The ultimate UPGRADE thread
Mar 6, 2003, 5:49 am
#76
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 70
ScottC,
Thanks for your helpful insight!
Thanks for your helpful insight!
Mar 6, 2003, 6:03 am
#77
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Edinburgh, UK
Posts: 232
I can confirm that check-in agents CAN'T see how many tier points you have, nor can they see what your miles balance is.
Mar 7, 2003, 2:14 am
#78
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 266
As I actually enter dialouge with Pucci,the coming of the AMessiah must be any day.As I fly nowadays in F ,paid by neither employer or myself,rather courtesy of 364 IF subs.My budget limitations are stetched at J class where I was doing all my travel previously and will relegate myself to such as I deplete my miles.As far as ups in F,not that my two cents matters,as long as people are polite and non-belligerent I could care less if he got ther echeaper than me.If his charm is better than mine ,well thats the way nthe world goes.I have never recieved anything with my charm,I guess I am a little short on the charm but long on the resourcefulness.Life is a tradeoff.I am very content with what I have If you pay F class be grateful you can afford it ,not resentful of the next guy who cant and got in some other way.Now if a person would sneak in that would be a diffrent story as would openly flirtitous behavior resulting in an up.As a last word my first charm in 4 decades did work.I was in Budapest waiting for a Malev departure and I had three hours on my hand,the airport was deserted and i being spoiled with BA lounges could not,would not wait with the commonfolk.I plastered the biggest smile Icould think off and flattered the receptionist as to how lucky the men of Budapest must be with her company,needless to say Iwas in .
Mar 12, 2003, 11:44 am
#79
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: London
Posts: 26
DH and I will be travelling to Orlando around Christmas to visit my parents. He is a Gold Executive Club Member and I am a humble blue.
I don't mind travelling in economy for this trip, but DH really doesn't want to. In an attempt to maximise our chances of getting an operation upgarde, I was thinking about booking a business class ticket in my name and an economy class ticket in his name.
Now for the important bit. If he isn't upgraded, are there any security or other issues to stop us swapping boarding passes/seats once we are past the gate?
Thanks in advance.
I don't mind travelling in economy for this trip, but DH really doesn't want to. In an attempt to maximise our chances of getting an operation upgarde, I was thinking about booking a business class ticket in my name and an economy class ticket in his name.
Now for the important bit. If he isn't upgraded, are there any security or other issues to stop us swapping boarding passes/seats once we are past the gate?
Thanks in advance.
Mar 12, 2003, 1:54 pm
#80
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: washington dc
Posts: 73
Since I reached Gold last summer I have taken 10 long haul flights in CW on BA - and been upgraded to F on half of them. Never asked at check-in; always flirted with the (female) lounge staff. Just goes to show...there are no rules.
And the best bit? All those sad sacks who paid for F didn't even realise there's an imposter in their midst!
And the best bit? All those sad sacks who paid for F didn't even realise there's an imposter in their midst!
Mar 12, 2003, 2:06 pm
#81
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Still a lowly Blue with BA but inching towards Bronze. Managed to get to KLM Silver!
Posts: 4,308
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PUCCI GALORE:
I got everything but who is Frank Abanagle III?</font>
I got everything but who is Frank Abanagle III?</font>
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 03-12-2003).]
Mar 12, 2003, 2:56 pm
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dampse:
Since I reached Gold last summer I have taken 10 long haul flights in CW on BA - and been upgraded to F on half of them. Never asked at check-in; always flirted with the (female) lounge staff. Just goes to show...there are no rules.
And the best bit? All those sad sacks who paid for F didn't even realise there's an imposter in their midst!</font>
Since I reached Gold last summer I have taken 10 long haul flights in CW on BA - and been upgraded to F on half of them. Never asked at check-in; always flirted with the (female) lounge staff. Just goes to show...there are no rules.
And the best bit? All those sad sacks who paid for F didn't even realise there's an imposter in their midst!</font>
Mar 12, 2003, 3:03 pm
#83
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: washington dc
Posts: 73
Nope. And 2 of the upgraded flights were ex LHR.
[This message has been edited by dampse (edited 03-12-2003).]
[This message has been edited by dampse (edited 03-12-2003).]
Jul 11, 2003, 1:53 pm
#84
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,487
bump
Saw an old episode of Airport (the BBC documentary) and a middle aged woman and her mother were flying with Canadian, the younger in J and older in Y. The younger one in J was po-faced the whole time and when the Canadian concierge for J passengers asked why she said 'My father has passed away and my mother is in Economy and she can't fly alone and I asked for her to be upgraded and the checkin staff refused'. The concierge went ahead and moved already seated Business Class passengers around the cabin so the mother and daughter could be seated together.
OK so the father may have passed away but why book one J and one Y ticket and expect to be given an upgrade. It's pathetic
(edited for gash smilie management)
[This message has been edited by fbgdavidson (edited 07-11-2003).]
Saw an old episode of Airport (the BBC documentary) and a middle aged woman and her mother were flying with Canadian, the younger in J and older in Y. The younger one in J was po-faced the whole time and when the Canadian concierge for J passengers asked why she said 'My father has passed away and my mother is in Economy and she can't fly alone and I asked for her to be upgraded and the checkin staff refused'. The concierge went ahead and moved already seated Business Class passengers around the cabin so the mother and daughter could be seated together.
OK so the father may have passed away but why book one J and one Y ticket and expect to be given an upgrade. It's pathetic
(edited for gash smilie management)
[This message has been edited by fbgdavidson (edited 07-11-2003).]
Jul 11, 2003, 3:44 pm
#85
Join Date: Sep 2002
Programs: Mucci Gold Class
Posts: 2,045
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fbgdavidson:
... my mother is in Economy and she can't fly alone ...</font>
... my mother is in Economy and she can't fly alone ...</font>
Jul 11, 2003, 4:55 pm
#86
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Chicago,IL.
Posts: 3,022
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fbgdavidson:
bump
Saw an old episode of Airport (the BBC documentary) and a middle aged woman and her mother were flying with Canadian, the younger in J and older in Y. The younger one in J was po-faced the whole time and when the Canadian concierge for J passengers asked why she said 'My father has passed away and my mother is in Economy and she can't fly alone and I asked for her to be upgraded and the checkin staff refused'. The concierge went ahead and moved already seated Business Class passengers around the cabin so the mother and daughter could be seated together.
OK so the father may have passed away but why book one J and one Y ticket and expect to be given an upgrade. It's pathetic
(edited for gash smilie management)
[This message has been edited by fbgdavidson (edited 07-11-2003).]</font>
bump
Saw an old episode of Airport (the BBC documentary) and a middle aged woman and her mother were flying with Canadian, the younger in J and older in Y. The younger one in J was po-faced the whole time and when the Canadian concierge for J passengers asked why she said 'My father has passed away and my mother is in Economy and she can't fly alone and I asked for her to be upgraded and the checkin staff refused'. The concierge went ahead and moved already seated Business Class passengers around the cabin so the mother and daughter could be seated together.
OK so the father may have passed away but why book one J and one Y ticket and expect to be given an upgrade. It's pathetic
(edited for gash smilie management)
[This message has been edited by fbgdavidson (edited 07-11-2003).]</font>
Aug 1, 2003, 7:13 am
#87
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: ORD
Programs: UA *G
Posts: 1,720
We asked in Russian on Aeroflot and got my grandma in J, all 4 of us dad, mom, me brother were already in J and they put my grandma up front.
-JBLU.
I think it was because we were friendly/patient to the agent.
-JBLU.
I think it was because we were friendly/patient to the agent.
Aug 4, 2003, 4:24 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,407
Well – having remembered this thread this morning I thought I would add a lovely experience from the weekend.
By way of background - used OLCI to reserve the first row of Y class (left side - travelling intra-Europe) – only to find on check-in that they had moved the divider and was now seated 4 rows back – could not move (‘full-flight’, ‘first row completely full’ etc – same story in the lounge) – anyways – managed to secure first row at the gate (first row was, as it turned out, completely empty – why does BA say this?).
On boarding, exchanged pleasantries and a bit of a chat with the CSD while waiting to sit.
After doors closed, CSD was passing through the cabin and stopped, quietly asked if I ‘would like to move forward?’.
‘That would be lovely’ was my reply, ‘where would you like me to sit?’
‘Anywhere at all, it would be a pleasure to have you join us’.
Well – kind of a nice buzz with that!
Back to the 'by way of background bit', on the way between check-in and the lounge I was pondering that there are many reasons why BA can be difficult (especially with the 30% seat allocation limits, claming that the ‘aircraft is completely full so you cannot move’ etc) – however as it turned out there are these little gems (like the crew yesterday) that make up for all of that!
Regards
WG
By way of background - used OLCI to reserve the first row of Y class (left side - travelling intra-Europe) – only to find on check-in that they had moved the divider and was now seated 4 rows back – could not move (‘full-flight’, ‘first row completely full’ etc – same story in the lounge) – anyways – managed to secure first row at the gate (first row was, as it turned out, completely empty – why does BA say this?).
On boarding, exchanged pleasantries and a bit of a chat with the CSD while waiting to sit.
After doors closed, CSD was passing through the cabin and stopped, quietly asked if I ‘would like to move forward?’.
‘That would be lovely’ was my reply, ‘where would you like me to sit?’
‘Anywhere at all, it would be a pleasure to have you join us’.
Well – kind of a nice buzz with that!
Back to the 'by way of background bit', on the way between check-in and the lounge I was pondering that there are many reasons why BA can be difficult (especially with the 30% seat allocation limits, claming that the ‘aircraft is completely full so you cannot move’ etc) – however as it turned out there are these little gems (like the crew yesterday) that make up for all of that!
Regards
WG
Sep 11, 2003, 6:59 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,487
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by whmere:
I am peturbed about the comment re: putting J-fare passengers ahead of Golds on D. By definition, lower or non-status members don't give a lot of revenue to BA. It seems a bit off to prioritise someone who may buy one occasional J fare over someone who buys at least 5 either D or J every year (I'm thinking transatlantic here)</font>
I am peturbed about the comment re: putting J-fare passengers ahead of Golds on D. By definition, lower or non-status members don't give a lot of revenue to BA. It seems a bit off to prioritise someone who may buy one occasional J fare over someone who buys at least 5 either D or J every year (I'm thinking transatlantic here)</font>
whmere, this is very true and if I were a Gold I'd be a little miffed if some Blue peasant (like myself
) were op-uped before me.However, some leisure flier who looks for the cheapest flight and on their one flight per decade with British Airways gets an upgrade may decide that because of their good experience they may come back, perhaps in the vain hope it may happen again. At work someone said they will now always fly with British Airways because they were upgraded HKG-LHR and think it may happen again, I smiled nicely and carried on with work!
funny upgrade attempt at IAD, let the typing commence...
Sep 11, 2003, 7:08 am
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,487
Date: 9th September
Time: 2040hrs
Location: 32D Washington Dulles Airport
Having just said goodbye to my girlfriend with a few tears in my eyes and after failing to eat my way through a small pizza from Pizza Hut, I sat down in the departure area watching Gold / Silver / CW / First passengers arriving from the lounges. A lady, alas not among this party, walks towards the gate staff who are preparing for boarding, her boarding card and plastic card in hand. She says to the BA staff that her husband had just received this 'BA Elite card' through the mail and that for some reason she (travelling alone) wasn't upgraded from WT to CW / First. The BA staff look blankly across the queueing line at eachother and the staff dealing with the delinquent browse without much attention at a computer screen and then hand back the husbands card. I catch a glimpse of the Silver card and then the lady says, 'I am afraid that is not possible, would you like a different seat...(lady begins to look pleased)....in World Traveller'. She thens trudges back to her seat in the departure area, boarding card and passport in hand.
Time: 2040hrs
Location: 32D Washington Dulles Airport
Having just said goodbye to my girlfriend with a few tears in my eyes and after failing to eat my way through a small pizza from Pizza Hut, I sat down in the departure area watching Gold / Silver / CW / First passengers arriving from the lounges. A lady, alas not among this party, walks towards the gate staff who are preparing for boarding, her boarding card and plastic card in hand. She says to the BA staff that her husband had just received this 'BA Elite card' through the mail and that for some reason she (travelling alone) wasn't upgraded from WT to CW / First. The BA staff look blankly across the queueing line at eachother and the staff dealing with the delinquent browse without much attention at a computer screen and then hand back the husbands card. I catch a glimpse of the Silver card and then the lady says, 'I am afraid that is not possible, would you like a different seat...(lady begins to look pleased)....in World Traveller'. She thens trudges back to her seat in the departure area, boarding card and passport in hand.