If there is any policy, I believe priority is given to the highest fare paid. Then within the same fare, Plat would have priority over Gold etc.

This is what happened to me the last couple of times I was opuped out of EWR on transatlantic flights. On both occasions I was on H fare ticket.

I also remember on one of these opups another guy trying to sweet talk to the GA, showing him his Plat card and trying to get on the opup list but it did not work for him that night...

In other occasions, when I was on a dirt cheap fare, my Plat status did not help and I could see other passengers being paged to the podium and get new BPs.

I have only been op up'd to HNL. They were looking for volunteers for oversold and I volunteered--as a Plat--and then go the OP UP had tried for a month to use milies to UG on a H fare. Lucky me got the UG for nothing still baffled by CO's failure to sell UG's with miles ( yes this is a form of payment) on these flights and they give away the product instead because of bad load management. Bad managment all around!

Why aren't the UG people within the 72 hours when they ahev an oversold?? Some mysteries may never be solved.

Airlines don't publish their international "unofficial" upgrade policies because they usually don't have any written policy. There are obvious reasons for that - the more predictable the process is, the more likely frequent flyers are to "play" the system.

Regarding the others theories:
OutOfOffice - it's true that when OpUps occur, time is limited, which explains why gate agents and concierges are empowered to make such big decisions when airport staff usually are not allowed to have anything to do with revenue management. So while there may be a generally accepted pecking order, gate agents can always avoid criticism using the argument that getting the flight out on time was more important than sticking to unwritten rules.
otralot - revenue management often will not open upgrade seats if coach is oversold because leaving Y at 0 forces people to buy into J / F. why they don't do it when J is >9 is Y is -23, I have no idea. Also, revenue management and all those related systems are complicated enough - riddled with "exceptions" and the like. Asking for more exceptions for various reasons isn't worth the trouble - more confused agents and more confused, angry passengers...

I know for a fact that at least one transatlantic carrier specifically does NOT op-up elites because they have so many problems with elites who begin to expect it when coach is oversold and make a scene.

I've been op-up'ed 3 times EWR-LGW...on dirt-cheap fares.

I simply ask if they need volunteers since coach looks over-booked, and usually end up getting an op-up. Once I got a bump instead.

Making life easier for the gate agents seems to help.

The information about your booking class?

Quite idiotic, isn't it, to offer free op-ups instead of getting folks to pay mileage for the upgrade? You would think they would upgrade everyone that wanted to spend miles, say 4 hours before departure, rather than giving the seats away for free.

I've only had 1 Op up transatlantic, EWR-LGW in 2003. I did not volunteer --didn't know they needed help or I would have jumped at the chance for op up or bump. Stayed late in the PC, was walking to gate C123 19 minutes prior to departure, when I heard my SO's name paged. Who did they page?? Me Plat, her zilch..... I was shocked. Happily shocked with 1A & 1B. The food was much better.

ciobel, my dirt-cheap class was "L"...about as low as they get. $206 EWR-LGW. Got three op-ups in six flights in 2004.

Haven't flown through LGW lately though... my last seven trips to Europe have been through AMS & LHR on KLM & AA.

I prefer the "Southern Hospitality" of DL at ATL than the "New York Pissy .....es" with CO at EWR.
This experience outlines why I am medallion instead of nOnePass Elite.
SR

That you got UGed on L ... yeah, that is as low as it goes, maybe you have some british accent that charmed the Pclub ladies? Actually, I am not aware of any published sales in the US that can go down to L ...

Oh well, where there is no rule, being nice and sweet surely paid off ...

While still a platinum about 5 years ago, I was on EWR MAD (petermax plane), and I knew coach was oversold- they ended up upgrading 11 people.

I asked nicely the gate agent, and asked the gray coat, and was told noboth times. I went to a original large P-club, and was told no. I went to the next P-club, and was told no. At that point it was embarassing to ask again. I went into the final P-club, the old one near gate 108 or so, and chatted with the agent there, never mentioning an upgrade. About 10 minutes later, she came to me at the bar, and asked for my partners last name, and offered two upgrades. So, I asked 4 times and was told "NO", and I finally decided to give up, and was pleasantly surprised at the bar.

I guess - don't ask!

It was fun boarding when the gray coat took my boarding pass, and saw I was upgraded when she had emphatically told me they dont do that sort of thing!!

Stephen.

Sounds like Continental international is still the way I remember it.

If there is no rule for OP UG for the following reasons:

1. prevent speculative bookings
2. reward the highyield coach pax or nice people
3. empower the airport agents (virtually a benefit)
4. upkeep the product integrity (either high price, or no price, just like making money off lottery or hedge funds: to increase the chance, you have to cough up big money to increase the odds)

NWA gives out their frontcabin more liberally, and pax have so many ways to get UPed, the end result is both pax and the airline are worse off ...

The "L" fare sale was published. British Airways had a $99/49 GBP to any city in the United States around Nov 2003, and about 5-6 US airlines matched the fare for 2-3 weeks. Great time to book a cheap fare. It was good for travel until Mar 2004.

Unfortunately, we haven't gotten a similarly low sale on West Coast-London in Fall 2004 or 2005... :-(

I got my reply from the Continental rep... impressively, it showed up only about 36 hours after I submitted my letter to them via email. Even more impressive was the detail of the response and the research the customer service agent did (including looking into the specific details of who was upgraded on the flight I was referring to). The response was detailed, thorough, and very apologetic for the situation. I'm pleased with the explanations provided and the apologies that were given.

The email included details about the mysterious policies for operational upgrades that many are claiming CO won't publish.. Now I'm trying to decide, if it's such a secret, if I'm under a moral obligation not to disclose what was said in this email.

Comments?