Birthday Upgrade?
Aug 24, 2018, 6:35 pm
#571
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
I intentionally booked my mum a flight on her birthday next week in Y. She is a SL and the flight at the moment is wide open in all classes. Will report back
Being old Chinese, she doesn't celebrate according to the western calendar birthday anyway, so the birthday on her passport means nothing to her.
Being old Chinese, she doesn't celebrate according to the western calendar birthday anyway, so the birthday on her passport means nothing to her.
KA621 was J1 after she upgraded to 18K. Check in agent called the manager over to double and triple check (guess need to confirm with the message in the computer or something), it took quite a while for her to check in.
CX161 was wide open, upgrade happened about 1 hour before departure. She already went to the gate and I had to call her to go back to the lounge for change to a seat in the mini front cabin when I noticed her original seat shown empty.
She is only SL. Good job and thank you CX/KA
Aug 28, 2018, 7:59 pm
#573
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 58
I'm in a dilemma due to a connecting flight that takes place at 00:30am. The first leg arrives about 10pm the day before, Should I book the first leg on my birthday or the day before my birthday to maximise chances of getting a birthday upgrade (assuming there is availability of course).
Aug 30, 2018, 2:01 am
#574
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: MPCGO
Posts: 123
Strangely, on my birthday (same route), I was the only one upgraded at the gate. I think that while the system catches the birthday on the exact date, I am assuming that there may be a +/- allowance?
Aug 30, 2018, 6:52 pm
#575
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
Happened on both me and my wife's separate birthdays (we were both SLs at that time). While it was on HKG-MNL (an op up heavy route), the lady at the AE specifically mentioned it was a birthday upgrade and upgraded BOTH of us during my wife's birthday.
Strangely, on my birthday (same route), I was the only one upgraded at the gate. I think that while the system catches the birthday on the exact date, I am assuming that there may be a +/- allowance?
Strangely, on my birthday (same route), I was the only one upgraded at the gate. I think that while the system catches the birthday on the exact date, I am assuming that there may be a +/- allowance?
Sep 11, 2018, 5:24 am
#577
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Sep 17, 2018, 8:03 am
#579
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: HKG
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, CX DM, QF GO, AA LT GO, UA SL, LH FT, Marr LT Titanium, Shang DM, Hyatt Glob, Hilton DM
Posts: 2,024
just want to see if others have a similar experience...from my experience, if I make a last minute booking, say a day or two before the flight, then I most often won't get the birthday upgrade (but frankly I didn't ask explicitly either usually). but if I make a booking a longer time in advance, then most often I would get it. do others have similar experience? I suspected that they processed these and put say a birthday remark into the booking by the system say a few days in advance of the flight, or by batch? so if the booking is made too late, they won't be able to catch it? I think it makes sense, when the MPO number is inputted in the system, it seems too much a system overhead each time to check whether the birthday is the same as the flight date every time? so maybe every week or every day, they process those with birthdays after a few days or next week or something, and put remarks (automatically by system I guess) into the bookings already in place then on the birthday? if bookings are made beyond this processing date, then those won't get it. and my experience/feeling so far is that such birthday upgrades need to be authorized by MPO at the center, and even at check in they saw it's your birthday, they still don't have the authority to upgrade you (provided you're also MPO esp GO/DM/etc), right...
Sep 17, 2018, 9:10 am
#580
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,053
just want to see if others have a similar experience...from my experience, if I make a last minute booking, say a day or two before the flight, then I most often won't get the birthday upgrade (but frankly I didn't ask explicitly either usually). but if I make a booking a longer time in advance, then most often I would get it. do others have similar experience? I suspected that they processed these and put say a birthday remark into the booking by the system say a few days in advance of the flight, or by batch? so if the booking is made too late, they won't be able to catch it? I think it makes sense, when the MPO number is inputted in the system, it seems too much a system overhead each time to check whether the birthday is the same as the flight date every time? so maybe every week or every day, they process those with birthdays after a few days or next week or something, and put remarks (automatically by system I guess) into the bookings already in place then on the birthday? if bookings are made beyond this processing date, then those won't get it. and my experience/feeling so far is that such birthday upgrades need to be authorized by MPO at the center, and even at check in they saw it's your birthday, they still don't have the authority to upgrade you (provided you're also MPO esp GO/DM/etc), right...
Sep 17, 2018, 10:51 pm
#581
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: HKG
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, CX DM, QF GO, AA LT GO, UA SL, LH FT, Marr LT Titanium, Shang DM, Hyatt Glob, Hilton DM
Posts: 2,024
Indeed, at least some 2-3 times I think, quite consistently, but certainly not like 10+ yrs of data, since I do avoid flying on my birthday if possible, and not too many regional flights have F these days. The latest one, last year or the year before think, I remember J was full and F quite open (according to expertflyer) , I was also DM and eventually F went out full and I saw some op-up (I guess), and yet I was not among those, and in fact in-flight they didn't mention my birthday either when they greeted me - seems my birthday didn't get noted in that last minute booking. This year again I ended up having to book (in fact change flight/destination) a flight like 36 hrs in advance (invoking DM J guarantee), so just wondering if I would be out of luck again. I usually book flights esp regional ones only a few days in advance, so I'm thinking whether next year should esp for flight on my birthday try to book it much earlier. 
. Will report back how it goes.
. Will report back how it goes.
Sep 18, 2018, 1:52 am
#582
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO/HKG
Programs: ex-UA 1K, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 535
Indeed, at least some 2-3 times I think, quite consistently, but certainly not like 10+ yrs of data, since I do avoid flying on my birthday if possible, and not too many regional flights have F these days. The latest one, last year or the year before think, I remember J was full and F quite open (according to expertflyer) , I was also DM and eventually F went out full and I saw some op-up (I guess), and yet I was not among those, and in fact in-flight they didn't mention my birthday either when they greeted me - seems my birthday didn't get noted in that last minute booking. This year again I ended up having to book (in fact change flight/destination) a flight like 36 hrs in advance (invoking DM J guarantee), so just wondering if I would be out of luck again. I usually book flights esp regional ones only a few days in advance, so I'm thinking whether next year should esp for flight on my birthday try to book it much earlier. . Will report back how it goes.
. Will report back how it goes.
Sep 18, 2018, 5:35 am
#584
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Ex-Bonvoyed, Hyatt, Hilton, BR, AC, AA
Posts: 1,289