Top Platinum - What to expect
Jan 19, 2016, 3:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 132
Top Platinum - What to expect
Hi All,
I was able to use a short El Al status match from AA EXP to El Al TPL...
I have a flight to HKG in a couple of week, I will probably take El Al for that.
What should I expect?
Any chances for upgrades?
Any chance my colleague travelling with me choose economy plus seats?
I was LY Gold a few years ago and remember getting upgraded a lot, is this still the case?
Thanks...
I was able to use a short El Al status match from AA EXP to El Al TPL...
I have a flight to HKG in a couple of week, I will probably take El Al for that.
What should I expect?
Any chances for upgrades?
Any chance my colleague travelling with me choose economy plus seats?
I was LY Gold a few years ago and remember getting upgraded a lot, is this still the case?
Thanks...
Jan 20, 2016, 12:09 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: LY-PL, A3-*G
Posts: 1,679
Congratulations on the status match.
If you fly economy you will have a hard time retaining the status.
If you and colleague are on the same reservation you both get economy plus.
Upgrades are only if they have over booking in economy. If that happens you will be on the top of the list.
You can also go to the F part of the KDL lounge.
If you fly economy you will have a hard time retaining the status.
If you and colleague are on the same reservation you both get economy plus.
Upgrades are only if they have over booking in economy. If that happens you will be on the top of the list.
You can also go to the F part of the KDL lounge.
Jan 20, 2016, 1:25 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Israel
Programs: BA Gold, LY PL, PC Platinum, RCCL Diamond
Posts: 259
Jan 20, 2016, 3:21 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: LY-PL, A3-*G
Posts: 1,679
Jan 20, 2016, 4:43 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Israel
Programs: BA Gold, LY PL, PC Platinum, RCCL Diamond
Posts: 259
Jan 20, 2016, 6:08 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
Jan 20, 2016, 6:42 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: 30,000 Feet
Programs: LY Top Platinum, AA Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 863
As a TP, my upgrade rate from Y/S/M to Business is around 50% flying mostly TLV-NYC.
Been doing this for over a decade and have had maybe 2 or 3 op-ups - nothing impressive.
LY policy is to upgrade status pax with the right type of tkt based on availability in F and C, not based on overbooking in Y. The only way an F or C seat remains unoccupied is if there is nobody eligible for the upgrade.
Been doing this for over a decade and have had maybe 2 or 3 op-ups - nothing impressive.
LY policy is to upgrade status pax with the right type of tkt based on availability in F and C, not based on overbooking in Y. The only way an F or C seat remains unoccupied is if there is nobody eligible for the upgrade.
Jan 20, 2016, 8:17 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
In the good old days when Gold was the top tier and there were no fare restrictions in terms of upgrades, I believe I had an upgrade success rate of around 80%.
Jan 20, 2016, 1:48 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 132
Thanks everyone for the answers.
I am currently on low classes (H,O)
The office is paying for the tickets and I don't mind paying extra for the higher class but because I am travelling with a colleague I don't know if I should...
Any chance that we will both be upgraded if only I have S fare?
Regarding keeping the status, I have a lot of travel scheduled and usually have options for Business but I think that keeping the status will be hard even when flying C, I might just try to get Gold for another year unless LY really surprises me...
I can get AA top status with 4 C flights to the US while with LY it doesn't even get me gold... really don't get it, with BA it's something like 2.5 if you plan it correctly...
I am currently on low classes (H,O)
The office is paying for the tickets and I don't mind paying extra for the higher class but because I am travelling with a colleague I don't know if I should...
Any chance that we will both be upgraded if only I have S fare?
Regarding keeping the status, I have a lot of travel scheduled and usually have options for Business but I think that keeping the status will be hard even when flying C, I might just try to get Gold for another year unless LY really surprises me...
I can get AA top status with 4 C flights to the US while with LY it doesn't even get me gold... really don't get it, with BA it's something like 2.5 if you plan it correctly...
Jan 21, 2016, 4:57 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
For example, flying TLV-NYC on UA 9 times (one-way) in regular Y fares gets you UA Gold (*G). Doing that on LY, not on basic fares but not on Y/S/M fares, gets you 720 points, not even enough points for silver in the new system (because you get Silver with 700 points + 12 segments, or 800 points in general). And certainly not Gold!
Just how LY, for whatever reason, structures their program.
Jan 23, 2016, 4:32 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 132
Regarding this specific point, it's always been much harder to get status on LY than on competitors. The idea is "exclusivity," and in some respects, the soft-treatment is indeed better for LY elites than elites on some competitors, but the product officially offered is really no better.
For example, flying TLV-NYC on UA 9 times (one-way) in regular Y fares gets you UA Gold (*G). Doing that on LY, not on basic fares but not on Y/S/M fares, gets you 720 points, not even enough points for silver in the new system (because you get Silver with 700 points + 12 segments, or 800 points in general). And certainly not Gold!
Just how LY, for whatever reason, structures their program.
For example, flying TLV-NYC on UA 9 times (one-way) in regular Y fares gets you UA Gold (*G). Doing that on LY, not on basic fares but not on Y/S/M fares, gets you 720 points, not even enough points for silver in the new system (because you get Silver with 700 points + 12 segments, or 800 points in general). And certainly not Gold!
Just how LY, for whatever reason, structures their program.
As I said, back when I was gold I got much more then expected, I want to see if it's still the same...
Let's see, I will post my thoughts here late Feb, When I am back from the 2 return flights...
Jan 24, 2016, 2:07 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
Feb 5, 2016, 2:41 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: EL AL Gold, BA Gold, LH M&M
Posts: 1,050
i remember buying $700 youth fare economy tickets to BKK or HKG , using a 300 point voucher to upgrade to Business , and then getting upgraded to First at the airport as a GL