Zacnlinc

What's so hard about getting a special meal upgrade passenger accommodated? I'd imagine they'd have several to spare regardless of class of service...

OSIModel

Someone in this thread said when they tried to board it "rejected them" so they could be upgraded.

Is this the case? I was not aware they could upgrade you at the gate?

I thought it was only on check/in or bag drop?

sammyg901

Can be at any point, including once you are in your original seat !!

In my experience at T5 it's been already done by the time I get to bag drop but from an outstation always at the gate

OSIModel

Does being on a domestic flights on the same ticket before the long haul effect your upgrade chances. I feel it does. I've been upgraded at the airport pre-long haul but never on the other leg.

I also feel its easier to get an upgrade if i don't check in online (at all) and arrive early. I not sure If there are downsides to this or not, but once doing with Lufthansa (not trying to get upgrade just forgot) when I tried it, they rejected it. Got to the airport for the domestic leg and the terminal screen said "see staff".

When to manually check in and she says there is not enough room on the long haul flight. She said she will still get me to the long haul flight but I may be bumped.

They were asking at the gate for volunteers, I didn't say a thing and ended up being the chosen one. Was not too bothered. I was on a business trip that was not time sensitive. Got 600 euros (cash) and 100 euro meal voucher. Put up in a hotel and upgraded to business on the flight the next day.

CaliforniaSwede

I'm over joyed! Usually the short haul flights OSL-LHR are fairly easy to upgrade but just got both LHR-SFO SFO-LHR upgraded from WT+, and the flight is not leaving until the end of April! Been trying to upgrade since 2014. And have never gotten it this far in advanced!

MPH1980

BA don't load spare special meals - it's all to order.

on top of that - the special meal is cabin specific and BA have strict 'service for the right cabin' mentality so they can't/shouldn't serve a WT+ special meal in the CW cabin.

PoincianaKings

WTP to CW coming back from JFK last Sunday. Done at check in but check in lady didn't mention it at all. Only realised as I entered the lounge. Very nice though. First ever upgrade.

Cymro

I'd check that - are you 100% sure it's not an aircraft change? E.g., you might find that the 63A you were after on the upper deck of a 747 is actually WTP on an A380 - or do you mean that you've upgraded with avios?

Cymro

I'd say that the majority of my upgrades have been at the gate, or if not with the "magic beep" then in the lounge beforehand. I've never had anything as early as check-in but I have had them while people might still be dropping bags (although I am virtually always hand baggage only, whatever my ticket allows).

mikeyfly

Don't mean to double post - but will add data point here - WT+ to CW on Friday night and last night LHR-DXB-LHR

Both times upgrade spotted on phone by seat change at 1.50-1.45 to departure time. Fri happened before boarding pass generated, last night after. So not sure if this impacts.

Also, two of us travelling - both updgrade. However my boarding pass printed in Dubai had typed on it "IVOL UG DUE O/SALES W-J"

Cheapened the experience

Ancient Observer

Rather like California Swede, I've had my return leg from Aus upgraded from WT+ to J, and the flight isn't until mid April.

I do hope it isn't an IT glitch!!

SinoBritAsia

Got an upgrade from SIN-SYD T-24 online check-in.

Plesantly surprised that BA is giving me the TPs and Avios for PE with it too.

Only problem now is I can't select my PE seat and it says online: "Sorry, we are unable to process your request. Please contact your local British Airways office."

Fingers crossed I get the rare upgrade double. From Y to PE and then J.

jk156

Struck very lucky this week...

Op-up from WTP to CW (upper deck A380) on rammed full BA55 LHR-JNB this week. Surprising element was that it was an ex-EU (from AMS), booked in Y and then UUA to WTP. Seat allocation updated on the app when I landed at LHR on the AMS-LHR leg.

First LH op-up since being a newly-minted GCH in November 2015, having had them basically 50% of the time as a SCH...

MarkedMan

Op Up bonanza this weekend on SH due to HT crowds, I am sure. T5 heaving, almost twice as many pax going through this weekend than middle of the week; upgrade at the gate. A classic case of "got a worse seat and a meal I didn't really need", but that's another story. And I suppose with CCR again struggling with kitchen problems and no hot food, the brunch was at least a bit welcome.

rpjs

Not IME but that's from the second half of 2015, so may not be valid any more. I was doing JFK-LHR-MAN and back every few weeks, mostly in WTP. I was op-uped to CW three times in the late summer / early autumn, once at the gate at JFK, twice via the app at LHR after completing my domestic leg.

I always did OLCI on the app as soon as it opened, and sometimes got seq 001 on my electronic BP. I read here that earlier check-ins increase op-up chances and my experience seems consistent with that.