty seats were in F quite a few times on NRT flights, so I don't think the load is poor.
Either way I think the OP would be better off working out which flight is quieter so that he has a better chance of having an empty seat next to him than to hope for an op-up.
Jan 27, 2014, 4:40 am
#10
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,811
Welcome Och.
And I shall add my greetings Och. Welcome to Flyertalk, and welcome to the BA board in particular. It is good to see you active here, please continue to post and make yourself at home.
Probably best cash use is to upgrade to WTP, the best Avios use is WTP to CW. so if the boss is hesistant then you can perhaps Airport Upgrade to WTP at the airport, and possibly get a free upgrade from there. However WTP AUPs can be thin on the ground, or so I am told.
Probably best cash use is to upgrade to WTP, the best Avios use is WTP to CW. so if the boss is hesistant then you can perhaps Airport Upgrade to WTP at the airport, and possibly get a free upgrade from there. However WTP AUPs can be thin on the ground, or so I am told.
Jan 27, 2014, 6:15 am
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, UA Silver, CC Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,000
OP: welcome but asking about best opportunity for OP UP on FT is akin to asking how beat to beat your children in parents evening
Good luck, hope it works out for you
Good luck, hope it works out for you
Jan 27, 2014, 6:19 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 5
Ouch!
I guess my expectations on upgrades with Gold status had been raised unreasonably :-). On my last flight (first with BA since getting Gold) I flew with 4 other family members none of whom has any status but on a group booking. All 5 of us got upgraded to business - this far exceeded anything I'd had on Silver so I'd started to assume upgrades happened much more frequently on Gold.
Och
I guess my expectations on upgrades with Gold status had been raised unreasonably :-). On my last flight (first with BA since getting Gold) I flew with 4 other family members none of whom has any status but on a group booking. All 5 of us got upgraded to business - this far exceeded anything I'd had on Silver so I'd started to assume upgrades happened much more frequently on Gold.
Och
Jan 27, 2014, 6:22 am
#14
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I've had one upgrade in 3 years of being gold. There are lots of stories here of people with very impressive upgrade rates (as indeed mentioned above) but I suspect the vast majority of golds flying Y have experiences closer to mine.
See if you can get the company to spring for WT+. It's not an unreasonable request for a business journey of that length. Then you have a fighting chance of a UuA on that route.
See if you can get the company to spring for WT+. It's not an unreasonable request for a business journey of that length. Then you have a fighting chance of a UuA on that route.