Flight upgrade: How to get a seat in business class on a long-haul flight
The days of dressing up to get a last-minute seat may be over but there are other ways to get bumped up to the pointy end of the plane.
The days of dressing up for a flight in the hope of scoring a last-minute upgrade at the check-in counter may be long gone but there are other avenues for travellers seeking to be bumped up to business or first class.
Using loyalty points or miles, or bidding for an upgrade are the two best options but even they don’t come with a guarantee of success. It is now all about your frequent-flyer status, the type of ticket you book and the time of year you fly.
Qantas is transparent about how it manages upgrades, revealing that requests through Classic Upgrade Rewards – which allows frequent flyers to use their points or cash to bid for a better seat – have the highest priority. The number of points needed for an upgrade bid depends on how the original fare was purchased.
For example, someone who has booked a Classic Plus reward seat in economy using their points would need a further 109,000 points to upgrade to business on a Sydney-Los Angeles flight. However, that falls to 54,000 points for a customer who has booked and paid for a flexible economy ticket for the flight.
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For the best chance of scoring an international upgrade through Classic Upgrade Rewards, Qantas recommends getting in early, flying off-peak or outside school holiday periods, and considering the type of aircraft used on a particular route. The larger the aircraft, the greater the chance seats will be empty and become available for an upgrade.
Domestic upgrades can be requested through the Qantas app by top-tier frequent flyers from three hours before departure. “Upgrades are one of the most popular ways members choose to use their points and a great way to reward our loyal frequent flyers,” says a spokesman for Qantas.
The next option on the national carrier is what is called Bid Now Upgrades, which allow customers to bid cash or a combination of cash and points to move up the aircraft. And you don’t have to be a Qantas Frequent Flyer.
Air New Zealand also gives travellers the chance to go “one up” in cabin classes, inviting customers to make an offer at least three days before flying. The OneUp scheme means those in economy can make an offer to upgrade to premium economy, and those with a seat in premium economy can try for business.
“Before you fly you simply offer how much you’d like to pay per seat and if the offer is accepted, you move up a cabin class and pay the agreed amount,” says Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty. “If you don’t get the upgrade, you don’t pay a cent.”
For Virgin Australia, upgrades from economy to business class are available from as low as 4900 Velocity points or by placing a bid starting from $65. Those travelling on an economy flex fare could use points or cash to bid, while those who bought an economy lite fare can only use cash. A spokesman says bids can be placed online and if they are successful, customers are notified by email no later than three hours before departure.
“Velocity Platinum members also receive four complimentary upgrade credits a year as part of their member benefits, which can be redeemed when travelling on an economy flex fare, subject to availability,” the spokesman says.
At this time, Velocity points can be used to get an upgrade only on Virgin Australia-operated and marketed flights, not on partner airlines.
There is some reciprocity on airlines that are part of alliances, such as Oneworld and Star Alliance. In the case of the latter, 26 member airlines including Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and United allow points or miles earned on one to be used for reward seats or upgrades on the other, subject to availability.
Oneworld, of which Qantas is a member, is moving down a similar path with a “Oneworld upgrade program”. In the first phase with American Airlines and Qantas, AAdvantage customers can use their miles for upgrades on Qantas-operated flights, including codeshare flights. Later this year it is expected Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to do the same for upgrades on American Airlines-operated flights, with other Oneworld members likely to follow.
Not all of Qantas’s airline partners, such as Emirates, are members of Oneworld, adding to the confusion around points-only upgrades.
Adele Eliseo, a frequent flyer and publisher of travel website The Champagne Mile, says the general rule of thumb for Qantas is “you need to be travelling on a Qantas-operated flight with a Qantas flight number” to be in the running for an upgrade on points.
Ms Eliseo also says that given demand for premium seats, particularly on long-haul international flights, it is not easy to bag an upgrade. Furthermore, airlines tend to prioritise requests for upgrades based on loyalty status and the sort of fare and cabin class originally purchased.
“It can still happen,” she says. “Some airlines will offer upgrades at the gate when you’re checking in, including Qatar. I know when they were flying Adelaide to Auckland, I had an opportunity to nab a QSuite for four hours for an extra $200 so that was a nice surprise, but more and more we’re seeing airlines take a strategic approach to allocate those seats.”
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