jsmith50

Most of my international op ups have been on higher priced fare classes, but I have been op up'd many times on low fare international tickets, principally on tpacs and usually only on the routes originating in Asia. Several of these, including the last one where this happened I know for sure was not oversold as I was able to look at the manifest and there were many empty seats in Y.

tentseller

Maybe the phantom upgrade is back?

I notice that I have been "op-up" Asia-US more often than the other way around.

AirForceFlyer

Same here. I even remember my first one when I was a newly minted FO during my MNL-NRT flight.

c_d

I am not sure whether this is the case. I observed a similar aspect concerning ex-EU flights and I asked the (outsourced) TXL staff once. Although he op-ups are done manually, they have a guideline on whom to upgrade and they follow it to the letter. They usually start around 6-4 hrs before the flight. They had a tendency to also "clean" the exit rows.

When you have the seatmap loaded, you can actually follow the pattern and it looks very serial and gradual: row 18, 19, 20, 21, etc.

In JFK, particular there, all opups have been given in some kind of an irratic fashion and only 2hrs to 30 mins before takeoff. Sometimes they upgrade a full row, regardless of whether the high medallions or high fares are really sitting there, sometimes they ask first whether your would accept a IDB voucher (esp. on earlyer flights), and sometimes they have a totally irratic method - like 41c, 33f, etc.

nfg05

Only way to confirm phantom upgrade is if upgraded folks saw empty seats in Y. Haven't seen any reports in this thread where that was the case.

jsmith50

I have been op up'd 3 times this year from NGO-DTW. Only the last one where I was able to see the manifest can I be confident that there were empty Y seats. The other two I'm unsure of and in none of the cases could I verify as I was on the upper deck of the 744. Interestingly, the last one of these, same flight number going from MNL-NGO-DTW. The MNL-NGO segment, I was in EC and there was an entire BE cabin empty with lights off. Same flight continuing, op up'd (though I had BP in hand when I left MNL). The other two were direct NGO-DTW flights and both op up'd at airport check in. I am yet to figure out what the logic is in who gets upgraded on these routes and when and have even tweeted to DL to see if I can get an answer. Recent success with DL Assist they seem to have answers that no one else has but even they sent back a "sorry, we can't help with intl policies on upgrades."

cnoblesd01

So I got upgraded DL - JFK-FRA... They said they needed my seat - which was true as the flight was totally full. However, the service was really bad - rather made me feel like a second class citizen. When they went around taking meal choices, they got to me, said they'd be right with me and continued to get choices from those around me... It's hard to articulate, but they acted as if they resented me being there. Anyone else experience sub-par service on opp-ups?

DL2SXM

you a silver?

Asides from that, the way I understand things, your op up is not shown as such on the manifest so the FA's might not know you were an OP UP unless they inquired with the GA. I guess its possible a friend of an FA on the flight was traveling on a buddy pass and if not for your OP UP, would've gotten that BE seat.

rwoman

I've had consistently good service in BE, including when it's been because of an Op Up. This has been on both DL and AF.

I would send a note to DL concisely explaining your experience - if you're up front, it DOES NOT matter if how you got there, the service should be good. Be sure to use specifics.

I'm sorry to hear it did not go well on your flight

powerful pete

Only one upgrade on an international flight: JFK to Limerick in August. Was on an ultra cheap fare in steerage but the plane was completely oversold. I was a lowly SM and upgraded when boarding.

Flight delayed as they had to go through several rounds of bidding to get enough people off the plane to take off.

So I can confirm it was solidly overbooked. Every seat taken in Y and biz.

Waiting and hoping for this to occur again...

tentseller

I have never been poorly served relative to the rest of the BE cabin when I am op-up'd. The only difference that I noticed is you are ask for your meal selection after the "paying customers"

terrier

My only intl battlefield upgrade on DL was LGW-ATL several years ago. I had accepted a VDB on the earlier flight as I was on my way home & in no hurry. Traveling in my traditional solo mode of SFU business attire and a single carry-on bag (nothing checked,) I was handed a pass to the Crown Room and was confirmed into the last row in J on the next 767 some 4 or 5 hours later.

So far so good. Flight called, returned to the gate area. BP checker saw the Y fare code printed thereon and didn't want to let me board with business until I pointed out the seat assignment.

Still pretty happy. On the aircraft, I take my seat. Senior FA is walking through greeting pax. Gets to my row, consults manifest, frowns, and proceeds to give me a 30 second monologue to the effect of "you should feel VERY lucky to be here, people pay THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS for these seats." I'm struck dumb - of course, I did feel lucky. I hadn't paid for J (my employer had paid full Y) and I had no status at the time. I did not particularly mind having my order taken last behind more valuable customers.

What I did mind, a bit, was being dressed down in a condescending fashion by an FA for the crime of having been op-up'd in an oversell situation: a circumstance wholly of the airline's own making. Not wanting to lose my good mood (and good seat,) I simply nodded and let the unexpected tirade roll off my back. My seatmate expressed his dismay over this lapse in customer service, to wit: "Did she just say all that? What a *****!"

I promptly resolved to forget about it all with the help of the contents of the drinks cart. Dear reader, my good mood was saved! All it cost me was the worst hangover of my life the next day. (And that's how I learned the physiological difference between a leisurely session on the ground and one in the air. Having learned something from the pain, I suppose I can't even count it as a true cost.)

mnredfox

Still waiting for my first ever Op up or Phantom UG if back. Was never lucky as a NWA PE and neither have any luck as DL PM or DM (DM for two RT's to Asia now)

ConnFlyer

At the gate no, but at check-in definitely yes. I was flying LHR-IAD and at check-in was offered a Y->C upgrade for 500 sterling. I was flying a dirt cheap coach fare ($790 r/t, all-in). Coach was not full, though every seat in C was.

So UA seems to make it work while DL does not.

rwoman

On the op up I had LHR-JFK last month, the purser came around to all the DM's and took our orders first...sounds like it could vary based on the purser.