Birthday Upgrade?
Apr 30, 2012, 9:28 am
#211
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: SPG Platinum, FPC Platinum, Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Platinum Elite, Accor Platinum, AC SE, MPC SL
Posts: 450
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! 
Apr 30, 2012, 3:07 pm
#212
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SQ QPP1, HYATT DIA, SPG GOLD, HH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 656
Just in case anyone was wondering - we both got upgraded J-F. That was amidst all the snow related delays/cancellations. Im sure the flight was full and im guessing I was upgraded ahead of some Diamond members that would have inevitably been on that route - so it seems that the birthday upgrade is worth something...
Jul 7, 2012, 2:38 am
#213
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 49
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.
Jul 7, 2012, 8:44 am
#214
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond / SQ Gold / Bonvoy Platinum / Hyatt Globalist / Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,098
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
Jul 7, 2012, 6:47 pm
#215
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: CX DM, UA Prem Plat
Posts: 58
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.
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
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
Jul 8, 2012, 7:38 pm
#219
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,346
Jul 8, 2012, 8:42 pm
#220
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: MH Enrich, VS FC, HH Gold, PC, SPG Gold, Marco Polo Gold, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,104
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
Do you actually need to let the check in agent know it's your birthday or are they smart enough to pick it up
Jul 8, 2012, 8:53 pm
#221
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Hong Kong SAR
Programs: JL Diamond, CX Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 277
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.
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.
Jul 8, 2012, 9:03 pm
#223
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,346
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
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_BH/ffp/mpo
Jul 8, 2012, 10:47 pm
#224
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Idaho
Programs: US Airways, Silver United, Gold Hilton, Platinum Marriott, Gold SPG
Posts: 749
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
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_BH/ffp/mpo
Jul 8, 2012, 11:07 pm
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,932
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.
Last edited by Guy Betsy; Jul 8, 2012 at 11:16 pm