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Old Jan 11, 2005, 12:08 am
  #1  
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FREE UPGRADES - What's your advice?

After flying around US a fair bit this week (AA & SW), I can safelty say that my knowledge on free upgrades is building up fast.

What are your tips for those illusive op ups?

*discuss*

Last edited by d00t; Jan 11, 2005 at 12:09 am Reason: yes i am aware southwest dont have upgrades
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 12:56 am
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Join Aisle Seat H over on *A and get op up'ed most of the time
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 1:01 am
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But use those FF points quick smart in case the airline goes belly up.
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 1:10 am
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I have a new technique my boy tried last weekend.

The technique not only worked for an upgrade, but got him through security and to his plane in under 5 minutes from the check-in counter in LAS.

If it works with QF ill be laughing so hard
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 2:08 am
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Originally Posted by QF WP
Join Aisle Seat H over on *A and get op up'ed most of the time
oh dear, jealousy has turned to sarcasm... what have I started !!!

thinking about it, do you think this might all be a Europe/US v Asia discrepancy ? Almost all my up'eds have been out of London and the US, rarely (on *A) and never (on Oneworld) out of Australia or Asia.

May be a time of the year/fullnest of the flight thing, but wonder if there are totally different experiences dependent on geography.

Any views ?!?
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 2:18 am
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Originally Posted by Aisle Seat H

May be a time of the year/fullnest of the flight thing, but wonder if there are totally different experiences dependent on geography.

Any views ?!?
Aisle Seat H? You've lost me...

Most of my upgrades have now come out of USA..
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 2:33 am
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d00t, you've been out of circulation for a week, so you're excused. Aisle Seat H is referring to two threads that are very current..go read them here and here. I'm sure you will have understanding then, Grasshopper

Last edited by QF WP; Jan 11, 2005 at 2:40 am Reason: spelling and bolding problems, adding URL's
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 3:32 am
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Originally Posted by d00t
I have a new technique my boy tried last weekend.

The technique not only worked for an upgrade, but got him through security and to his plane in under 5 minutes from the check-in counter in LAS.
Someone's got to ask: Care to share, darling?
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Old Jan 11, 2005, 3:45 am
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Originally Posted by QF WP
d00t, you've been out of circulation for a week, so you're excused. Aisle Seat H is referring to two threads that are very current..go read them here and here. I'm sure you will have understanding then, Grasshopper
QF WP to my rescue again !

As for how to get up'ed d00t, one of the most effective ways, amazingly enough, is... to ask ! Yep, just ask (at check-in or at gate) !

Helps if you are 'Of Status', polite and well attired (and good looking ?!?), but it works surprisingly often ! You just enquire whether there might happen to be any chance of an upgrade that day - don't ask like you expect or demand it, but in a manner that implies you are quite used to getting one !

Last 2 times I tried this they said 'No, sorry', I said 'Never mind' and got on the flight. Yet on both occasions (once on BA out of LAX and once on AA of JFK) AFTER I boarded the plane and sat down in Y, and then, after all had boarded, I was approached by the CSM who said, 'Will you get your hand luggage and follow me please Mr Aisle Seat H" and was taken into the Business cabin !

BA even had my fave, a mug of hot chocolate, waiting for me as I went though. What service (and how did they know ?!?)

Oh, and d00t... what was the technique your boy used, the suspense is killing me !

Last edited by Aisle Seat H; Jan 11, 2005 at 3:47 am Reason: that should have been mug, not jug !!!
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Old Jan 12, 2005, 8:02 am
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Originally Posted by QF WP
Join Aisle Seat H over on *A and get op up'ed most of the time
Irony of irony...

After my complains of almost never being comp op'ed on QF, and that it certainly never happens to me out of Asia... I just got up'ed, by QF, out of Asia ! (Singapore.. and without having to ask !)

QF, all is forgiven... well, not quite, its still a bloody Skybin not a proper lie flat bed thing, but hey, I'll take it !

and d00t, please tell us the technique !
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Old Jan 12, 2005, 12:57 pm
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Originally Posted by Aisle Seat H
Almost all my up'eds have been out of London and the US, rarely (on *A) and never (on Oneworld) out of Australia or Asia.

May be a time of the year/fullnest of the flight thing, but wonder if there are totally different experiences dependent on geography.

Any views ?!?
Yes. I suspect it is a geography thing, as my experience (save for the US example you cited) is quite the reverse. Almost all of my op-UGs have happened from Asia.

I'm surprised to learn of the # of UGs you're getting out of London, it remains notorious as one of the most difficult stations for such things: but then I'm talking from a largely BA/QF perspective. AA can happily be relied on to hand out op UGs like candy and thus further cheapen their premium products.
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Old Jan 12, 2005, 2:14 pm
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Originally Posted by Aisle Seat H
QF, all is forgiven... well, not quite, its still a bloody Skybin not a proper lie flat bed thing, but hey, I'll take it !
Just to be a little pedantic, the QF and BA J bed products have a flat surface. The QF one is not horizontal to the cabin floor. This is differentiated from the CX (and others) which are neither flat (sort of a straightened "Z" shape) nor horizontal to the cabin floor.

(sorry, I'm in my work "editing" mode today..)
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Old Jan 12, 2005, 2:37 pm
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Originally Posted by og
Just to be a little pedantic, the QF and BA J bed products have a flat surface. The QF one is not horizontal to the cabin floor. This is differentiated from the CX (and others) which are neither flat (sort of a straightened "Z" shape) nor horizontal to the cabin floor.
The CX seat is a flat surface also, however they recommend you use it in Z-shape.
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Old Jan 12, 2005, 6:11 pm
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If the seat is flat, I can ZZZzzzz on the flight. If the seat is Z, I end up flat the following day.

My personal preference is for the additional width and length of the QF Skybed over the BA J-Bed. The QF Skybed is close enough to horozontal for me to sleep just as well as I do on the BA horozontal beds or the QF F beds.
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Old Jan 12, 2005, 7:12 pm
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Originally Posted by NM
If the seat is flat, I can ZZZzzzz on the flight. If the seat is Z, I end up flat the following day.

My personal preference is for the additional width and length of the QF Skybed over the BA J-Bed. The QF Skybed is close enough to horozontal for me to sleep just as well as I do on the BA horozontal beds or the QF F beds.
If it's ZZZZzzzzz shaped then it is a real horrorzontal seat.
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