Complementary flight Upgrades?

pinkpinkfizz

Hi,

I am going to Las Vegas this Saturday and have uk domestic flights with BA and international flights with Virgin. I'm wondering about the likelyhood of a positive outcome on a polite request for Complementary flight upgrades?

Any advice, tips, suggestions??

Also booking in online @ online check in 24hours before travel, Can I expect to get a better choice of seating than the choices available at the moment. (Apparently the more "desirable seats" are only available at check in?)

Thanks in advance.

Murphy_The_Cat

Would you like me to be blunt, without being rude ?

phatbear

Oddly enough I've stopped paying for business and premium class because apparently when you check in you just ask and they give you free upgrades, hmmmm!!

The only chance you have of an upgrade is if the flight is over booked and the company have no choice but to bump you up, after all if it was as easy as just asking everyone would do it and the flight companies would never sell 1st/business class seats

the bear

granville_2

Probably zero.

Operational upgrades (if any!) will usually be given to holders of full fare tickets and those who belong to the airline's frequent flyer programme and have decent status.

Best way to get upgrades is to join a frequent flying programme and build up miles.

e.g. the join the BA Exec Club and build up miles by using the BA Amex card, and converting Teso Clubcard points to BA miles etc.

Gertcha_2

pinkpinkfizz, please don't take this the wrong way. Why should YOU get a free upgrade to a higher class of service than you have paid for? In the very rare cases that airlines upgrade general members of the public now it's usually due to the fact that they have oversold the class of service you are booked in. In which case, the first people to be moved up are the elite frequent flyers who give the airlines lots of revenue year after year.

One tip for you though, if you are going to ask, you need to do it at Gatwick direct with Virgin as BA will have no control over the flight, and just ask if there are any "operational upgrades" today.

Voyager2002

If I worked for an airline, I would deny boarding to anyone who said "complementary" (which means "goes well with") when they meant "complimentary" (Free).

A simple strategy: check in on-line as early as possible, and select the most desirable seats available. If you want something else, ask if you can be moved when you get to the airport.

pinkpinkfizz

Gertcha wrote: »

pinkpinkfizz, please don't take this the wrong way. Why should YOU get a free upgrade to a higher class of service than you have paid for?

Well what an eye-opener some of the replies I have received, have been to me! Human nature is such a fickle thing!

I don't assume to be entitled to any upgrades. However I am aware that in certain circumstances, upgrades are/can be available, and I wondered if anyone had previous experience of this. An example was the response I received about the being bumped from my flight and offered an upgraded ticket on the next flight.

It is also helpful to know that joining frequent flyer clubs helps too, Thank you.

Why are so many people so negative with their replies on so many of the forums these days? I usually find that if I have nothing nice to say I just say nothing, perhaps others should do the same if this is not a subject they which to contribute to, in a positve manner.

Thank you.

moonrakerz

granville wrote: »

Probably zero.

Operational upgrades (if any!) will usually be given to holders of full fare tickets and those who belong to the airline's frequent flyer programme and have decent status.

Best way to get upgrades is to join a frequent flying programme and build up miles.

e.g. the join the BA Exec Club and build up miles by using the BA Amex card, and converting Teso Clubcard points to BA miles etc.

If you are paying for full fare tickets out of your own pocket to get BA miles, then you have money to burn !

dzug

I think if you ask for an upgrade it reduces the chances of getting one from near zero to zero. If there is one going, they'll think 'cheeky ******' and give it to the next person in the queue who doesn't ask and who looks suitable.

Tips that increase your chances slightly are - travel alone, dress appropriately, be polite to the checkin clerk, checkin late (but not too late). (The latter reduces your chance of a good seat when (not if) you don't get the upgrade though.) Along with all the frequent flyer stuff.

Gertcha_2

pinkpinkfizz wrote: »

Well what an eye-opener some of the replies I have received, have been to me! Human nature is such a fickle thing!

I don't assume to be entitled to any upgrades. However I am aware that in certain circumstances, upgrades are/can be available, and I wondered if anyone had previous experience of this. An example was the response I received about the being bumped from my flight and offered an upgraded ticket on the next flight.

It is also helpful to know that joining frequent flyer clubs helps too, Thank you.

Why are so many people so negative with their replies on so many of the forums these days? I usually find that if I have nothing nice to say I just say nothing, perhaps others should do the same if this is not a subject they which to contribute to, in a positve manner.

Thank you.

It seems you took it in the wrong way when I asked you not to. I work in the travel industry and know that's it's very nice to be given an upgrade when you don't expect it. (Although it is also extremely rare, even for industry staff nowadays)

I'm not being negative, just asking you to think about why you should be given an upgrade ahead of anyone else on the plane. Also bear in mind that you're not the first person in world to ask for one, the check in staff get asked the same question day in, day out. If you do get one, then great, if you don't, then not to worry, VS still has very good service in economy class. Check out www.vflyer.com for information about Virgin.

Tojo_Ralph

pinkpinkfizz wrote: »

I don't assume to be entitled to any upgrades. However I am aware that in certain circumstances, upgrades are/can be available, and I wondered if anyone had previous experience of this.

In a nutshell, if you are not gold status with BA or on a full fare economy ticket.... Then forget any hope of an upgrade.

What you can do with BA is check in online 24 hours before departure and try to get a decent seat. Again, forget the best seats if you don't have a decent status in the BA frequent flyer programme.

Use www.seatguru.com to find a suitable seat.

pinkpinkfizz wrote: »

Why are so many people so negative with their replies on so many of the forums these days?

I think it's the something for nothing approach, the fact that so many thread OPs ask the same questions..... Thus indicating that the OP cannot be rrrrrsed doing any research themselves ..... And that is not a criticism of you, it's simply an opinion of mine.