Upgrades on British Airways flights

*~Zephyr~*

Hi all
I'm flying to Chicago in a couple of weeks, flying with British Airways for the first time ever. I was wondering if anyone had ever had any luck as a couple getting bumped up to Business or First from cattle class on BA? I know a few people who have been upgraded, but they were usually flying solo.

Z
xx

DomRavioli

Low to non-existent. You can pay for an upgrade, but why would they put an economy ticket in first? You may get premium economy if they have any available but you may have to pay for that.

If there's a spare single seat then they usually upgrade frequent fliers; but trying to get two seats which cost usually at least double the cost of the ticket purchased is pretty rare (I've never heard of it on BA).

If you wanted first or business, why didn't you book them?

*~Zephyr~*

DomRavioli wrote: »

If you wanted first or business, why didn't you book them?

Because whilst I can happily afford £1k to fly stateside, I can't afford to pay £12k. Until I will the lotto that is

And this IS a money saving website is it not?

Doshwaster

If it's your first ever flight with BA then your chances of getting an upgrade are virtually zero. As a couple then they are even closer to zero.

While there are no fixed rules, when free upgrades are given then those who have frequent flyer status are at the head of the priority list. I'm a BA Silver card holder and I get the occasional upgrade but it's never something you should expect.

Unfortunately, the best way to get an upgrade is to pay for it.

Make sure you join the Executive Club. It may be your first flight but you may as well collect the miles.

Caz3121

Upgrades are either paid for or done for operational reasons.
If Economy was overbooked and they required to move people forwards, they will select based on a number of factors including the status that you hold with BA/oneworld
WT get moved to WT+, WT+ to CW, CW to First etc
If the flight is not full/overbooked, nobody moves anywhere without parting with £££s
I have been upgraded from WT+ to CW, flight was oversold in WT (so people were being moved into WT+) and I have BA Gold status.

*~Zephyr~*

Thanks for the insight guys. Sounds like there's not much of a chance.

At least I know not to bother dressing up. OH was NOT happy when I suggested he wear his suit to travel in.

Doshwaster

*~Zephyr~* wrote: »

Thanks for the insight guys. Sounds like there's not much of a chance.

At least I know not to bother dressing up. OH was NOT happy when I suggested he wear his suit to travel in.

Don't wear a suit, don't claim it's your honeymoon, don't pretend that your PA (who you've just fired) booked you in the wrong class, don't pretend to know Willie Walsh. The checkin staff have heard every excuse before.

*~Zephyr~*

Doshwaster wrote: »

Don't wear a suit, don't claim it's your honeymoon, don't pretend that your PA (who you've just fired) booked you in the wrong class, don't pretend to know Willie Walsh. The checkin staff have heard every excuse before.

Haha!! I'm too old to be on honeymoon, my PA is far too efficient to have made that mistake (and would never forgive me if I slurred her name like that!).

BUT - I DO know Willie Walsh. Well, I know Bill Walsh. A farmer who frequents my local. Not sure how he could help me to get an upgrade though....

growler834

Not on BA but a few years ago DH & I were upgraded to Business Class twice - once with KLM from Amsterdam to San Francisco & the other time was with American Airlines from Chicago to Heathrow. We always dressed smartly (but not a suit) & we had joined their Loyalty Schemes & we had only flown with these airlines a couple of times. It was a nice surprise when we offered our boarding cards at the gate & they were ripped up & new ones given to us!
I think nowadays though it's less likely to get an upgrade.

InsideInsurance

Doshwaster wrote: »

Don't wear a suit

You can wear a suit, just dont expect an upgrade because of it.


As others have said, upgrades are very rare and if there are operational reasons for needing to do so - eg they've had to use a different aircraft with different seat distribution by class - then they are more likely to shuffle people up one class so business to first, premium to business and economy to premium rather than take a couple out of economy and move them all the way to first.

I tend to fly at least two dozen times a year and can count on one hand how many free upgrades I've had. Almost all have occurred at the gate or on the aircraft and so its not even that you get the full "first class experience" as you dont get the use of the lounge/ spa etc before the flight. The only time it was before that is when the airline have messed up and I've had to switch flights and the upgrade was either to make it possible or a sweetener.

w211

Just because there are seats available in business class, doesn't mean the airline will upgrade passengers (regardless of airline status). They will probably only do it, if they overbook economy - and as mentioned the frequent flyers get priority.

When I fly BA business class, and notice a few times, that while the business class cabin can be half-empty, there are still status (BA Silver/Gold I expect) passengers sitting in economy (I usually recognise the same passengers who were sitting in the airline lounge and join the same priority boarding queue).

BA could upgrade these passengers, but if there are enough seats in economy and isn't overbooked, then there wouldn't be a need to do so.

I remember flying to Amsterdam in business, and they used a Boeing 767. This was on New Years Eve, hence there were only 6 people in business, whilst there were 54 available seats! As economy probably also wasn't packed, there wouldn't have been any need to upgrade anyone.

If the airline started upgrading too often, people wanting to fly business, would then take a chance on buying an economy ticket, in the hope of getting an upgrade, instead of buying a business ticket in the first place, thus the airline won't make as much money.

If you want to fly in a premium cabin, then join the airlines frequent flyer scheme, and start collecting the points! BA Executive Club, let you collect Avios points from a number of places such as Shell, Tesco and American Express. Short haul Reward saver flights to Europe can be good value (e.g. 18,000 points + £50 for a return to Paris/Dublin/Amsterdam in business), and for flying long haul, pay for the ticket as normal, and upgrade using the points).