simmang

In all my years of traveling to 6 continents on 30+ airlines, I have received an op-up three times, and all three were on Air Canada. Two were between the US and Canada, but one was from Europe to Canada on an A330 after a particularly long night of partying... it was much, much appreciated.

Kamalaasaa

I was scheduled to fly BOS-CLT-MOB and return PNS-CLT-BOS on AA this summer. There was a delay to the BOS-CLT leg that meant I would miss my connection. The gate agent was trying valiantly, but unsuccessfully, to work something out when I offered to go to MOB instead (which actually worked out better for me), so he rerouted me BOS-DCA-DFW-MOB.

Wouldn't you know it, after I had checked in at the airport for PNS-CLT, that flight was first delayed and then canceled (for weather, I think). Again it was no big deal, as I had actually wished I could stay an extra day.

Cutting to the chase: when I went to drop my bags the next day, I was upgraded on the PNS-CLT segment (although not CLT-BOS). It was a short flight, and just on an RJ, but I thought it was a very nice gesture. I'm guessing it was because of the double inconveniences, as I have no status on AA.

My first TATL flight, on KL almost 30 years ago, involved a "complementary upgrade" of sorts. When it was booked I was offered the choice of ATL-AMS (in Y) or ATL-JFK-AMS, with the TATL part in J. That was a no-brainer!

What I didn't realize was that the onward portion of my itinerary (intra-European) would also be in J. They fed us a big breakfast before landing in AMS and then the same big breakfast on the connecting leg (with only an hour layover). I was so stuffed after that second breakfast I thought I would burst!

ROCAT

ANA double booked my seat in PE and to sort it out they moved both of us to C. I was also given a professional courtesy upgrade on them, which is shocking as it is unheard of in the US.

Multiple times have I been given a seat in back when it looked like I was going to be in a RJ jumpseat.

Whizkid

BA, Booked on Y+, before boarding, the Gate agent said you have been upgraded and given a Club World seat. the Flight got delayed after 8 Hrs on the tarmac due to weather. the J seat made it easy, Slept thru most of it. when the Flight got rescheduled after 14+ hrs, the kept the original seat assignment and had a pleasant trip. I eventually missed my connection in LHR, but the BP from Biz class helped a bit with shorted queue for rebooking and using the express line at Immigration in LHR.

Fraser

BA: Lots of J-F and a few W-J upgrades (have been Sapphire/Emerald with them for 12yrs). The nicest was when I headed to the airport just after getting a nice Xmas bonus and was looking to pay to upgrade from J to F. The check-in guy seemed confused when I asked about upgrading as the then-wife and I were already assigned in F. Got J-F upgrades on the return flight too.

UA: A short notice longhaul booking all options were hideously expensive so went with UA thanks to free E+ for *A Gold. At check-in the ex-wife and I were upgraded to J. Y-J is always the best.

BD: Was flying shorthaul with my father and we were on separate bookings. He was BD*G and was paged in the lounge and upgraded to C. He turned it down noting he was travelling with me but the agent checked my booking (I was LH*G) and upgraded me too.


My mother seems to be the luckiest with upgrades on BA...flying LHR-DME on a cheap tour ticket booked in Y she was upgraded to WT+ at check-in then to Club World upstairs on the 747 at the gate for both her and her partner. She quite often bags WT+ to CW upgrades on transatlantic flights too.

Steve Weagant

I was flying with my father from Europe back to Chicago in both cases. One was from Milan to Dulles, the other was FRA to ORD. This was in mid 2000s before lie flat seats. Still enjoyed it immensely.

se7en_z

Six years ago flying Singapore Airline from Singapore to SFO. Was randomly upgraded to premium economy, which wasn't much of an upgrade to me. Since I'm not a big guy, the little extra legroom doesn't add much.

This wasn't an upgrade but last month the nice check-in lady stuck the priority sticker on my bag. It came out early, so it saved me 10 minutes.

invisible

My wife was moved in J at KLM's SFO-AMS flight about 12 years ago after she was asked to be interviewed for 30 min about her experience with the past flights.

I never got so lucky (>70K miles a year last 7 years).

BearX220

Only a couple that weren't a function of status / eligibility. Once years ago I was in a window seat in economy on Northwest when the lady passenger next to me began changing her infant's diaper. The kid had done a big, odorific job and it was in full fragant view. A senior FA walked by, noticed, scolded the lady and upgraded me on the spot.

More recently my wife, son, and I were flying a circuit of the US on an extended college audition tour... using very cheap budget tickets on DL. Waiting to board DTW-PHX I heard the podium page any party of three seated in economy. I approached, curious. She said she had a NRSA party of three (DL pilot, spouse, child) she wanted to seat together, and could she see our BPs please?

Next thing I knew the NRSA party had 20 D, E, F... and we three were boosted into the first row of F with a solemn warning not to tell anyone how we got there.

Apparently the NRSA rules said families could not be seated up front, and there were no elites flying Y as parties of three, so we won out.

Proudelitist

Shenanigans!!

ThunderRoad849

Got bumped up from J to F on Saudia once... it wasn't much of an improvement!

sethweinstein

I had a friend who worked for AA training in 2010. He knew I was flying JFK-NRT and back and gave the pursers my name. On JFK-NRT I took my seat in Y; then the purser came by my area and said to no one in particular, "Sean?"

"Seth?" I said hopefully. People get it wrong a lot, especially if reading quickly from paper.

"Oh, yes," she said. "Come with me." She escorted me to a J seat. I got settled, and then she pointed to me again and motioned for me to follow her to F. That was my first international F experience. Now, apart from her being awfully nice, was it maybe even good business sense, to entice me to spend more miles in the future for J or F now that I knew what it was?

On the way back the FAs tried to bump me up as well, but the purser wasn't having it even though there was space. "We're going to take good care of you right here," they said, giving me a bottle of champagne in Y.

I told my friend in training about both experiences. Regarding the latter, he said later on, "Yeah, I won't talk to her anymore." I can't complain about either result, of course -- was happy on the outbound but certainly didn't feel entitled to it!

Seth

CMK10

Twice on AA I got them because I'd volunteered my seat on oversold flights. They ended up putting me on in F. Both times I was Platinum but wasn't requesting sticker upgrades.

Once on US Airways I got one when I was flying PHX-CLT-DTW. Somehow I went from 5F to 32B on PHX-CLT and it was hinted that I might have been move to accommodate someone with higher status. As an apology gesture I was upgraded on the CLT-DTW leg.

Annalisa12

I remember being so excited in Y once many years ago as the seat was broken. As my husband and I told the FA, I eyed that wonderous curtain separating us from the very important people up front. The plane was full and I was sure we'd be invited up on hallowed turf. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. the FA called maintenance and they came on to fix the seat and we headed off on our 10 hour journey home to Sydney. That's my upgrade story.

SQ88

SQ had PE six years ago?