Has anyone succesfully used the "Swiss Choice" upgrade option?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Switzerland mostly
Programs: LX Sen, EK Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Sirius Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 357
Has anyone succesfully used the "Swiss Choice" upgrade option?
Cross post as is seems the Swiss lurkers are no longer lurking ?
We must fly Economy for work on short-haul which is fine, however in some cases I don't mind paying for an upgrade. I cannot understand why some flight bookings show up on swiss.com with the "Comfort" option allowing a paid upgrade and some do not.
Swiss states: "You can book an upgrade on all European flights, regardless of the tariff on which the flight was booked. Upgrades are available at a fixed supplement and guarantee you a seat in our multi-award-winning Business Class." but this is not always the case and furthermore I have tried many times to use the Swiss Choice Upgrade option located at https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/Customer/Upgrade/Login which requires a login even if one is already logged in to swiss.com or allows using the booking reference but neither actually work (tried several browsers) and always errors out with an "Internal Error 500. Our servers are currently not available. Please try again at a later date."
I just don't get it ... any ideas?
We must fly Economy for work on short-haul which is fine, however in some cases I don't mind paying for an upgrade. I cannot understand why some flight bookings show up on swiss.com with the "Comfort" option allowing a paid upgrade and some do not.
Swiss states: "You can book an upgrade on all European flights, regardless of the tariff on which the flight was booked. Upgrades are available at a fixed supplement and guarantee you a seat in our multi-award-winning Business Class." but this is not always the case and furthermore I have tried many times to use the Swiss Choice Upgrade option located at https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/Customer/Upgrade/Login which requires a login even if one is already logged in to swiss.com or allows using the booking reference but neither actually work (tried several browsers) and always errors out with an "Internal Error 500. Our servers are currently not available. Please try again at a later date."
I just don't get it ... any ideas?
#2
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: FRA
Programs: LH SEN**, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 669
I think it requires that the flights are directly booked on swiss.com. For most of my business travel, our company travel agent does the booking and I never see the Swiss Choice upgrade options, whereas when booking myself on swiss.com, I am able to pay the upgrade.
In my experience, it also only works if all flight segments are operated by Swiss and not codeshares.
In my experience, it also only works if all flight segments are operated by Swiss and not codeshares.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Switzerland mostly
Programs: LX Sen, EK Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Sirius Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 357
I think it requires that the flights are directly booked on swiss.com. For most of my business travel, our company travel agent does the booking and I never see the Swiss Choice upgrade options, whereas when booking myself on swiss.com, I am able to pay the upgrade.
In my experience, it also only works if all flight segments are operated by Swiss and not codeshares.
In my experience, it also only works if all flight segments are operated by Swiss and not codeshares.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Switzerland mostly
Programs: LX Sen, EK Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Sirius Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 357
Sadly there are too many bugs on the swiss.com website and the information is incorrect (for example on this page https://www.swiss.com/ca/en/book/swi...pgrade-options which should state that Swiss Choice Upgrades DO NOT apply for travel agent bookings) instead of stating that "You can book an upgrade on all European flights, regardless of the tariff on which the flight was booked. Upgrades are available at a fixed supplement and guarantee you a seat in our multi-award-winning Business Class."
Many of the Swiss Choice options also error out when you try to use them (and they require another login even when you are already logged in ...) - Dear @SwissInternationalAirLines perhaps a good idea to improve the user acceptance testing prior to releasing to the public ?
Thanks !
Many of the Swiss Choice options also error out when you try to use them (and they require another login even when you are already logged in ...) - Dear @SwissInternationalAirLines perhaps a good idea to improve the user acceptance testing prior to releasing to the public ?
Thanks !
#6
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: HAG
Programs: Der 5* FTL
Posts: 8,051
Sadly there are too many bugs on the swiss.com website and the information is incorrect (for example on this page https://www.swiss.com/ca/en/book/swi...pgrade-options which should state that Swiss Choice Upgrades DO NOT apply for travel agent bookings) instead of stating that "You can book an upgrade on all European flights, regardless of the tariff on which the flight was booked. Upgrades are available at a fixed supplement and guarantee you a seat in our multi-award-winning Business Class."
#7
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: ZRH / YUL
Programs: UA, TK, Starwood > Marriott, Hilton, Accor
Posts: 7,295
I've never really looked into these upgrades but I have a longer European flight coming up and am now considering it if price is reasonable.
I credit my miles to UA these days. Would the upgrade change my accrual rate to Business Class - and if so, which booking class?
I credit my miles to UA these days. Would the upgrade change my accrual rate to Business Class - and if so, which booking class?
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: M&M FTL (*Silver), KLM/AF blue
Posts: 343
I have managed to book these kind of upgrades on the Swiss website without problems for travel agent bookings as well as bookings on Swiss.com.
Maybe they have discontinued the TA version of it - I always wondered what would happen with an ugraded ticket if the corporate travel agent had to rebook it.
I have noted however, that the website does not always offer them - and I presumed it is because they are not available.
(Yes any booking class is upgradable, but you still need to have availabilty in business class for it to be upgradable... and probabbly upgrades will not be sold any more if Business is full ony or only full fare C is available....)
Maybe they have discontinued the TA version of it - I always wondered what would happen with an ugraded ticket if the corporate travel agent had to rebook it.
I have noted however, that the website does not always offer them - and I presumed it is because they are not available.
(Yes any booking class is upgradable, but you still need to have availabilty in business class for it to be upgradable... and probabbly upgrades will not be sold any more if Business is full ony or only full fare C is available....)
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Switzerland mostly
Programs: LX Sen, EK Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Sirius Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 357
@Key8
Make sense, however perhaps our friends in Swiss IT could add a few comprehensible messages if for example an upgrade is not possible rather than the typical "500 Internal Server Error" which, even if I am in IT, is rather difficult to interpret
I have noted however, that the website does not always offer them - and I presumed it is because they are not available.
(Yes any booking class is upgradable, but you still need to have availabilty in business class for it to be upgradable... and probabbly upgrades will not be sold any more if Business is full ony or only full fare C is available....)
(Yes any booking class is upgradable, but you still need to have availabilty in business class for it to be upgradable... and probabbly upgrades will not be sold any more if Business is full ony or only full fare C is available....)
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,622
Their multi-award-winning Business Class is a fairly crap Economy class product from about 15 years ago. I wish I could speak better of SWISS, I really do.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: ZRH / YUL
Programs: UA, TK, Starwood > Marriott, Hilton, Accor
Posts: 7,295
And to be honest, they also sell Business Class (directly or via these upgrades) at the same price as Economy 15 years ago. And Economy for next to nothing.
#12
Join Date: May 2017
Location: BRU
Programs: Miles & More FTL
Posts: 39
The new booking class can vary and seems to depend on the availability rather than on your original booking class. The easiest way to know for sure is to go to your reservation, select the flight you want to upgrade and start the process. It will immediately show you the new booking class on the next page, without having made any payment.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: GVA
Programs: A3 *G, LX *G, AF *S
Posts: 761
I have done the upgrade option several times for our summer vacation flights (as it was cheaper to book economy+upgrade than business directly). Flights will change to new booking class (had P, Z, D already), and upgrade fare depends on your current and your future booking class difference (I assume).
However note: the conditions of your current ticket remain - i.e. if you had an HBO economy fare, this will remain HBO (similar to rebooking and reimbursement conditions...).
However note: the conditions of your current ticket remain - i.e. if you had an HBO economy fare, this will remain HBO (similar to rebooking and reimbursement conditions...).
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,622
Back to the upgrade topic, and I think it is a thing that is impossible to do on the Moscow route. At least, every time I looked for it there was no upgrade option available (lots of dummy bookings). And SWISS from GVA in Economy with non-existent catering I will avoid completely from now on.
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Switzerland mostly
Programs: LX Sen, EK Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Sirius Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 357
Have confirmation (since Swiss does not reply) that web upgrades - Swiss Choice - will only work if booked on swiss.com and not through a travel agent.
Not sure how difficult it would be to add a clear message on the website; I am an old developer but can still write HTML if that helps
Not sure how difficult it would be to add a clear message on the website; I am an old developer but can still write HTML if that helps