Thank you, everyone! I'm fairly new to this but have been flying frequently in the past year and will continue to be the case. So I'm learning and absorbing all this information I'm reading on the forum! :D

Me & my wife were both upgraded on my wife's birthday last year...also J-F but on short-haul (HKG-BKK). Those tickets were also on redemptions :)

Just another data point. Didn't get a birthday upgrade LAX-HKG. Well, flight left 11:30pm the day before my birthday and landed the day after my birthday (timezones). I have no MPC status (well Green) and it was an award ticket on AS so I wasn't expecting anything.

that's expected - (1) you're GR and (2) your flight wasn't on the exact day.

since this thread has resurfaced, i'd like to ask a question - it seems that most of the birthday op-ups happen on flights out of HKG ... what are chances like for flights into HKG from various Asian cities? birthday coming up in a few months' time and i'm planning a short weekend trip returning on my birthday.

from here it seems like birthday op-ups on SIN-HKG aren't consistent ... any places with a better record for handing out op-ups? BKK? PVG? PEK? i'll be booking in J so i'll be hoping for a J to F birthday upgrade.

again, if it doesn't happen i'll still be happy :D

Last year, I was flying 2 segments on my b-day. One into and one put of Hk. I would have gotten the upgrade into Hk if I did not change my flight last minute. The checkin agent made an oblique remark when I tried to get on an earlier flight about how J is all full which I did not get at the time.

hmm, never heard of it, i'll try it next time :)

If you do not have MPC elite status, you won't get it.

If I am MPC GOLD is it guaranteed to get birthday upgrade??

No, it is not a written benefit and it is not guaranteed. So don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen, and please don't complain about it! (so they don't remove this unofficial benefit) ;)

Thanks for letting me know :) Do you actually need to let the check in agent know it's your birthday or are they smart enough to pick it up :)

I am not an elite, but I did get an upgrade with my class T award ticket.

On my last birthday last year, I was travelling from LAX to HKG and I was holding an award ticket (class T) with special meal request VOML. I believed I had hit the 3 criteria for not getting the upgrade: 1, Non-revenue tickets; 2, Special meals; 3, non-elite status; and therefore I did not ask for anything while checking in.

The Econ Cabin was pretty full loaded. I did not know I got upgraded until I boarded the plane and turned to my seat. I saw my seat already been sat by someone else. I approached a FA and she said the ground staff found out that day was my birthday and issued an upgrade to business.

Strangely enough, I could see the Business Cabin is almost full - leaving only 1 or at most 2 seats vacant.

Whats MPC? I'm Silver UA...:confused:

Marco Polo Club, the loyalty/ frequent flier program of Cathay Pacific... UA status won't count for anything on Cathay, they're not even in the same alliance!

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_BH/ffp/mpo

Thanks for the info, do you know if they match? I have Alaska MVP thing, will that help?

If you are a MPC elite member, the system will pick it up and the info will be put on your reservation. You don't tell them... the check in agents have no authority to upgrade you even if your passport is staring them in the face.

No. Check out the status match forum - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...tus-match.html

Besides just a brand new MPC Gold card, you need to have some activity on it. If you're a new MPC member with zero in your mileage account, chances are zilch for b'day op-ups.

I flew on my birthday last year and I am AA/Oneworld Sapphire. But because I am not MPC Elite, I was denied the upgrade.