flyin´ruddl

Hmm, before I even thought 5 hours to be too long. Maybe within Thailand it´s different. Upon my experience, standby upgrades won´t be cleared and a BP issued out of the country even with short possible connections (think PNH, SIN, HKG).

F.R.

flying_pig

I can confirm that two days ago I was charged 33,600 THB for a stand-by upgrade on BKK-LHR (same price mentioned a few months ago in another post).

It was processed in about 10-15 minutes by the F check-in staff (ie: no need for me to go to the service centre / ticket counter). Not cheap, but not even bad considering that I was on a J return fare paid approximately 1,600 GPB (outbound upgraded with miles). Let's now see if I get F miles on M&M.


OT: full load in F, but outstanding crew and very pleasant trip (apart from a passenger who had two children in Y, who kept visiting him and camping on the floor near his seat).

gleff

Question for y'all...

I've got an upcoming award trip ticketed by partner airlines..

US - Japan, NH F
Japan - Singapore, SQ F
Singapore - Thailand, TG C

Here's where it gets interesting..

Thai only releases 1 F seat per flight BKK-NRT, at least to partners, and that's how it's been for awhile. My wife is booked BKK-NRT in F (747 overnight flight) and I'm in business class. We're connecting together to ANA First Class back to the US.

Now, for awhile Thai had been opening a second award seat about 15-17 days prior to flight. In most cases the first class cabin would be completely empty or just a single seat taken. I've seen them opening that seat less frequently of late.

And I do need them to open it a couple of weeks in advance if I'm going to grab it, on a US Airways award I can only get them to make a change prior to departure of first flight...

Anyway, assuming that F award space doesn't open for the flight in time, I was hoping to buy up.

I'll be flying HKT-BKK, TG C (separate ticket), connecting to BKK-NRT. Normally my wife and I would just go to the F lounge, and I assume even with her in F and me in C that we'd at least be entitled to use the F lounge together.

But I was wondering about the buyup option. Assuming space is available,

* Will they permit it on an award ticket
* And an award ticket issued by a partner
* Can they process it in the F lounge?
* Can they process it at the transfer desk?
* Or do I have to clear immigration to handle it at F checkin?

Thanks!
Gary

BKKROP

Quick answers are:
* Yes
* Don't know, never tried it, but assume Yes
* Yes they can, but if they will do it for you, I don't know
* Would be wiser to use F lounge
* No two managers are the same, once they buggied me to rear of the First Class checkin immigration and I was escorted out to the service desk behind the 1st checkin. I prefered this procedure as I was paying by Credit card.

Personally I would ring TG, and request another seat clearance.
regards

onlysuites

Would TG do that though for a partner award?

yosithezet

If you mean a TG award on partner metal the answer is no.

United_Flyer3

Ringing TG is a wise idea!
Otherwise, all of the above applies. TG does allow a buy up on an award - at least they did in my case and I was on a US award ticket.

BKKROP

The Star Alliance award purchase rules read that the award may include Thai flights etc, this can be enterpreted by managers different ways. I had the option of paying 140000 odd on business on 220000 on First. I choose to buy an upgrade. Like Gleff, part of my travel, the HKG-BKK-SIN sector was on Thai, whereas the SYD-HKG was on award. I do not disagree with what yosithezet says, I was prepared to buy up more miles, I asked for the manager told him I wanted to pay to upgrade to First, and suggested suitable seats. I assume, that gleff, after reading his informative trip reports, would have a similar positive attitude to travel.

gleff

Any chance they'd be able to process the buyup for BKK-NRT at HKT? Or can it only be done at BKK?

NW-A332

I used Continental miles on TG metal for 2 tickets from LAX-BKK-SIN and back CNX-BKK-LAX with a stopover in BKK in Y on the return flight.

Will it be possible to upgrade to Premium Economy on the BKK-LAX at the airport by paying cash? I know it's not possible with miles.

flyin´ruddl

Yes, doable. However, sometimes -maybe depending on your layover?- they just put a remark in you reservation and send a message to BKK. Then you´ll do the payment at BKK. Always smooth process with TG.

F.R.

flyin´ruddl

Sure bet, purchased standby cash upgrades are possible from either payed or reward flights.

F.R.

gleff

Well 36 days out and my wife's seat remains the only one taken in first on the seat map. So best hope is they eventually open a second first class seat as an award. But probably a good bet that there'll at least be one seat avaialble for buy up, and that checking in early at HKT (have long planned layover in BKK) I'll be the first one asking for a buyup and they'll process it or somehow get me first in the queue. My wife won't fly up front without me, and I'd rather sit up front with her than have her downgrade..

newshound

HKG - BKK upgrade Y to J today was quoted HK$1640

ehdguq

If you want to purchase an upgrade from C to F at BKK, do you go to the First Class check in or the business?