IAN-UK

Travelling with a separately-ticketed, non-status colleague: he got upgraded at the gate, I didn't.

ThatT1Feeling

Have had a whole family (4 pax) opup from ET to CE and all 4 of us seated in F seats on a 3-class service, 4-class plane flight before

gustavmahler

We (two Silvers) have been opped up to CW the day before departure. While in the lounge we were moved from 15J/K to row 1E/F on a 4-class plane operating a 3-class service (LHR-DEN). Plane was very full - all of F was used and Y oversold.

Cap'n Benj

Yes, never as Blues from WT though, although the sample size is not large

I'd take the POUG and then hope for the WT+ > CW bump, which we did get a few times as blues

nobbyclark

Myself, 'er indoors and the 2 kids have been upgraded many times when travelling together, usually on points. Of course, when we fly to Calgary next Friday, I know it won't happen. But fingers crossed anyway.

Globaliser

Well, seeing as an op-up for a couple is obviously as common as muck, can I up the ante by asking this question:-

Has anyone ever had a double op-up as a couple?

(Yes, twice. Once WT --> WT+ --> CW, once WT+ --> CW --> F.)

Justonemore

That's why I never book F, I like the faint whiff of hope at check in, in the lounge and at the gate!

JonV

Judging by my own experience plus the number of anecdotes in this thread I wouldn't be surprised if it is done routinely. It even makes sense to upgrade couples ahead of single pax in some cases - if upgrading from WTP to the middle seats in CW, for example.

My own experience may be colored by the fact that I'm GGL and both my wife and daughter are Gold, but we've had several whole-family op-ups CW->F. It's an incentive to make sure we're on the same booking - last time we flew long haul together the kid was on a separate booking due to having flown unaccompanied on the outbound, so only my wife and I got the op-up. (I did the decent thing and gave up my F seat so they could sit together.)

crazy8534

Sorry to be realistic but if you want any chance of an op-up as 2 blues, take the POUG to WT+. They are probably offering you a POUG because WT is oversold but they are not specifically offering it to you because they are planning to upgrade you if you don't take it. As WT+ is the smallest cabin it is the one from which you are most likely to be upgraded.

On a JFK flight there will be lots of status passengers (from bronze to GGL and all the OW equivalents), even in WT. They will all be ahead of you in the queue for an op-up. Additionally, although couples op-ups do happen it is much easier for them to upgrade single travellers (potentially less shifting around of seats in the cabin).

martyndavid

My wife and I have been fortunate enough to receive four op-ups from CW to F as a couple during the past 12 months. Difficult to get the double op-up from CW, but Y to CW did happen to a friend and his wife who were both silvers on a very full LHR-JFK flight last year.

Skipcool3

Yes, as posted, we were double op-upped as a couple back from Auh from Y to CW.
Plane originated in MCT and was full. Great upgrade, particularly as it was overnight...

This was on the ZZZ reg 777s that only have 3 ? Rows of WT +

baileysserpant

The wife and I were both upgraded from CW to F on a flight back from MRU. (I also got an upgrade from WT+ to CW on the way out, she wasnt happy!)

silvergirl

Yes, mostly wt+ to CW.

Also on OW partner airlines, last month on CX from Y to J.^

London_traveller

In the Op-Ups I've had over the years, I don't think I've had one where it's just me and not my travel companion too.

I had one from ET to CE last year and we were put in different rows, although the guy at the gate asked if we wanted to be downgraded again in order to sit together. No was our collective answer, and as it was we appealed to the better nature of another CE traveller to swap seats anyway.

Fluzz

I booked a last minute (for me!) trip to YYZ in April 2014, flying June 2014. Think they were still in a "discounted" fare bucket. We're both Blue, nothing more than the odd ABZ-LHR for work and it was our first time travelling long-haul on BA.

I managed to snag the front row of the Y cabin inbound and outbound and we both got upgraded to WT+ both directions, much to our amazement. I am assuming it was due to the seats we had selected and nothing to do with status, etc. I snuck a look at who was in our seats and it was elderly couples both directions. I had expected it to be folks needing the bassinet position, to be honest.

Worked in their favour as we have booked in WT+ since...

Edited to add: we were sat together in the sets of 2 window seats too. Funny how startling real crockery on a plane was