Complimentary Upgrades
Jan 31, 2007, 6:04 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC (Formerly Tokyo)
Posts: 231
Complimentary Upgrades
I'm taking JAL for the first time the end of February from NRT-SFO, and am booked into Y on a ticket my company bought. I heard from one of the guys that I work with that our company has a "special arrangement" with JAL, and we get capacity available complimentary upgrades.
This sounded very suspicious to me, and I thought maybe it was just that JAL does capacity available complimentary upgrades on full fare coach tickets, but I couldn't find any information about that on their website. I'm working for one of the larger Japanese companies, but we're hardly Toyota, so it seems very odd that only we would have this kind of deal.
Has anyone heard of this happening? Expert Flyer is showing lots of availability in J, so I've got my fingers crossed!
Alex
This sounded very suspicious to me, and I thought maybe it was just that JAL does capacity available complimentary upgrades on full fare coach tickets, but I couldn't find any information about that on their website. I'm working for one of the larger Japanese companies, but we're hardly Toyota, so it seems very odd that only we would have this kind of deal.
Has anyone heard of this happening? Expert Flyer is showing lots of availability in J, so I've got my fingers crossed!
Alex
Feb 2, 2007, 6:24 am
#2
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: COS
Programs: JAL Global Club, One World Sapphire, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,246
Hi Alex,
I've received one complimentary upgrade. I was flying MNL-NRT-ORD last May and was using planning to use an upgrade coupon for the NRT-ORD segment but when I checked in in Manila, they told me they upgraded me on the first leg as well. The first flight out of Manila is always pretty crowded in coach so that might have had something to do with it.
Good luck.
I've received one complimentary upgrade. I was flying MNL-NRT-ORD last May and was using planning to use an upgrade coupon for the NRT-ORD segment but when I checked in in Manila, they told me they upgraded me on the first leg as well. The first flight out of Manila is always pretty crowded in coach so that might have had something to do with it.
Good luck.
Feb 3, 2007, 5:50 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Singapore
Programs: AA Gold, IHG & Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,024
Black Adder, that sounds like an "op up" (operational upgrade), i.e. JAL needed to free your coach seat to get a passenger aboard. I think the OP is asking about a possible benefit to a specific JAL corporate customer, regardless of operational issues.
Op ups seem to be exceedingly rare on JAL, although JMB elite status will push you to the top of the list to get one. There are times when 3-class airplanes sold as 2-class (e.g. certain NRT-ICN flights) will get you bumped up one cabin class as an elite.
Op ups seem to be exceedingly rare on JAL, although JMB elite status will push you to the top of the list to get one. There are times when 3-class airplanes sold as 2-class (e.g. certain NRT-ICN flights) will get you bumped up one cabin class as an elite.
Feb 4, 2007, 4:20 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC (Formerly Tokyo)
Posts: 231
Alex
Feb 5, 2007, 11:34 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Programs: US Silver, AA Gold, CO Gold
Posts: 85
It's called a "Y-up." Y classes are pretty much full-coach fares that are close to business class. The fare is so high that most airlines will bump you up to business class. It's great for business people because it will still show as a coach fare with a business class seat. It's not always guaranteed but if they availability, they will bump you to business. Enjoy!
Mar 5, 2007, 1:29 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC (Formerly Tokyo)
Posts: 231
I'm back from SFO, and wow is this ever a bizarre upgrade policy. I asked our travel agency for more details about it, and they sent me a three page PDF in Japanese which I was able to read through with a lot of help from translator software, and asking my coworkers.
I don't know understand all the details, but we have this arrangement with JAL, ANA, and NW for full fare and I think also discounted tickets. If there is an available business class seat between 10 and 3 days before departure we get it.
If for whatever reason, there is no seat available 3 days before the flight, and then one suddenly opens up later, we unfortunately can't get it. Under no condition can the upgrade be processed at the airport, and you can't select a seat before you get to the airport.
I don't remember the exact details for my flights, but I was watching the availability on Expert Flyer and my reservation on JAL's site before the flight. I was traveling with two other people, and I believe EF was showing J4 for our outbound flight 10 days before departure. On day 10 (actually it may have been day 8 or 9), I checked my reservation on JAL's site, and saw that I had been moved to J (or actually ekusekutibu kurasu). After I saw this, I went and checked EF, and it showed J as being zeroed out for that flight--they seemed to have cleared all these upgrades even though it left them with no availability. Unfortunately, on the return there was no J availability at all (from when the tickets were booked about 4 weeks in advance), and we didn't get bumped up.
Any thoughts on this? Parts of the policy make sense to me, but zeroing out J a week before the flight, and then not processing any upgrades at the airport even if there are seats available seems so strange?
Alex
I don't know understand all the details, but we have this arrangement with JAL, ANA, and NW for full fare and I think also discounted tickets. If there is an available business class seat between 10 and 3 days before departure we get it.
If for whatever reason, there is no seat available 3 days before the flight, and then one suddenly opens up later, we unfortunately can't get it. Under no condition can the upgrade be processed at the airport, and you can't select a seat before you get to the airport.
I don't remember the exact details for my flights, but I was watching the availability on Expert Flyer and my reservation on JAL's site before the flight. I was traveling with two other people, and I believe EF was showing J4 for our outbound flight 10 days before departure. On day 10 (actually it may have been day 8 or 9), I checked my reservation on JAL's site, and saw that I had been moved to J (or actually ekusekutibu kurasu). After I saw this, I went and checked EF, and it showed J as being zeroed out for that flight--they seemed to have cleared all these upgrades even though it left them with no availability. Unfortunately, on the return there was no J availability at all (from when the tickets were booked about 4 weeks in advance), and we didn't get bumped up.
Any thoughts on this? Parts of the policy make sense to me, but zeroing out J a week before the flight, and then not processing any upgrades at the airport even if there are seats available seems so strange?
Alex