Free upgrade to first class Etihad Airways

[ryro88]

My friend just landed back in the UK and he just informed me that he was upgraded to first class for free for no other reason than he asked! obviously he was lucky and this ain't a run of the mill thing with all airlines but it just goes to show if you don't ask you don't get, worth a try next time you are going on a long haul flight guys

[cornishcarlos]

Always ask.. Always get a polite smile and a NO

[petermik]

Dreamland ????????

[jbrain]

Always ask.. Always get a polite smile and a NO

Really, I always get upgrade to first class and sometimes get " special care taking " from the female flight attendants as well

[lomatopo]

Was your friend upgraded on BKK-AUH? AUH-LHR? Both?

what class of service was he ticketed in? Coral? Pearl?

Believe EY only operates two class (economy and business) between BKK and AUH.

Op ups - economy oversold - are not unheard of; usually go to frequent fliers. Was his CoS oversold?

[ryro88]

Not sure tho I will find out for you buddy. I do know he flew into Dublin.

[ragandboneman]

Ye I believe in santa as well !!

Tell your mate to up his medication it's needed !!

[Naam]

Believe EY only operates two class (economy and business) between BKK and AUH.

correct! no first class on this sector.

[Baerboxer]

Believe EY only operates two class (economy and business) between BKK and AUH.

correct! no first class on this sector.

Indeed. The same Etihad that want to charge $25 extra for sitting in a emergency exit seat to get the extra leg room. A few months ago they were emailing loyalty card holders booked in economy and asking if the wanted to "bid" in an auction for an upgrade. That was on AUH - BKK.

Maybe this was an Eid present? I did read some blurb saying that Pearl class booking could be upgraded on flights to London a while back - free for some promotion or other.

[transam]

Perhaps your pal meant business class. Perhaps with all the glasses Champers and pampering he thought he was in first class.

[Lammbock]

When I fly first class I usually get an upgrade to Pilot.

[snake24]

I wonder if it works on cathay pacific the flight j was on was pretty empty and it was so good entire row was empty for me.

[taotoo]

It won't.

[mrtoad]

The auction upgrade is not worth it, well over priced. I took an upgrade earlier in the year, paid 300 quid at the counter in Heathrow and went into Biz.

I think frequent flyers will always get priority on upgrades, so it's worth using the same airline for this reason.

[moe666]

I get upgraded all of the time but it costs me miles.

[IMA_FARANG]

I have no idea if it really happened or not.

I do know that in 30 plus years of flying into and out of Thailand just ONCE did I get a FREE upgrade to Business Class.

At one time I was flying into and out of Thailand (in the days of Don Mueng) 2 or 3 times a year.

It happened on a Japan Air Lines flight through Narita back to the U.S.

It was due to one JAL flight being canceled and combined into another JAL flight. Every seat was full because of those two flights being combined into one.

They did a random drawing by name from the passenger manifest of the 'cattle class" passengers for the 5 available business class seats .... and I was one of the chosen ones.

You could have knocked me over with a feather, I seldom "win" anything.

I've flown business class before, either by paying or by mileage upgrades on other airlines, but only that once in about roughly 100 flights did I get a FREE upgrade.

So that's how rare it can be.

Unfortunately the upgrade was only for the Bangkok to Narita leg.

I guess as some kind of compensation, perhaps because every seat was full, they did have the chef from first class come into the business class area and do a demonstration of "carving" the roast for dinner .... putting on a show with carving knives and all that for the passengers.

That was in the days when security wasn't the "pain in the ---" they are now, and they used real carving knives.

[richard_smith237]

The Etihad BKK-AUH / AUH-BKK route only operates Economy and Business...

However, my Wife and I were upgraded from Business to First on this sector a few months back - only two of us in First (we are both top tier FF members, so maybe that was why we were chosen).. A plane with 3 classes had been put on due to a tech fault in normal plane for this route (one which has a 2 Class configuration).

Thus its possible - The problem is, after being spoilt that much on a nice wider, longer, softer bed, with Pyjamas.... flying even in Business Class will feel like roughing it.. It was a very pleasant experience, I slept for about 90% of the leg.

[josephbloggs]

Was your friend upgraded on BKK-AUH? AUH-LHR? Both?

what class of service was he ticketed in? Coral? Pearl?

Believe EY only operates two class (economy and business) between BKK and AUH.

Op ups - economy oversold - are not unheard of; usually go to frequent fliers. Was his CoS oversold?

I was upgraded from business to first for the AUH - LHR leg of a trip from Bangkok to England last year. No idea why - it was my first time flying with them - but I did rather enjoy the experience. Was also upgraded from Business to First without asking on British Airways from London to Bangkok a few years ago. Again, it was my first time flying with them.

Not sure about getting it just by asking though.

[erkho]

It's 100% likely that happened. My father was an intl pilot, capt 747....sing air, Korean and ended with Cathay. They have in some locations with certain airlines what they call "gate upgrades" if you have a Econ. ticket you paid 36k baht for and pre booking that same flight would have been lets say 100k for first.....believe it or not if you go to check in with your Econ ticket and AT THE GATE ask if first class is full, if that airline allows "gate upgrades" they will bump you to first for a truly meager fee, say 10k. An even better approach, if you know the airline offers gate upgrades, board the flight look into or walk up and peek into first.....first class is always boarded ahead of the "cattle call" so should be full or a seat or two may be available....if that's the case tell them you requested a gate upgrade and they told you first was booked and you see seats....99% of the time they will move you up and maybe say you can pay the upgrade at the destination.....just be the most pleasant non demanding gracious person ever and the likelihood of your card being swiped for that upgrade is almost nil. Folks, that's the gods honest, I've been doing it for the last 22 years after reaching the max. age allowance of 22....usually 18 to get family member discount but they allow up to 22 year olds if enrolled full time in university....

[lomatopo]

Folks, that's the gods honest,

Without a lot more details re: exact carriers, routing/day of travel, CoS, booking code I'll have to challenge you on this.

Yes, many carriers offer employee, relative, buddy-pass, retiree travel benefits which vary greatly but are generally subject to availability.

Some/many airlines have to OpUp pax from Y to J and J to F to accommodate oversell situations, or even accommodate their own or a partner's IRROPS. Op Ups generally go to single pax who are FFP members.

Some/many airlines do have Buy Ups, whereby one can purchase a stand-by upgrade at check-in. For example TG have a published schedule.

Most airlines, or their local ground agent service providers, have automated procedures - which are difficult to overwrite, and are subject to subsequent audit - to manage int'l departures wait-lists (Departure Management systems), which at T-24 typically shift to local airport control.

Upgrading a non-FFP pax from economy to first (bypassing business on 3-class metal) without any other extenuating circumstances is a recipe for disaster. Said beneficiary ends up bragging about to his seat-mate (or to the unwashed masses on public forums) - who paid 150,000 baht for his seat and is a loyal customer - which then p*sses off the loyal customer. It's all about "protecting the integrity" of the product, and anyone with even a passing familiarity with SQ or CX would be familiar with this concept/practice.

[Aussieroaming]

Damn....

I flew back to BKK and business class was over-booked and I had to accept a "voluntary downgrade" to economy, even though I had a full price business class ticket.

They told I would still get the business class catering.

When I got on the plane the economy class purser kindly informed me that they don't do cross cabin catering.

An hour out of Bangkok they gave me a wine glass to drink the sh*t economy class red wine...thank you thank you

When we landed they refused to let me exit with business class.

Maybe I'll get an upgrade one day...and I'm a gold card frequent Flyer.

I fly business class with them every 5 weeks and my partner normally joins me....so much for the loyalty factor. I'm going back to Singapore Airlines.

[lomatopo]

^ Uhm, that sounds like an "involuntary" downgrade.

Been know to happen on TG when VIPs show up, and move members of their retinue booked in Economy or Business, up to join them in Business or First, and unceremoniously dumping full-fare business or first pax to the rear or off the plane entirely when they complain. (Some have even been threatened with police action if they fail to move rearwards.)

[erkho]

I had no idea my comments would ever cause a carrier loss of revenue. For the record I have never even attempted upgrading myself or asking on an international flight. My experience is entirely American based cross country from Seattle to Orlando with a stopover in St. Louis worked everytime I took that route. It was great. I don't think I would have the guts to even try it internationally. I might try it on an American carrier or an airline where the crew was English first language, why not?

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