Comp Upgrades for FF's
May 6, 2008, 4:17 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, NZ Elite, QF Plat
Posts: 1,776
Comp Upgrades for FF's
Hi All,
Only my second post, but have a question. Thought it might be interesting to see how often Qantas upgrade FF's purely as a status reward and how to best be upgraded. I was very impressed last week when Qantas upgraded me from Y to J on AKL-LAX even when the Y ticket was a reward flight. Only other time I have been upgraded was when travelling with wife and 3 teenage children. Again AKL-LAX. I was gold at the time, my wife QC silver. We both got upgraded. Does Qantas have a policy of upgrades based on status? Or do they upgrade only because they are overbooked?
Only my second post, but have a question. Thought it might be interesting to see how often Qantas upgrade FF's purely as a status reward and how to best be upgraded. I was very impressed last week when Qantas upgraded me from Y to J on AKL-LAX even when the Y ticket was a reward flight. Only other time I have been upgraded was when travelling with wife and 3 teenage children. Again AKL-LAX. I was gold at the time, my wife QC silver. We both got upgraded. Does Qantas have a policy of upgrades based on status? Or do they upgrade only because they are overbooked?
May 6, 2008, 5:48 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QF Gold LTG (ow Saph), HHon Silver, Marriot Gold
Posts: 2,927
QF typically has a very limited upgrade policy (certainly when compared to US airlines)
They are very happy to let 'premium' seats go vacant if no-one is willing to pay for them - they do not want to create an expectation amongst flyers that if you just book economy you have enough status and you will therefore get upgraded.
Upgrading will typically only happen due to overbooking and is normally based on class of status
(although I have had it on a Sun morn SYD-CNS flight which had very light loads)
They are very happy to let 'premium' seats go vacant if no-one is willing to pay for them - they do not want to create an expectation amongst flyers that if you just book economy you have enough status and you will therefore get upgraded.
Upgrading will typically only happen due to overbooking and is normally based on class of status
(although I have had it on a Sun morn SYD-CNS flight which had very light loads)
May 6, 2008, 6:48 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
Programs: QP Life, AA Nothing, QF Bronze
Posts: 946
Generally speaking free upgrades on QF are so rare and unpredictable that it's not even worth thinking about them.
They aren't even always based on status or ticket price. My one and only QF international freebie (called an Operational Upgrade or op-up) was when I was a lowly Silver frequent flyer on a discount economy ticket.
Edited to add: Economy was oversold and Business was very lightly loaded. There were a few op-ups and I still had a spare seat next to me.
They aren't even always based on status or ticket price. My one and only QF international freebie (called an Operational Upgrade or op-up) was when I was a lowly Silver frequent flyer on a discount economy ticket.
Edited to add: Economy was oversold and Business was very lightly loaded. There were a few op-ups and I still had a spare seat next to me.
May 6, 2008, 7:48 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, NZ Elite, QF Plat
Posts: 1,776
Points Upgrades
Another thing quickly. Mrs NZ_Flyer has requested an upgrade from Y to J from LHR-SYD-AKL. She is QP silver. What are the chances of it going through? I know it depends on status and flight load but do QF generally have a high percentage of successful upgrade requests?
May 6, 2008, 8:07 pm
#5
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
Most WPs had upgrade credits expire unused back in the days when QF issued upgrade credits. QF fixed this source of dissatisfaction by getting rid of the upgrade credits -- they were too difficult to use. Presumably chance of Silver upgrade LHR-SYD is slim to none, but it depends on flight (and day of the week). Much better chance for SYD-AKL, but still maybe 10% chance at best. As a WP my personal upgrade success rate was well below 50% and I think that is typical. While on AA my upgrade success rate is about 95%, by way of comparison.
May 6, 2008, 10:15 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LON
Programs: QF Plat & LTG, VA Plat
Posts: 1,435
Which flight, which date? I'll look it up on EF, the availability can give *some* idea how busy the flight is, which *loosely* corresponds to upgrade chances.
I do know silvers that have got an upgrade on this route, so it does happen, strongly affected by how many WP's and SG's are also asking for an upgrade, which I am guessing would be at least a couple every time.
I do know silvers that have got an upgrade on this route, so it does happen, strongly affected by how many WP's and SG's are also asking for an upgrade, which I am guessing would be at least a couple every time.
May 6, 2008, 11:17 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, NZ Elite, QF Plat
Posts: 1,776
QF2 on 30/06/08 and QF163 on 02/07/08. Thanks for that justin_krusty!
By the way, I know WP is a platinum and SG is gold but why the W in front of the P and the S in front of the G? Stupid question from a newbie. And would a silver member with QC membership be higher status than a non-QC silver?
By the way, I know WP is a platinum and SG is gold but why the W in front of the P and the S in front of the G? Stupid question from a newbie. And would a silver member with QC membership be higher status than a non-QC silver?
May 6, 2008, 11:24 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Newcastle, Australia.
Programs: QF Plat+ LTG/ OW Emerald, VA Plat, NZ Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Whatsit. Taxation is theft.
Posts: 2,637
My perception of op-upgrades is probably artificially inflated, due to so many of my flights being on Dash-8s or DeathStar Scarebuses.
I've been upgraded Y->J....
SYD-LAX (nice)
SYD-AKL
SYD-MEL
SYD-PER
MEL-AKL
AKL-SYD
WLG-SYD
NAN-SYD (Air Pacific on a QF codeshare)
ADL-PER
ADL-MEL
AKL-CHC
From memory, probably a few others and some of those routes (especially AKL-SYD or vice-versa) more than once.
I only had one pre-WP op upgrade, that was SYD-LAX. The Lords of Kobol were smiling on me.
Currently waiting for my flight to ticket so I can try and upgrade J->F on a forthcoming SYD-HGK flight.
I've been upgraded Y->J....
SYD-LAX (nice)
SYD-AKL
SYD-MEL
SYD-PER
MEL-AKL
AKL-SYD
WLG-SYD
NAN-SYD (Air Pacific on a QF codeshare)
ADL-PER
ADL-MEL
AKL-CHC
From memory, probably a few others and some of those routes (especially AKL-SYD or vice-versa) more than once.
I only had one pre-WP op upgrade, that was SYD-LAX. The Lords of Kobol were smiling on me.
Currently waiting for my flight to ticket so I can try and upgrade J->F on a forthcoming SYD-HGK flight.
May 7, 2008, 12:52 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: RSE
Programs: AA Exp|VA Platinum
Posts: 15,504
QF2 on 30/06/08 and QF163 on 02/07/08. Thanks for that justin_krusty!
By the way, I know WP is a platinum and SG is gold but why the W in front of the P and the S in front of the G? Stupid question from a newbie. And would a silver member with QC membership be higher status than a non-QC silver?
By the way, I know WP is a platinum and SG is gold but why the W in front of the P and the S in front of the G? Stupid question from a newbie. And would a silver member with QC membership be higher status than a non-QC silver?
SG = Scum Gold
PS = Plebian Silver
NB = Nothing Bronze
May 7, 2008, 1:11 am
#11
Moderator: Asiana & Qantas Frequent Flyer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: STR/SYD/SMF
Programs: QF Lifetime SG, LH HON, OZ Lifetime Diamond +, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 14,375
May 7, 2008, 1:37 am
#12
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bloody Queensland
Programs: QF Plat (LTG)
Posts: 154
QF do have a reputation for being guarded by what upgrades they provide.
I have been flying back and forth from SYD to JNB this past month, and this route has recently been upgraded to have W class (on most flights). As such, there are less Y seats available for sale, and loads are normally quite high, particularly around the weekend (Friday/Sunday/Monday). Loads in F and J are normally full weeks out, and Y has been filling up. Possibly has something to do with the codeshare with SAA.
Anyway, with the introduction of W, one must elect whether one wishes to go from Y to W or Y to J. As J loads are normally high, I've been electing to go from Y to W.
Two weeks ago, my points upgrade from Y to W was declined, but I was op-upped.
This weekend, my points upgrade from Y to W was approved, and I was op-upped to J.
As background, I've recently lost my SG privileges and am now QPPS...
A couple of things spring to mind. Either Yield Management has lost the plot, or have realised that they have a great ability to sell $2k tickets in Y to a greater number of people that there are Y seats for.
Alternatively, they are giving select individuals, who typically are last minute purchasers of tickets a "sample" of W, or indeed of J, in the hope that instead of booking Y tickets, we start booking W tickets instead.
Prices for why are typically between $1300 and $1800 one way, while W (T, really) are $2500 one way.
Or maybe I'm just lucky.
In my 3 years of WP, 6 years of SG and couple of years of QP/PS, I have been op-upped a handful of times, typically around vacation time on largely economy routes, with oversold Y.
I have been flying back and forth from SYD to JNB this past month, and this route has recently been upgraded to have W class (on most flights). As such, there are less Y seats available for sale, and loads are normally quite high, particularly around the weekend (Friday/Sunday/Monday). Loads in F and J are normally full weeks out, and Y has been filling up. Possibly has something to do with the codeshare with SAA.
Anyway, with the introduction of W, one must elect whether one wishes to go from Y to W or Y to J. As J loads are normally high, I've been electing to go from Y to W.
Two weeks ago, my points upgrade from Y to W was declined, but I was op-upped.
This weekend, my points upgrade from Y to W was approved, and I was op-upped to J.
As background, I've recently lost my SG privileges and am now QPPS...
A couple of things spring to mind. Either Yield Management has lost the plot, or have realised that they have a great ability to sell $2k tickets in Y to a greater number of people that there are Y seats for.
Alternatively, they are giving select individuals, who typically are last minute purchasers of tickets a "sample" of W, or indeed of J, in the hope that instead of booking Y tickets, we start booking W tickets instead.
Prices for why are typically between $1300 and $1800 one way, while W (T, really) are $2500 one way.
Or maybe I'm just lucky.
In my 3 years of WP, 6 years of SG and couple of years of QP/PS, I have been op-upped a handful of times, typically around vacation time on largely economy routes, with oversold Y.
May 7, 2008, 2:33 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LON
Programs: QF Plat & LTG, VA Plat
Posts: 1,435
As has often been noted on BA, Y+ being such a small cabin gives you a good chance of getting into J when Y is overbooked and they need to move people fwd (most elites will be in J or Y). I don't think that QF tend to overbook as much as BA regularly do, but at this stage they only have a few W cabins flying which restricts their flexibility a bit, and their yield management systems probably don't yet have solid data on W buying patterns.
May 7, 2008, 2:42 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LON
Programs: QF Plat & LTG, VA Plat
Posts: 1,435
QF2:
F4 A3 J9 C9 D9 I1 W9 T9 B9 H9 K5 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 X0 E0
So plenty of empty seats in business, and Y+ but this will change a lot in 2 months. Economy quite full though.
QF163:
J9 C9 D9 I9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 X0 E0
Plenty of seats all over the plane.
F4 A3 J9 C9 D9 I1 W9 T9 B9 H9 K5 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 X0 E0
So plenty of empty seats in business, and Y+ but this will change a lot in 2 months. Economy quite full though.
QF163:
J9 C9 D9 I9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 X0 E0
Plenty of seats all over the plane.
May 7, 2008, 5:49 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QFWP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 203
I've found QF's upgrades to be not only rare, but entirely illogical at times too. Like the time 2 x SG's, 1 x QC and 1 x NB checked-in online together. NB gets an upgrade to J during on-line checkin, the others got nothing. NB ends up sitting in 1A for the entire flight (ADL-SYD) and enjoys a tastier meal than those in Y. :P
...then, there was my recent (and only) SYD-MEL op-up. Offered to pay points, and was told "We'll give you the upgrade but we won't take points today. Y is oversold." A colleague (also WP) asked 10min later and was given the same opup.
Cheers,
- Febs.
...then, there was my recent (and only) SYD-MEL op-up. Offered to pay points, and was told "We'll give you the upgrade but we won't take points today. Y is oversold." A colleague (also WP) asked 10min later and was given the same opup.
Cheers,
- Febs.