Sudden Upgrade
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DEL
Programs: SA, JAL, EK
Posts: 80
Sudden Upgrade
If there is a God for weary, harassed air travellers, he smiled on me a few days ago. :-: I had an unused JP Upgrade Voucher (on becoming Silver) for almost a year, expiring on March 31 which I had not been able to use for some reason or the other despite many K+ class flights. Twice I was told no upgrade seats were available. I even tried emailing them to extend the validity but they refused. Anyway I was traveling from Mumbai on Mar 27 and at the JP Privilege check in, mysteriously got upgraded to J class on a Jet Konnect Flight. I even heard someone else get upgraded on the counter beside me. Anyway flight was pleasant and ironically the sandwiches I had bought for the flight were not required 
Nonetheless, it got me wondering on what basis upgrades are offered.
- Is it totally random?
- Is it based on some sort of 'good karma' status they have on their passenger status (tagged to the JP number no doubt)
- Is it done only to those eligible for the Silver/Gold/Plat check in counter?
- Does it happen only if the flight is overbooked? (I had already webchecked in for that flight and it didnt seem too full)
Anyone else have any such experiences? Would love to hear them. I've never actually tried my luck asking for an upgrade though.

Nonetheless, it got me wondering on what basis upgrades are offered.
- Is it totally random?
- Is it based on some sort of 'good karma' status they have on their passenger status (tagged to the JP number no doubt)
- Is it done only to those eligible for the Silver/Gold/Plat check in counter?
- Does it happen only if the flight is overbooked? (I had already webchecked in for that flight and it didnt seem too full)
Anyone else have any such experiences? Would love to hear them. I've never actually tried my luck asking for an upgrade though.
#2




Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: BLR
Programs: AA - EXP, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, UA - Silver
Posts: 1,255
Did they take your voucher in return? If yes, you received the upgrade because there was space in J and that there wasnt anyone with higher status requesting upgrade...
if no voucher was taken, this is an op-up which to me is a rarity on Jet Airways.. only reason for op-up's is that you are a celebrity (smile.. sign..) or flight was completely full in Y and there werent that many elites on the flight as you being silver got an upgrade.. if you did get an op-up on 9W - i'd say go get a lottery ticket that very day... its def 1 in many (million/billion) chance.. IMHO atleast..
if no voucher was taken, this is an op-up which to me is a rarity on Jet Airways.. only reason for op-up's is that you are a celebrity (smile.. sign..) or flight was completely full in Y and there werent that many elites on the flight as you being silver got an upgrade.. if you did get an op-up on 9W - i'd say go get a lottery ticket that very day... its def 1 in many (million/billion) chance.. IMHO atleast..
#4


Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-WAW-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, AC*G, LH FTL, AI*G *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,750
#5




Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Goa, India
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, QR/SQ/AI Gold
Posts: 1,516
When the flight is overbooked they have no choice but to upgrade frequent flyers apart from putting them in jump seats or the cargo hold.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: DL Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, ALL Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 30,691
pretty lucky....i've gotten 4 in my 7 years as platinum....
#7




Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Goa, India
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, QR/SQ/AI Gold
Posts: 1,516
Goa's always a mess with outbound flights perpetually overbooked. Also whenever I'm flying BOM-GOI back home, I pick 9W626 which is a direct connection from the LHR-BOM flight and Jet sells those Y seats really hard in the UK so again that flight tends to get overbooked.
Got a few on BLR-GOI also but again that's all in Dec-Jan or a long weekend when Goa is packed.
Got a few on BLR-GOI also but again that's all in Dec-Jan or a long weekend when Goa is packed.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DEL
Programs: SA, JAL, EK
Posts: 80
Did they take your voucher in return? If yes, you received the upgrade because there was space in J and that there wasnt anyone with higher status requesting upgrade...
if no voucher was taken, this is an op-up which to me is a rarity on Jet Airways.. only reason for op-up's is that you are a celebrity (smile.. sign..) or flight was completely full in Y and there werent that many elites on the flight as you being silver got an upgrade.. if you did get an op-up on 9W - i'd say go get a lottery ticket that very day... its def 1 in many (million/billion) chance.. IMHO atleast..
if no voucher was taken, this is an op-up which to me is a rarity on Jet Airways.. only reason for op-up's is that you are a celebrity (smile.. sign..) or flight was completely full in Y and there werent that many elites on the flight as you being silver got an upgrade.. if you did get an op-up on 9W - i'd say go get a lottery ticket that very day... its def 1 in many (million/billion) chance.. IMHO atleast..
No, I'm so sick of refusals that I stopped trying with the voucher in Feb. This was a total fluke. I'm definitely sure the flight was not overbooked, because despite being webchecked in, I asked if a first row Y seat was available and the officer said yes, but middle row to which I said no. She then smiled and said I was upgraded to J. This is the second time in 5 yrs this has happened. First time was on Coimbatore - Mumbai on an Air Sahara flight (at that time just bought by Jet). Those aircraft had no J class tickets (so the J class seats had no meal service, etc. ) and they upgraded based on appearances alone.
#9


Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-WAW-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, AC*G, LH FTL, AI*G *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,750
#10


Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-WAW-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, AC*G, LH FTL, AI*G *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,750
No, I'm so sick of refusals that I stopped trying with the voucher in Feb. This was a total fluke. I'm definitely sure the flight was not overbooked, because despite being webchecked in, I asked if a first row Y seat was available and the officer said yes, but middle row to which I said no. She then smiled and said I was upgraded to J. This is the second time in 5 yrs this has happened. First time was on Coimbatore - Mumbai on an Air Sahara flight (at that time just bought by Jet). Those aircraft had no J class tickets (so the J class seats had no meal service, etc. ) and they upgraded based on appearances alone.

