Upgrade Issue
Mar 9, 2010 | 9:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 19
Upgrade Issue
The following happened last month, and I just wanted to know if it is normal/why it happened...
My wife and I are both Skywards Gold, and our daughter (aged 4) is Skysurfers Gold as well. We were all on the JFK-DXB flight in class Y. Flight was overbooked and they were looking to upgrade pax.
I asked at the check in, and the lady said the flight was overbooked and EK would be upgrading - she would check if we can get the op-up. She comes back and says "we have the upgrade available but we cannot process it because you have a child. Comp ups are not allowed for children. WHy dont you split the party and I will give you and your wife and upgrade." I said sure (would let the wife and kid go to J). THen she comes back and says "I can only give you one because your daughter is too young to have a solo booking. Sorry." I didnt take the single up because I would not want to leave them in the back and my daughter would not go 12 hours without her mom. I asked the lady why cant she upgrade my daughter, and she said soemthign about Skywards policy for upgrading adults only (based on status etc).
In the lounge, I asked the staff about the upgrade status (again). She went througth the system and informed me that all the ups had been done but I was not given one because of the child. However, she did say that 2 passengers were uped who were non-skywards members.
My question - why upgrade a non-skyward member and not a gold skysurfers member: the kid HAS been flying EK and has 'earned' the right to have the chance for a free up. Or am I missing something?
My wife and I are both Skywards Gold, and our daughter (aged 4) is Skysurfers Gold as well. We were all on the JFK-DXB flight in class Y. Flight was overbooked and they were looking to upgrade pax.
I asked at the check in, and the lady said the flight was overbooked and EK would be upgrading - she would check if we can get the op-up. She comes back and says "we have the upgrade available but we cannot process it because you have a child. Comp ups are not allowed for children. WHy dont you split the party and I will give you and your wife and upgrade." I said sure (would let the wife and kid go to J). THen she comes back and says "I can only give you one because your daughter is too young to have a solo booking. Sorry." I didnt take the single up because I would not want to leave them in the back and my daughter would not go 12 hours without her mom. I asked the lady why cant she upgrade my daughter, and she said soemthign about Skywards policy for upgrading adults only (based on status etc).
In the lounge, I asked the staff about the upgrade status (again). She went througth the system and informed me that all the ups had been done but I was not given one because of the child. However, she did say that 2 passengers were uped who were non-skywards members.
My question - why upgrade a non-skyward member and not a gold skysurfers member: the kid HAS been flying EK and has 'earned' the right to have the chance for a free up. Or am I missing something?
Mar 9, 2010 | 11:56 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Mother Earth, truely!
Programs: IHG Spire, SPG Platinum, Hhonors Diamond, TK Gold, QR Platinum, WY Sinbad Gold, SV Alfursan Gold
Posts: 196
The following happened last month, and I just wanted to know if it is normal/why it happened...
My wife and I are both Skywards Gold, and our daughter (aged 4) is Skysurfers Gold as well. We were all on the JFK-DXB flight in class Y. Flight was overbooked and they were looking to upgrade pax.
I asked at the check in, and the lady said the flight was overbooked and EK would be upgrading - she would check if we can get the op-up. She comes back and says "we have the upgrade available but we cannot process it because you have a child. Comp ups are not allowed for children. WHy dont you split the party and I will give you and your wife and upgrade." I said sure (would let the wife and kid go to J). THen she comes back and says "I can only give you one because your daughter is too young to have a solo booking. Sorry." I didnt take the single up because I would not want to leave them in the back and my daughter would not go 12 hours without her mom. I asked the lady why cant she upgrade my daughter, and she said soemthign about Skywards policy for upgrading adults only (based on status etc).
In the lounge, I asked the staff about the upgrade status (again). She went througth the system and informed me that all the ups had been done but I was not given one because of the child. However, she did say that 2 passengers were uped who were non-skywards members.
My question - why upgrade a non-skyward member and not a gold skysurfers member: the kid HAS been flying EK and has 'earned' the right to have the chance for a free up. Or am I missing something?
My wife and I are both Skywards Gold, and our daughter (aged 4) is Skysurfers Gold as well. We were all on the JFK-DXB flight in class Y. Flight was overbooked and they were looking to upgrade pax.
I asked at the check in, and the lady said the flight was overbooked and EK would be upgrading - she would check if we can get the op-up. She comes back and says "we have the upgrade available but we cannot process it because you have a child. Comp ups are not allowed for children. WHy dont you split the party and I will give you and your wife and upgrade." I said sure (would let the wife and kid go to J). THen she comes back and says "I can only give you one because your daughter is too young to have a solo booking. Sorry." I didnt take the single up because I would not want to leave them in the back and my daughter would not go 12 hours without her mom. I asked the lady why cant she upgrade my daughter, and she said soemthign about Skywards policy for upgrading adults only (based on status etc).
In the lounge, I asked the staff about the upgrade status (again). She went througth the system and informed me that all the ups had been done but I was not given one because of the child. However, she did say that 2 passengers were uped who were non-skywards members.
My question - why upgrade a non-skyward member and not a gold skysurfers member: the kid HAS been flying EK and has 'earned' the right to have the chance for a free up. Or am I missing something?
Stupid Policy. However, u have to learn how to navigate through these stupid policies. If I were u, I would have asked to pay for the kid's upgrade, that's if they accepted it.
Really, its so stupid.
Mar 10, 2010 | 12:17 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA GS-2MM, QF LTG, EK Gold, Marriott Amb, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 4,006
I'd be pretty peeved.
It's not like your daughter is going to drink a case of Moet! Especially if she is a Skywards Gold herself - she absolutely has earned the right to the benefits.
I reckon my 9-year old son would wave his arms if this happened to him.
I'd be asking them "at what point do you consider my child an adult?"
You're not missing anything at all. Write to EK in your home base and express your disappointment with the policy (not the incident itself).
It's not like your daughter is going to drink a case of Moet! Especially if she is a Skywards Gold herself - she absolutely has earned the right to the benefits.
I reckon my 9-year old son would wave his arms if this happened to him.
I'd be asking them "at what point do you consider my child an adult?"
You're not missing anything at all. Write to EK in your home base and express your disappointment with the policy (not the incident itself).
Mar 10, 2010 | 1:11 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: BNE, 73H Seat 13A
Programs: QR Gold
Posts: 319
Yeah I would just give it a go and write a little, friendly letter, sticking to the facts and enquire why this is the case. You never know what you might get out of it.
Mar 10, 2010 | 3:47 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HUY BKK GIG
Posts: 73
Mar 10, 2010 | 5:13 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 19
I actually offered to use miles to upgrade my daughter, but again "you cannot upgrade a child alone, one adult must be upgraded as well"... so they were asking me give up 90K miles for 2 ups and then would give me 1 free!
I did write to EK, got a "this is policy" answer....
I did write to EK, got a "this is policy" answer....