NRT OpUps
 

Maybe it is my imagination but do non-Asians seem to passed over on OPUPs onward from NRT to places like HKG, SIN, ICN, etc.? I travel fairly frequently through NRT and this thought has been growing in my mind based on what I have observed at NRT over the last couple of years.

Yesterday I flew MSP-NRT-ICN. Got an OPUP on MSP-NRT segment. This query is about the NRT-ICN segment. Interestingly, business class appeared to be close to half empty 60 minutes before the NRT-ICN flight but was full of Asians by the time the flight took off. At the gate, the GA seemed to be deciding whether to give me an OPUP or not (the flight was full, I did not ask) because she told me to wait, checked her computer, looked through some preprinted boarding passes on her desk, appeared confused, spoke to another GA who shook her head, and then said to board with my present boarding pass.

As i said, it could be my imagination. :-)

This sounds right.

You do realize that you were going from one point in Asia to another point in Asia? So the odds are that the majority of passengers are Asian and therefore there is a greater chance that someone getting an opup would be Asian.

Could be your imagination or perhaps it's not the GA's who are prejudice.

If J was half full shortly before departure, then totally full when you left, and full of Asians, my guess would be DL employee & family non-revs.

The only op-up I (white guy) have ever gotten has been on an intra-asia route ex-NRT. And I definitely wasn't the only one that day.

NRT OpUps
 

I'm white and I've flown countless TPACs as PM. The only op ups I've ever received were on the intra-Asia portions.

The Asians you saw could have been non-revs or a group of people who paid J but hadn't yet chosen seats (a surprising number of people don't). They could even have been ahead of you on the op up list.

I highly doubt there's any racial preferences for oping up at NRT or anywhere else in DL's system.

Some airlines note "suitable for upgrade" on a passenger's record when there may be OPUPs. Presumably this is based on the person being dressed reasonably, smelling OK, and appearing to be polite. Does DL do this? Or with DL, does the GA just pick someone based on elite status and fare class, lack of special meal, and number of people traveling together?

I'm in the same boat as Builderman...

One Op-up ever... AND it was Intra Asia (on an asian airline) AND I have zero status with that alliance... AND it was J to F...:D

Perhaps she thought she might need your seat, then when it came down to the last minute coach wasn't oversold after all so they didn't need it?

Agree w others, most likely nonrevs up front. I've seen GAs process all the nonrev BPs then call pax up one by one...which could explain the pile of BPs you noticed.

I've had quite a few OPUP's out of NRT going to to other Asia destinations and back to the States...to the point of feeling spoiled and entitled.

I'm white.

YMMV.

The problem is there are so many Asians in NRT they usually end up getting a lot of seats!

I've gotten two upgrades out of Asian ports -- one was NRT-TPE and TPE-NRT and both were probably NW phantom upgrades.
Had some other good experiences out of Asia ports as well, most in the NW days, although I had a great VDB from NRT to DCA last year.

Elites with addresses in Asia are upgraded on flights to other Asian cities as US addressed elites are upgraded on US continental flights. It is not considered an international flight. Thus, you will see more Asians upgraded on Asian flights.

Huh? For domestic free elite upgrades, one is not required to have a USA address. The same for transborder fights to/from Canada.

At some point, at least PMNW Asian-based elites had some special privileges, such as WC access for Gold and above, but I think this is all gone now.

Completely wrong. There is no free upgrade on intra-Asia flights regardless of your address. And your address does not affect eligibility for upgrade on domestic/North American flights were free upgrades are possible.

And yes as MSPeconomist said, all the special perks for Asia-based elites are long gone.