If they need to opup then they can't give a birthday upgrade

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that even a GO/SL traveling exactly on one's birthday would be ahead of op-ups.

On the other hand, I think I have confused some members here. What actually happened was that I think my family member (DM) was upgraded on the YVR to JFK leg because of my birthday. As in, two of us, sharing the same surname, were clearly travelling together to start. However, F class only had a seat left for me and not my companion. Upon landing YVR, F class opened up more so my companion was also upgraded to F. I can reasonably assume that if it wasn't my birthday, my DM companion would not been upgraded at all because J wasn't full from YVR to JFK.

I believe it is an unpublished perk for MPC members only. So my answer would be no, only members with a status have a chance.

Not necessarily, right? If they have room in the higher cabin to op-up into, they have room to do a birthday upgrade.

In answer to cy1978hk's question, Who knows? Op-ups are not a published benefit or a right for any status level. It's totally at CX's discretion, for operational reasons. If they're oversold in a cabin, they could decide it makes good commercial sense to offer a birthday upgrade to a SL instead of a "regular" op-up for a DM. The DM isn't in a position to complain, since he got the cabin he paid for and should have expected to fly in anyway.

I think this is very well said and agreed. The question that I would humbly lead members here to ponder goes back to the original post. Let's say Y was oversold by 2 seats, I was the only member traveling on a birthday. Okay, so I get upgraded. The question is, would my traveling companion (DM with BN300 for example) be ahead of another DM for an upgrade with a BN1 (for example)?

Thanks for the info

I think if they have to opup that means there is a capacity issue and I would say normal opup rules apply as birthday upgrades are not part of a formal offering? Also I think as SL birthday upgrades are not really a standard.

I think it's for MPC elites only. I flew on my birthday as a OW Ruby (AA) with BN1 and didn't get a UG. PEY had quite a few empty seats, as did J. Oh well, flew the cabin I paid for

Although a rather extreme case, what do you think happens if Y is overbooked by 1 passenger only, and there is a regular DM and a birthday GO in Y. Who gets upgraded? Or both?

Again, this goes back to the original post's question, what is the priority of birthday upgrade?

Another point I find for birthday opups is that they generally find out ur birthday when they check ur passport but I also seen the system prompt the agent.
It is a difficult one but I thought the chance DM will get first for normal opup as they can predict oversell situation much earlier than whether a members birthday,