Auto upgrade
Aug 24, 2018, 4:03 pm
#151
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: MM, EK, HH, etc.
Posts: 381
I have triedit only twice (on single segment trips, because of the individual leg miles pricing issue others have already referred to), and didn't work. But that had less to do with the function itself than EK's yield management: on both flights upgrades never became available prior to boarding, as they were trying to flog their cash upgrade offers until the last minute. So had to actually upgrade on board each time, which luckily worked. I find it is actually getting harder to get last minute mileage upgrades on some routes, even with enough empty seats, because of these cash offers. Quite annoying (particularly when they are unattractive; but at least that ensures seats are still available for onboard upgrades 
).
).
Aug 25, 2018, 4:42 am
#152
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: MM, EK, HH, etc.
Posts: 381
I have triedit only twice (on single segment trips, because of the individual leg miles pricing issue others have already referred to), and didn't work. But that had less to do with the function itself than EK's yield management: on both flights upgrades never became available prior to boarding, as they were trying to flog their cash upgrade offers until the last minute. So had to actually upgrade on board each time, which luckily worked. I find it is actually getting harder to get last minute mileage upgrades on some routes, even with enough empty seats, because of these cash offers. Quite annoying (particularly when they are unattractive; but at least that ensures seats are still available for onboard upgrades ).
).
Aug 25, 2018, 8:13 am
#153
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
To update my earlier post: I was able to just book a mileage upgrade for a flight within the next 36 hours (until now again only the (not attractive) cash upgrade special was being offered on the check-in page), with both the EK alert and EF failing to notify me that upgrades had become available.
Aug 25, 2018, 2:26 pm
#154
Ambassador, Emirates
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: LGW / AMS / CPT
Programs: SA KL BA EK
Posts: 4,273
The EF alerts don’t quite work ‘real time’, they can’t ‘run continuously ‘ : somewhere I read that they will run your saved alerts more frequently as you get closer to departure but it of course means you could miss out.
Aug 25, 2018, 3:53 pm
#155
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
So the tactic would be to set an alarm (EF) for P bucket availability and then phone in when it becomes available?
The EF alerts don’t quite work ‘real time’, they can’t ‘run continuously ‘ : somewhere I read that they will run your saved alerts more frequently as you get closer to departure but it of course means you could miss out.
Aug 25, 2018, 6:48 pm
#156
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: MM, EK, HH, etc.
Posts: 381
Interesting. The next time I see the cash offer but no mileage upgrade I will give EK a call to see if I can upgrade over the phone, that way I will at least know whether mileage upgrades are released simultaneously with the OLCI cash upgrade offers, but just not listed/bookable online.
Dec 10, 2018, 8:40 am
#157
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester/London
Programs: Skywards Plat, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,226
EF notification vs Emirates notifications vs checking the website yourself...
Checked this morning around 8am to find a Y-J upgrade available. EK emailed me an alert to this at 11.26 am, followed by an alert from EF at 13.57. I am not a fan of the auto upgrade so I have never used it. However, I wonder if the auto upgrade would have been quicker than the notification..
Checked this morning around 8am to find a Y-J upgrade available. EK emailed me an alert to this at 11.26 am, followed by an alert from EF at 13.57. I am not a fan of the auto upgrade so I have never used it. However, I wonder if the auto upgrade would have been quicker than the notification..
Dec 10, 2018, 9:47 am
#159
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: MAN DXB ✈️
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 6,831
EF notification vs Emirates notifications vs checking the website yourself...
Checked this morning around 8am to find a Y-J upgrade available. EK emailed me an alert to this at 11.26 am, followed by an alert from EF at 13.57. I am not a fan of the auto upgrade so I have never used it. However, I wonder if the auto upgrade would have been quicker than the notification..
Checked this morning around 8am to find a Y-J upgrade available. EK emailed me an alert to this at 11.26 am, followed by an alert from EF at 13.57. I am not a fan of the auto upgrade so I have never used it. However, I wonder if the auto upgrade would have been quicker than the notification..
Dec 15, 2018, 6:45 am
#160
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: UK
Programs: EK skywards Gold, BA, VS silver
Posts: 195
Auto upgrade worked for me
Travelling LGW/BNE in J on 18th December, J looks pretty full and I decided to blow some miles and upgrade DXB/BNE to F about three weeks ago but no upgrade seats available. Just heard this morning that auto upgrade has worked for me so very happy to now be seated in 3A for 14 hours. Also means that I get to spend 3 hours in F lounge so even happier!!
Last edited by JudeS; Dec 15, 2018 at 7:35 am Reason: typo
Dec 15, 2018, 7:20 am
#161
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: MM, EK, HH, etc.
Posts: 381
Good for you, enjoy! I find that on more and more flights they only release miles upgrades at time of check-in or more often when check-in closes, even when flights are half empty 
Suspect this is because they try to flog paid upgrades to the last minute, and are also able to restrict the use of the chauffeur service and lounges this way.
Suspect this is because they try to flog paid upgrades to the last minute, and are also able to restrict the use of the chauffeur service and lounges this way.
Dec 15, 2018, 9:38 am
#163
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester, UK
Programs: Emirates Skywards (Gold), Hilton (Diamond), Radisson (Gold)
Posts: 370
Sorry for hijacking your thread, but what is the deal with auto-upgrade?
I’ve attempted to use it twice now, and on both occasions reviewed my existing booking while making new bookings and have found that i’ve been able to upgrade.
If I was able to upgrade, should the auto-upgrade not have triggered?
I’ve attempted to use it twice now, and on both occasions reviewed my existing booking while making new bookings and have found that i’ve been able to upgrade.
If I was able to upgrade, should the auto-upgrade not have triggered?
Dec 31, 2018, 11:53 am
#165
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ireland
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 313
Automatic upgrade question.
I’m hoping to upgrade a flight in March, DXB to DUB from business to first with miles. There are 2 of us travelling on the same ref. If we enable auto upgrade through the app is there a possibility that only one pax would get upgraded or would it be either both or neither?
(edit: apologies for posting in the wrong place. The result of searching for ‘automatic upgrade’ rather than ‘auto upgrade’!)
(edit: apologies for posting in the wrong place. The result of searching for ‘automatic upgrade’ rather than ‘auto upgrade’!)
Last edited by Neiltoo; Jan 1, 2019 at 1:27 am