Upgrades on Emirates or Qatar
 

I'm currently booked with Qatar to London in Y. I am hoping for the option to bid for an upgrade to J but I am reading lots of threads highlighting the cost to upgrade on Qatar are pretty high and poor value.

On the other hand I am reading that upgrades on Emirates are more reasonable and common. They also appear to hand out more op ups or free upgrades.

Given that the lounge situation in Doha is pretty poor, I am considering paying the $360 USD cancellation fee with Qatar and booking onto Emirates for a better lounge experience or greater chance of upgrades (free or paid).

I am currently OWE and will be flying from Melbourne on 17th April.

Any thoughts or suggestions on my situation are greatly appreciated!

If you're in Y, you won't a lounge anyway - unless you book the QF codeshare I suppose. But then, on the QF codeshare you wouldn't get the emailed upgrade offers.

You'll only have a chance of an op-up if you book a flex plus ticket (maybe a slight chance with flex). Even then, Platinum status will trump you, and any status in the same flex plus / flex fare band.

In short, I think it's a bad idea to throw away $360 on the off chance you may get an op-up. Then again, the A380 is much more pleasant in Y than QR B787/A350 Y.

The Emirates agreement with Qantas does allow lounge access even in Y given my OWE (Qantas Platinum) status and this can be on an EK issued ticket.

So despite not getting an upgrading I am just trying to work out if access to the F lounge will soften the blow of having to fly all the way in Y.

Are you sure OWE can get you F lounge in DXB? I thought it was only Business Lounge. Also, doesn't your OWE grant you lounge access in Doha ? I thought it should.

OWE gets you nothing in DXB. QF Plat gets you F lounge, Gold gets J. The fact that those QF statuses have a OneWorld ranking is irrelevant.

Yes should have access at DOH but I think OP is saying DXB lounge would be better, at DOH there some weird multi lounge setup where true F vs loyalty get diff lounges

Ah ok !

Just double checked on Oneworld lounge access website, and as per the website (which can be inaccurate) it states OWE + Qantas gives you F lounge access. But it is similar for Doha airport too. OWE + Qatar gets you Qatar Airways First lounge access though not Al Safwa.

Yes, QF platinum gets me lounge access, my mistake for saying OWE.

I booked Qatar given the OWE agreement. However, Qatar playing outside of the rules and have a seperate 'first' lounge which isn't the same as the lounge that is used for actual first class passengers. At least with EK, I will get to use a real first class lounge.

QR J is some step up from EK J.