What's your earliest Opup?
Feb 3, 2019, 12:26 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA - Gold
Posts: 93
What's your earliest Opup?
Out of interest, if you've been lucky enough for an opup, when's the earliest you've had one? Or (like the only two I've ever had) are they always the morning of the flight post-OLCI?
Apologies if this is discussed elsewhere but couldn't find it.
Apologies if this is discussed elsewhere but couldn't find it.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:29 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA - Gold
Posts: 93
Feb 3, 2019, 12:31 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
Feb 3, 2019, 12:50 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,435
36 hours before (at least) so it was visible in MMB and allowed you to make seat changes. There is/was a nice pop up message saying you’ve been upgraded and thanking you for being a GCH.
Also has them at OLCI, check in (both machine and counter), at conformance (so back to the counter for new BP) in the lounge, at the gate and on board. My observations are that none of the urban myths about upgrades have any bearing, just your CIV, oversold flights and then the machinations of the algorithm.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:52 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,552
No, I don’t think so. You’ve already been selected at that point, the new BPs are often already printed. As mentioned above, there is an algorithm which determines op-up priority order, and staff have little leeway to deviate from it.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:57 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
My wife and I got many OpUps at check-in at the airport in the old times before you could do check-in online. At that time, I think they were looking if you were dressed properly. We were just Blue members. Then, in the last 5 years, we would get them at the time of boarding the plane.
Feb 3, 2019, 2:06 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 845
The earliest was at T-24 hours during OLCI, only happened once though. Otherwise twice at the check in desk when dropping of my bag, once at LHR T5 airside connection desk when missing my connection and three times upon boarding when scanning my BP.
Feb 3, 2019, 2:40 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA - Gold
Posts: 93
Feb 3, 2019, 2:51 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,769
Last one was at the desk in the first wing at LHR when I went for a passport check. Had refreshed the app prior to that and no change.
The one before that was whilst I was waiting at the gate for a flight. Refreshed the app and my seat had changed to CE. Beep at the gate when I scanned my BP.
The second flight that day went from WT+ to CW and that too was a change of seat in the app whilst I was in the lounge, although neither had updated boarding passes on the app. If I hadn't refreshed "my bookings", I wouldn't have known until the last minute, and that's not good if say you're flying through LHR and get upgraded to F.
I would say all 5 of my upgrades have been at some point between check-in / security and the gate on the day.
The one before that was whilst I was waiting at the gate for a flight. Refreshed the app and my seat had changed to CE. Beep at the gate when I scanned my BP.
The second flight that day went from WT+ to CW and that too was a change of seat in the app whilst I was in the lounge, although neither had updated boarding passes on the app. If I hadn't refreshed "my bookings", I wouldn't have known until the last minute, and that's not good if say you're flying through LHR and get upgraded to F.
I would say all 5 of my upgrades have been at some point between check-in / security and the gate on the day.
Feb 3, 2019, 3:06 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 443
Feb 3, 2019, 3:17 pm
#14
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: 63,804
I've had a few upgrades a few days before departure, when I can see that a flight is so overbooked that seat selection becomes impossible for everyone beyond pre-selected seats. If you are new to BAEC accumulation then occasionally there are reports of people getting an email telling them they have had a complimentary upgrade months before departure, though my suspicion is that again BA will know that it will have a sellout anyway. Most of my upgrades are in the final 24 hours, and most of those are in the final hour after check-in has closed and BA can see what the no-show situation is looking like. My latest in terms of timing was after I boarded and was comfortable in my CW seat, when someone came up, initially looking pleased that they had an upgrade and then alarmed that someone was in their seat. "Ah hang on", I said, did a quick refresh of my app to see 1A. "Oops looks like I got the wrong seat, my apologies...."
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Feb 3, 2019 at 4:09 pm