Upgrade etiquette question
 

A month or two ago I was flying with a business colleague from Albuquerque to Denver on United. I use a manual wheelchair and am very independent. We were very early and hanging around the boarding area. When the gate agent arrived, she came over to me and asked me for my boarding pass, and if I was travelling with anyone. I interpreted this as something like "is someone assisting you" and answered no.

She then upgraded me to FC, leaving me feeling very guilty about my colleague who wound up in 28B or the moral equivalent.

What do you all do about upgrades when travelling with others? Is it every woman for herself?

Thanks,
Katja

Umm...good question.

Personally, though, unless I am travelling with my wife or daughter, yes, it is every person for him/her/self.

You got the upgrade, TAKE IT!!!! TAKE IT!!

Sorry, my slobber got down to the keyboard and short-circuited it. Please ignore all the upper cases above. ;)

I agree that you take the upgrade. It's sometimes helpful to mention this possibility in advance, but the bottom line is that nothing is gained by being a martyr back in coach.

You would now be unable to accomplish any work together on the flight if you had planned on doing so.

However if you had refused the upgrade, there is no telling if the gate agent might have gone over to your colleague who might have been next in line for the upgrade, he might have taken it, leaving you in the reverse and equally embarrassing position.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm

Fear not - I took it, and enjoyed it.

Sometimes...
 

Was traveling with a friend. I got auto-upgraded. Asked if he minded. We both wanted to sleep, he couldn't have cared less. I took it.

Dated a woman, we went to Mexico together for a long weekend. I got upgraded, she didn't. I didn't take it, we both had the emergency exit row.

Funny postscript to that - I sat with her in the EER until the other person whose seat I was in came on board. He was with his wife. I asked him, "Sir, I don't know if you'd like to switch, but I have a first class ticket here, but I'd rather sit with my girlfriend in Coach. If it's ok with you, I'll give either you or your wife my first class ticket, and one of you can sit up front, and I'll take that seat, so I can sit next to my girlfriend."

Husband: "Thanks, but we don't want to be split up."
Wife: <Grabbing ticket out of my hand> "The hell we don't. See you in NYC, sweetie." <bolts to first>

I hate to think that I'm responsible for the downward spiral of their marriage, but... :-)

Used my segment upgrades to fly F. Sat down next to a nice gentleman who also upgraded and had brought his 14-year old son to Hawaii for a vacation. We talked, had our meal, ordered my sundae then I asked him where his son was sitting.

I walked over to his son, seated about 20 rows back in Y, and told him to sit next to his Dad and enjoy the ice cream. The son was real happy. About fifteen minutes later, father and son came to Y and he thanked me profusely for the gesture then asked the gentleman seated next to me if he wouldn't mind changing seats so father and son could sit together. The father told me that my kind gesture made him feel like a jerk for leaving his son alone in Y. I returned to my seat in F and my new seat opponent was like a kid playing with the seat controls for the remainder of the flight.

Tough call.

Without knowing what the answer would have been if you answered yes to the question, there is no way to tell.

It could have been we can upgrade both of you.

It could have been sorry, we only have one seat available and there are two of you, enjoy coach.

It could have been we only have one seat, would you mind splitting up?

Personally, if it's business or friend travel, they pretty much expect I'll be up front and they will be in the back. I don't like to work on the plane, so it's not usually an issue about working or not.

If it's just me and the wife, then we will probably not take it unless both of us can take it.

We often travel with a friend, and if they only have two seats available for upgrading, I'll let the ladies have it, the friend never gets to sit with us anyways unless it's an upgrade. If it's only one, then we'll probably let it go to the next person.

Hiking someone into Biz - a high risk approach
 

Here’s how I upgraded a friend a couple of years ago: I think a lot of you will understand the underlying tactics, so I won’t spell them out..

My friend was going from LHR to BCN on a business trip. Most of the other people on the BA flight were his colleagues. The only available seat he could book for me was in Biz, but he was in back in Economy.
I don’t eat meat, but I was REALLY looking forward to the hot breakfast in Biz, so at Check-in, when we asked if we could be sat together (i.e. me downgrading) I asked if I could still have the meal I’d paid for but back in coach. There is no way BA would do this. I expressed that I hadn’t eaten as I had expected a good meal on board, but resigned graciously to losing my Biz seat and my Biz breakfast.
At the Gate we were called over. I got my original seat back, and as the flight was full, my companion was first choice for an upgrade.
It’s the only time I’ve ever tried to blag an upgrade – but then, I’m always better at doing things for other people than I am for myself.
Not an approach for most FTers as I was gambling with my own seat. But, hey, he DID buy my ticket.

I don't travel with friends too often, but when I do, I'll only upgrade if I can get both of us into F.

Earlier this summer, I went to Las Vegas on vacation to meet up with a bunch of people. A friend from Dallas that was going there as well was on the same flight as me on the way out, but a different one on the way back. For the flight out, I put in for upgrades for both of us (using my stickers), and asked only to be upgraded if they had two seats available. They cleared at the gate, and we flew in first. We had to trade seats with somone to sit next to eachother.

On the way back, by upgrade cleared when I checked in. My friend was not on my flight, but he went standby to get on. But I didn't put in for an upgrdae for him. He managed to get a seat in coach.

A few weeks ago, we both flew to Atlanta. Since it's a short flight, I didn't bother requesting the upgrades this time.

The question doesn't have to be "yes" or "no": I would answer something like:
"My colleague is also on this flight, however it's ok if we don't sit together."
That way you don't totally ditch him/her, by saying "no I'm not with anyone," or eliminate the possibility of a one-person available upgrade, but leave it in the airlines' hands!

I was a little stressed the first time I was upgraded but my boss wasn't. I pointed out that was one logical result of all the trips he kept sending me on while not travelling much himself.

that's a pretty good idea. But back to katja....I think you were completely right to take the upgrade alone. If it were a friend or family member I might feel differently, but for one of my colleagues? Sit him/her in 24E for all I care ;)

This is the key to a long & happy marriage. :cool:

My wife & I were heading to AKL (from SYD) a couple of years ago; I was going for work on full fare economy & my wife was on an award ticket. At check-in, I was told that I'd been upgraded to business - I graciously declined as I was travelling with me wife and we wanted to sit together; my wife was urging me to take. I said she should take it since she'd never flown business class - the lovely QF attendant made a call and in quick time produced 2 b/class boarding passes. ^ Nice one Qantas!!

I've been ditched by work colleagues before who've been upgraded - I would do the same. Never feel guilty about - feel lucky and enjoy the experience :D

Cheers, gb.