Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
- Grand Barong
- Expatriate
- Posts: 787
- Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:49 pm
- Reputation: 623
- Location: QLD
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
I have found the same thing happens to me too, its quite uncanny. I line up at the check in counter for my flight to Phnom Penh and they knew exactly where I was going!phuketrichard wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:48 pmBack in 84, 85 i was flying between HK and Seoul, Tokyo, Taiwan at least 2x/weekFootie fans.
Once a month to either Bali or Bangkok. Than In 86,87 2x/month to Nepal
Always on thai airway's, i'd say 1/3rd of the time i was upgraded. Check in staff at HK knew where i was flying by how i was dressed before i even checked in
It was a pleasure.
Never asked for it and do understand its not just an empty seat that anyone can claim>
They even knew all the other passengers boarding were going there too...
except I didn't get the upgrade...
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 776
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:56 pm
- Reputation: 571
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
I know quite a few cabin crew from various SEA airlines*, and several of them have said that the upgrades go to westerners because they tend to treat the staff better than Asians do. Sure we might have more extreme loud arseholes on rare occasions, but the ones who aren’t are on average a lot more considerate and polite and know how to use “please” and “thank you”, whereas Chinese and even Japanese tend to treat staff like they’re non-persons, or run them ragged demanding stuff when they’re clearly busy elsewhere.Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:06 pmMilk runs/gold runs - of course you were well dressed, that goes with the job. I never considered that as high status. White privilege at best. That's why they hired Europeans.phuketrichard wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:48 pm Back in 84, 85 i was flying between HK and Seoul, Tokyo, Taiwan at least 2x/week
Once a month to either Bali or Bangkok. Than In 86,87 2x/month to Nepal
Always on thai airway's, i'd say 1/3rd of the time i was upgraded. Check in staff at HK knew where i was flying by how i was dressed before i even checked in
It was a pleasure.
Never asked for it and do understand its not just an empty seat that anyone can claim>
* yeah yeah laugh it up, Chuckles
- tightenupvolume1
- Expatriate
- Posts: 2059
- Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:29 pm
- Reputation: 880
- Location: london
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
I always ask. I smile at check in, say good morning/afternoon and then ask politely but so far nothing. I once flew on my birthday and even that did not work. One time I flew on B A UK to Chicago my niece had a friend who worked for BA in the office for £50 she arranged an upgrade. I was told not to ask or say anything and hey presto I was upgraded to 1st class.
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
I have a United credit card, I think it may move me up the priority for free upgrades but I’d guess they only do that once economy is packed.
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
Around 2008 , flying Royal Brunei , waiting to board a flight , on a 767 Boeing , Bandar Seri Begawan to Brisbane,
we were initially delayed for a short time, waiting on the connecting flight from London, to upload for Brisbane leg.
That flight never arrived , so about 30 passengers boarded with full crew.
We had choice of seating , and received the first class menu..
The fillet steak at 36,000 ft , was delicious, almost as enjoyable as the feast served on Royal Thai ,
when flying on the former beloved King's birthday , in early December.
Most airline food is prepared with loads of salt, sugar or spices, as to enhance flavour, lost by human taste buds at high altitude.
we were initially delayed for a short time, waiting on the connecting flight from London, to upload for Brisbane leg.
That flight never arrived , so about 30 passengers boarded with full crew.
We had choice of seating , and received the first class menu..
The fillet steak at 36,000 ft , was delicious, almost as enjoyable as the feast served on Royal Thai ,
when flying on the former beloved King's birthday , in early December.
Most airline food is prepared with loads of salt, sugar or spices, as to enhance flavour, lost by human taste buds at high altitude.
- jaynewcastle
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1151
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:46 am
- Reputation: 342
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
Why some passengers think they have the right to just take higher priced seats without paying for them (because they are empty) is beyond me
- jaynewcastle
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1151
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:46 am
- Reputation: 342
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
These people all got the seat they paid for, and if they weren't such cheapskates, & paid an extra minimal amount, they would have seats in the empty front part of the plane, rather than sitting squashed in the full rear sectionnerdlinger wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 7:13 pm The only times I’ve been upgraded were when I’d spent the extra on refundable tickets when on business.
I have witnessed the policy taken to a slightly daft extreme on a regional Lufthansa* flight - it was one of those ones where you pay an extra €5 to pick your own otherwise identical seat in the front half of the cabin, and literally nobody’d taken them up on it - so we had rows 24-49 completely full and not a soul in 1-23. One fatso struggling in a middle seat moved himself to row 23 after takeoff so he wouldn’t be squashing his neighbours, and the staff made him go back.**
What was even stupider was they also still insisted on closing the mini-curtain above the headrest at row 23/24 so that the poor sods sat in 24 were just sat directly facing a totally unnecessary curtain 2 feet away from their face the whole flight.
It’s like they were going out of their way to make the flight as unnecessarily uncomfortable as possible for everyone as punishment for not paying the extra €5.
* may have been some other German airline, it was a while ago
** I’m aware takeoff weight distribution is a thing, but every other airline I’m aware of lets you move within your class after takeoff
I wonder how many of these cheapskates passengers decided paying an extra £5 on their next flight would be worth it ?
- tightenupvolume1
- Expatriate
- Posts: 2059
- Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:29 pm
- Reputation: 880
- Location: london
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
An extra £5 for a 1st class seat ?
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
Over the past few years I have been very lucky with Qatar Airways, been getting upgraded to Business class on average every 3rd flight, and have used miles to upgrade a few times also, those Q-Suites on Qatar Airways are bloody awesome! In the past have had a few free upgrades with Emirates also, but I much prefer QA.
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 776
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:56 pm
- Reputation: 571
Re: Why don't airlines upgrade you when seats are empty?
The difference in my book is that with actual business class / premium economy, the seats themselves are bigger, more spaced out, nicer. It’s reasonable to charge more for them because they represent a higher investment for the company.jaynewcastle wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:21 pmThese people all got the seat they paid for, and if they weren't such cheapskates, & paid an extra minimal amount, they would have seats in the empty front part of the plane, rather than sitting squashed in the full rear sectionnerdlinger wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 7:13 pm The only times I’ve been upgraded were when I’d spent the extra on refundable tickets when on business.
I have witnessed the policy taken to a slightly daft extreme on a regional Lufthansa* flight - it was one of those ones where you pay an extra €5 to pick your own otherwise identical seat in the front half of the cabin, and literally nobody’d taken them up on it - so we had rows 24-49 completely full and not a soul in 1-23. One fatso struggling in a middle seat moved himself to row 23 after takeoff so he wouldn’t be squashing his neighbours, and the staff made him go back.**
What was even stupider was they also still insisted on closing the mini-curtain above the headrest at row 23/24 so that the poor sods sat in 24 were just sat directly facing a totally unnecessary curtain 2 feet away from their face the whole flight.
It’s like they were going out of their way to make the flight as unnecessarily uncomfortable as possible for everyone as punishment for not paying the extra €5.
* may have been some other German airline, it was a while ago
** I’m aware takeoff weight distribution is a thing, but every other airline I’m aware of lets you move within your class after takeoff
I wonder how many of these cheapskates passengers decided paying an extra £5 on their next flight would be worth it ?
In the Lufthansa case the seats were identical, and the only reason they were “nicer” is that the company had artificially engineered a situation in which the standard passenger experience was more unpleasant than it needed to be. It shows contempt for their own customers to deliberately make an already unpleasant experience even worse just on the off-chance they might be able to squeeze a few pennies more out of them next time.
Last edited by nerdlinger on Tue Feb 01, 2022 4:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 4 Replies
- 1917 Views
-
Last post by fsdfdsdf
-
- 11 Replies
- 1937 Views
-
Last post by pissontheroof
-
- 6 Replies
- 1852 Views
-
Last post by Malone
-
- 3 Replies
- 1992 Views
-
Last post by Alex
-
- 0 Replies
- 829 Views
-
Last post by Anchor Moy
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 307 guests