Have you ever been upgraded on a flight? Poll results/discussion

kamoha

MUNCHKIN123 wrote: »

My husband was downgraded on a business trip recently!! Booked business class but apparently they had overbooked. He was put into economy which meant he didn't get a meal. He had worked a 10 hour shift (fixing a machine abroad) then driven 2 hours to the airport. He was starving an was relying on his meal to keep him going on the flight home. He asked if he could still have the meal in economy but was told no they didn't serve meals to economy. :mad:

He put his laptop case in the overhead compartment in business class and was told off - he explained he had paid for business class and was told tough. He explained there wasn't any space in the economy bit (he was at the back of the plane and all overhead compartments were full). He was told tough... he wasn't business class because they had moved him!
:eek:
To add insult to injury they refused to refund the difference on the ticket. He tried to fight it when he returned home but was told the T&Cs allowed them to downgrade!! Can't recall the airline but I know he doesn't use them now!! He travels regularly but no longer with this airline.

I think its quite important to actually name and shame these airlines, they don't want to have the bad publicity, I for one would realyl like to know who this is. Business and First cost so much more it's a disgrace to treat your customers that way, please find out and let us know!??! PLEASE!

kamoha

By the way nope never been upgraded ever and I have flown a lot short and long haul (always leisure).

klint

Never been upgraded, but just wondering, is it even possible now that we check-in online and are allocated seat numbers on a website before we even reach the airport?

misssaver12

Upgrading is touch and go for most cases

The airlines look more favourably on those with Loyalty cards and those who work for the company - worth applying for those loyalty cards and banking up the milage
Dressed to impress (no jeans, trainers, need buisness look )
Checking in at the end ( although this may mean the flight is overbooked and you may not get on it) Some airlines will only upgrade if the flight is full, so no upgrades unless you know someone in the industry ( and it only works from the port of depature)
Captain sometime have a lot of choice on who he decided to upgrades on his flight.
If you order a special meal or any 'special requirements' this reduces the chances of being upgraded ( but does assure you of getting a fresher less processed meal and being served food first )
Single travellers increase their chances of being upgraded as its often easier families reduce due to having to split them up.

Chat to the staff onboard and make an impression - my friend and I were moved up to First class on a flight to chat at the bar to the staff and use the facilties and also been moved to buisness class during a flight.

No real definate reason for it - comes down to luck.

Being polite to the check in does increase your chances of a better located seat !

pinkpiggypig

People, if you are lucky enough to get an upgrade please don't shout about it. Those of us who have paid the full whack to travel business or first don't want to know that you didn't. And behave yourselves - legitimate business and first class passengers travel that way for the respite and comfort, not for the unlimited booze. I've seen it enough times - obviously upgraded passengers acting as though it's party time, quaffing as much as they can and disturbing the rest of us. I'm not being snooty about this - the reason that it has become so much more difficult to get an upgrade is because upgraded passengers usually don't abide by business/first class etiquette.

brownbabygirl

pinkpiggypig wrote: »

People, if you are lucky enough to get an upgrade please don't shout about it. Those of us who have paid the full whack to travel business or first don't want to know that you didn't. And behave yourselves - legitimate business and first class passengers travel that way for the respite and comfort, not for the unlimited booze. I've seen it enough times - obviously upgraded passengers acting as though it's party time, quaffing as much as they can and disturbing the rest of us. I'm not being snooty about this - the reason that it has become so much more difficult to get an upgrade is because upgraded passengers usually don't abide by business/first class etiquette.

Hilarious post:rotfl:

brightonman123

gotta laugh at pink piggy, as if he/she was paying their own way!

if so posh, then get your own private jet- 'class' cannot be bought..

brightonman123

another thought.. what extra space/service does one get (*gettting posh now..*) in first, that you dont in business class?

you dont get to destination any quicker, and seems awful lot of money to pay for a fancy seat / meal..

JuliaJolie

I wish....I only travel a few times a year on the same airline, so I don't think I'm SFU ("suitable for upgrade") material.

I did once get upgraded at a hotel in Hollywood a few years ago. I actually asked why :rolleyes: and the lady at the front desk said, "oh, well, you're young, and you're single, so..."

Turns out I was in something called a "cabana suite". The room was nice and everything, but I was surrounded by lots of super-tanned, super-blonde and super-boobed, whining people at a pool. It took me a few minutes to realise that my black-haired, comic book-reading weirdo self didn't quite fit in lol. The same thing happened in New York - a hotel messed up my reservation, so they had a doorman walk me a few blocks to another of their hotels. It was around 1am and I must have been looking pretty pathetic, because I overheard the manager say, "Aw, give her a nice room."

I got a penthouse suite and a cookie

JuliaJolie

pinkpiggypig wrote: »

People, if you are lucky enough to get an upgrade please don't shout about it. Those of us who have paid the full whack to travel business or first don't want to know that you didn't. And behave yourselves - legitimate business and first class passengers travel that way for the respite and comfort, not for the unlimited booze. I've seen it enough times - obviously upgraded passengers acting as though it's party time, quaffing as much as they can and disturbing the rest of us. I'm not being snooty about this - the reason that it has become so much more difficult to get an upgrade is because upgraded passengers usually don't abide by business/first class etiquette.

You know, fare prices change every day. The odds of you and I paying the same price for business or first is highly unlikely. The last time I flew I overheard someone complaining about the cost of their ticket and it was much lower than mine :rolleyes:

And so what if someone was able to treat themselves at a cheaper price/free upgrade and celebrate it? The first time I went to the lounge at Heathrow I was taking pictures (and made money from a few pics, btw), and the next time I was there I saw a woman and her kids take pictures. In my experience it's always been the loudest, most obnoxious businessmen or their loud, obnoxious wives who have been right pains in the !!! as fellow passengers.