SwiftFoX

Hi,

I'm trying to get some concrete information on the courtesy upgrade system. I'm EBD, and so far have experienced a CU on both legs on my international PNR's 50% of the time.. aka every other PNR.

From the little stuff I know internally, the PNR is marked with "OS COURTESY UPG" when you're up for a courtesy upgrade. Do you think call-center staff are able to see this mark in the PNR? Perhaps it is not in the PNR, but in SAS's system somewhere else?

I also know for sure that it'll CU to the next class, regardless of if the middle class is full i.e ECO>BIZ if Premium is full, but I think it's based on seat left in a fare bucket (or so the system looks to see if there's enough seats, and then processes the updg). The CPH-BOS leg on PrivatAir will upgrade Eco > Biz automatically, since there's no Plus on that a/c.

What I can't figure out is if the award trips are truly exempt from a CU; public information tells me that you won't get a CU on an award redemption, however it only lists booking codes: C,D,Z,I,R,N. I just booked a reward trip, and it went into F class. Does this mean it won't be exempt? God knows.

Another thing that puzzles me is- this "OS COURTESY UPG" tag - when is it applied? Are your CU's based on the "order" in which you have booked your international PNR's? I.e I book OSL-MIA now for a flight in dec, but then book OSL-ORD now in Sept, will the CU automatically add a OS tag to my OSL-MIA (since I booked that first?) and that would result in OSL-ORD being exempted, even though the departure date is first?

I have 4 longhaul legs in sept/oct and will attempt to answer my own curiousity. If anyone has any experiences let me know, I know most of these questions don't make a real difference but I love figuring out the logic behind the system, so excuse the long post. ^

studentCPH

I've read about people getting courtesey upgrades on award trips, although it was GO->PLUS. The booking classes you mention doesn't exclude the bookingclass for an award trip in GO either (X).
More data would be very interesting, I've had two "CU's" myself, both one class and had other PNRs inbetween so not on subsequent trips. One of the times I had an opup on the outbound and the CU on the way back.

SwiftFoX

Perhaps those award trips were points + cash redemptions? Those book into actual paid booking codes, so that could be the reason.. but with SAS IT without testing, we won't know!

klmml

How do courtesy upgrades interact with PG upgrades? Has anyone put in a PG bid and had a CU instead?

SwiftFoX

See, so many questions, such unclear answers! My guesses based on previous posts/experience is: If the CU comes through first (for whatever reason, from T-24) then the CU will be valid. If PG comes through first, your CU might take you into Biz if your PG was Eco > Prem.

A theory I'm going to test is the new instant PG option.. i.e plusgrade instantly to Plus from eco (from 10 days before departure this option sometimes appears, I think based on availability) then get issued new ticket in Y.

From there, CU should take you to bizz, again based on availability. All theories, but these need testing!

EDIT:

The PG is supposed to clear at T-36 LATEST. That's according to the website, has this been everyone else's experience? Then technically, since CU only happens T-24 you will get your CU ontop of your PG.

FlyingMoose

Yep, my wife had two of those. Not PG but the previous OT program.

We where flying LAX-ARN, she was booked in Plus and I was in Business. We paid for an OT op-up and used the advance upgrade with points option through the EB website. First the OT was denied, then the point upgrade and as we where about to depart for the airport she received the courtesy upgrade mail.

The other one was a simliar scenario but we had a last minute aircraft change from a new cabin A330 to an old cabin A340 so we assumed SK was preventing complaints and they didn't accept the cash or point bid.

Just to make it clear that there is no logic behind the upgrades and SK doesn't necessarily value your money or points more than providing the free upgrade.

In total my wife has had 5-6 courtesy upgrades, most common on SK945/SK946 (we also fly that route most). I'm talking actual courtesy upgrades where you get an email from SK stating that they upgraded you because they value your business, not last minute gate op-ups.

We've not been able to detect any logic or system and have seen numerous flights with plenty of available seats in Business while paid, point or courtesy upgrades where not happening. We've also seen people in our party get upgraded without status while Diamonds or folks spending 1 Mln SEK+ a year where left in the cold.

The only thing in this threat that I consider true is the fact that upgrades only occur towards the next cabin and never jumping over one. So no Go->Business courtesy upgrades.

highupinthesky

In the OT days I quite often got rejected for an OT upgrade, just to receive either a CU or SAS direct upgrade offer shortly after. So far all my PG upgrade offers has been accepted (6 on longhaul) so I guess PG offers takes priority, which is good right now as I'm a little behind on points in order to retain Diamond level.

skba1

I did at one point last year receive a CU email from Go to Business on an old A340 A/C on CPH-PVG. But not sure if it was because the old aircraft or that Plus was actually full.

I had very many CU earlier (pretty much every PNR one direction), but now haven't had one for the last 3 returns longhaul. I do upgrade with points or cash occasionally to C if available instead for overnights booked in Plus.

The attractive Go/Plus fares are what keeps me booking SK despite hitting soon 200k points this year. Would else make sense to fly SkyTeam to maintain status there...

SwiftFoX

@FlyingMoose It's fact that you will get moved from Go to Biz if Plus is full, and if there's availability in whatever bucket that CU checks for in Biz. It says so on SK's internal. Many reports of it as well. However, the chances of that happening are very slim, considering there's usually at least a Diamond or two in Plus, and if they get moved to Biz it usually frees up plus bucket. So timing is everything, and lots of luck I'm guessing.

It isn't magic, it's a data system so it has predictable variables. It doesn't just randomly decide, it has a system. Not saying it's a logical one, but still a system!

BSJ

It is not always true, my wife, daughter and I were upgraded from Go to Business from ORD to CPH in February

fassy

For me the biggest issue with this is that again it is not transparent. Some people get regularly a two class upgrade with a full family, others every 15 flights just a one class upgrade for one pax.

And no one knows why.

Simple fix:

- hand out upgrade vouchers for EBDs which can be applied for confirmed upgrades
- publish a upgrade list like the Us carriers do