Home » Forums

[MSE Lawrence]

This discussion focuses on the

How to get a flight upgrade guide.

Please read the article first, and then come back here to leave feedback. Thanks

Linked Discussions:

Free Flight Upgrades
Buying Flight Upgrades
Frequent Flyer Schemes

[patrick0]

For a long haul flight (2x12 hours) I requested and received exit row seats (row 43 here).

Being able to stretch my legs out as much as I wanted and stand up without having to climb over anyone was great. The main problem was people congregating in the space in front of me to stretch their legs and/or wait for a toilet. Once I had fallen asleep this was quite annoying as they'd bump my legs and wake me up.

I've been upgraded a few times, mainly due to having a partner who worked for an airline. I was surprised how much of a difference there was between the first/business classes in different airlines (some were good, others were quite poor).

[cjt105]

Hi Guys,

Just to correct a couple of facts in this article:

Seat pitch comparision: BA is listed as having no premium economy. It does (there's a photo of it earlier in the article ) and it has a seat pitch of 38in.

BA Executive Club: Anyone can now join, by clicking on https://www.britishairways.com/travel/execenrol/. No need to book a qualifying flight.

Good luck on your upgrades


Chris.

[scrapbooking_mamma]

hi there everyone :-) this is officially my first post
we fly about once a year to visit family etc, but in my second pregnancy (and last!) i had multiple pulmonary embolisms which they put down to dvt in pregnancy. I was wanting to fly again, and saw the upgrade article, and wondered with a letter from my consultant if this would make a difference in them being kind to a high risk mommy?

[hammy the hammer]

Originally Posted by scrapbooking_mamma

hi there everyone :-) this is officially my first post
we fly about once a year to visit family etc, but in my second pregnancy (and last!) i had multiple pulmonary embolisms which they put down to dvt in pregnancy. I was wanting to fly again, and saw the upgrade article, and wondered with a letter from my consultant if this would make a difference in them being kind to a high risk mommy?

basically no unless you want to pay for it

[Sam Bee]

Originally Posted by scrapbooking_mamma

hi there everyone :-) this is officially my first post
we fly about once a year to visit family etc, but in my second pregnancy (and last!) i had multiple pulmonary embolisms which they put down to dvt in pregnancy. I was wanting to fly again, and saw the upgrade article, and wondered with a letter from my consultant if this would make a difference in them being kind to a high risk mommy?

On a serious note, if the airline considers you a high risk medical case they could refuse to carry you.

And i'm sure they would quote this article which shows the risk of DVT is roughly the same in Business or Economy. Business Class might just mean you get lazy and move less that you would in economy.

http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_informa...110703dvt.html

[richardw]

Originally Posted by scrapbooking_mamma

ut in my second pregnancy (and last!) i had multiple pulmonary embolisms which they put down to dvt in pregnancy. I was wanting to fly again,

Would this affect your chances of getting insurance cover for the trip?

If insurable would they quote a higher premium? Would you want to pay for extra insurance?

If you fell ill on holiday would you rather be at home near your doctor?

Best wishes for the pregnancy.

[nezbrun]

Originally Posted by scrapbooking_mamma

hi there everyone :-) this is officially my first post
we fly about once a year to visit family etc, but in my second pregnancy (and last!) i had multiple pulmonary embolisms which they put down to dvt in pregnancy. I was wanting to fly again, and saw the upgrade article, and wondered with a letter from my consultant if this would make a difference in them being kind to a high risk mommy?

You can try but I doubt it very much indeed. In general, folks with medical conditions who are upgraded are done so at the cost of their travel insurance (eg, a skiing accident etc). If you could get away with it, I am afraid everyone and their dog would be lining up at check in with a sick note.

Equally, I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that, despite being called 'economy class syndrome', you are any more or less at risk of DVT depending on the cabin you fly.

Your best bet for an upgrade is to fork out.

[CazC]

Just a word of warning about requesting emergency exit row seats - on some aircraft you get the extra legroom but you may find that your seat doesn't recline. I spent two and a half hours bolt upright in an emergency row seat on an Easyjet flight from Nice a couple of years back - I've never asked for an emergency row seat since!

[richardw]

Originally Posted by CazC

but you may find that your seat doesn't recline. I spent two and a half hours bolt upright in an emergency row seat on an Easyjet flight from Nice

easyJet have some A319 aircraft and NONE of the seats recline!

[markymoo]

exit rows.... the whole, which ones recline, which ones don't..

well.... most of the time, if there are 2 rows of exit rows next to each other, say rows 22 and 23 as an example... what you will find is that rows 21 and 22 won't recline, as it would be in the way of the exits, however, row 23 would recline..


if there is just 1 row of exit, most of the time that row reclines, but the row in front doesn't...

however, if easyjet planes have no recline at all... well.. there is simply no recline!

M

[hardworkingmummy]

Hi,

We flew to Prague a few years ago with KLM and we asked politely at the KLM information desk, the lady there (Schipol) was really nice and said she'd see what she could do.......Anyway we were both upgraded to First Class, china plates, swish menu, etc.

We'll be flying with them again to America in September and i doubt we'd be able to get a long haul upgrade, but its worth a go.

J

[amf]

Originally Posted by hardworkingmummy

Hi,

We flew to Prague a few years ago with KLM and we asked politely at the KLM information desk, the lady there (Schipol) was really nice and said she'd see what she could do.......Anyway we were both upgraded to First Class, china plates, swish menu, etc.

We'll be flying with them again to America in September and i doubt we'd be able to get a long haul upgrade, but its worth a go.

J

You did unbelievably well getting an upgrade to first on KLM on a flight from Amsterdam to Prague.....well done Tell me.....were you flying on a 380?

[richardw]

http://klm.com/travel/gb_en/travel_i...sses/index.htm

Can't see European business class there.

[Tojo Ralph]

Originally Posted by amf

You did unbelievably well getting an upgrade to first on KLM on a flight from Amsterdam to Prague.....well done

Tell me.....were you flying on a 380?

To the best of my knowledge, KLM are only ever likely to have flown the likes of the Fokker 70s, Fokker 100s, A320s (Czech codeshare) and 737s between Amsterdam and Prague in recent years, so the revelation that there are First Class seats up for grabs does indeed come as somewhat of a suprise.

[GlennTheBaker]

Originally Posted by Tojo Ralph

To the best of my knowledge, KLM are only ever likely to have flown the likes of the Fokker 70s, Fokker 100s, A320s (Czech codeshare) and 737s between Amsterdam and Prague in recent years, so the revelation that there are First Class seats up for grabs does indeed come as somewhat of a suprise.

So cynical!

[amf]

Originally Posted by Tojo Ralph

To the best of my knowledge, KLM are only ever likely to have flown the likes of the Fokker 70s, Fokker 100s, A320s (Czech codeshare) and 737s between Amsterdam and Prague in recent years, so the revelation that there are First Class seats up for grabs does indeed come as somewhat of a suprise.

Came as a surprise to me too.....and I held their Royal Wing card for quite a number of years That was in the good old days of Air UK, of course. I wonder why I was never upgraded on my regular GLA-LGW flight. May have had something to do with it being a single class service, s'pose. No doubt someone will be along shortly to tell us (s)he was upgraded on this route

[emgi]

First post - be kind!
I work for an airline - if you have a medical condition please check with the airline you're travelling with that you are okay with them to travel (not just your doctor). If you asked for an upgrade due recent DVT and produced a letter I would have to deny you travel and ask you to seek clearance from the airline's medical department (who would send a form to your doctor to complete).
As you can imagine asking for an upgrade due medical condition causes lots of problems at the airport and lessens your chance of flying, let alone getting an upgrade!

[flyperson]

Hi there, Many thanks for the excellent article. I am not a frequent traveller so please excuse this question if it is a daft one. I am due to travel to San Francisco by Virgin Atlantic in a few weeks time. I intend to put your ideas into practice on the small chance of a free upgrade. I see from the Virgin website that I have the option of "checking-in" on-line with a simple "bag-drop" when I arrive at Heathrow. My question is this: by making use of this service (which I suppose is a time saver) do I lose any chance of a free upgrade? My thinking is that the upgrade can only come about at a proper check-in desk and not at a bag-drop area. Is this a legitimate concern, or does it make no difference, in that a bag-drop operative has as much discretion as a check-in one? In a similar vein, is it a bad idea to choose a seat on-line before travel? Many thanks in advance to anyone who can answer this one, Richard.

[rlc22]

Originally Posted by flyperson

Hi there, Many thanks for the excellent article. I am not a frequent traveller so please excuse this question if it is a daft one. I am due to travel to San Francisco by Virgin Atlantic in a few weeks time. I intend to put your ideas into practice on the small chance of a free upgrade. I see from the Virgin website that I have the option of "checking-in" on-line with a simple "bag-drop" when I arrive at Heathrow. My question is this: by making use of this service (which I suppose is a time saver) do I lose any chance of a free upgrade? My thinking is that the upgrade can only come about at a proper check-in desk and not at a bag-drop area. Is this a legitimate concern, or does it make no difference, in that a bag-drop operative has as much discretion as a check-in one? In a similar vein, is it a bad idea to choose a seat on-line before travel? Many thanks in advance to anyone who can answer this one, Richard.

The bag drop is just the same as a check-in desk. If I were you I'd check-in online and choose your seat then as the chance of getting an upgrade is very slim. You can always ask about paying for an upgrade at the check-in desk if there are seats available...