Hi all, first post on this sub, hope it is appropriate.
Lots of questions about how to get first/business, but my question is about why I was upgraded from economy to business.
I am not a frequent flyer (one or two return flights per year - used to be about 5 a year before kids). I am signed up to all the miles programmes of the airlines I have used.
I live in Luxembourg. I took a return flight with BA from LUX to LHR. Economy class, travelling alone so didn’t bother booking a seat, got assigned a few rows from the back. On the outbound leg, one of the cabin crew addressed me by name and gave me an envelope. In it was a card saying “Congratulations on 10 years with the Executive Club”. Nice little gesture but thought nothing more of it; not life-changing.
On the way back, online check-in didn’t work on a bunch of attempts. Eventually after repeatedly switching between browser and app, workarounds etc., I got the seat assignment, again in economy near the back. 6-hour drive to the airport, during which time I didn’t check my phone. While I was on the shuttle bus from the car hire return to the terminal, I checked the app and my seat number had inexplicably changed to 4A. I thought that sounded suspiciously near the front. Surely too good to be true.
But I went through the airport with no issue (no bag drop so straight to security without interaction with airline staff), my digital ticket worked in the machine to access security, and then it worked to access the super-fast side queue to be first on the plane. Not questioned on the plane, got my business class seat and the free fancy lunch and mini-bottle of wine. Sad that it was only a 45-minute flight!
I didn’t dare say anything on board in case they realised it was some kind of mistake and put me back in economy class. The miles I got were for economy. The flight was pretty full.
Just wondering what reasons there could be for this. Is it a common occurrence? Total error on their part, or related to the 10-year Executive Club thing (though there was no mention of this on the return leg)?
Goes by priority generally. On that flight you were solo, were part of the member program, likely paid full economy and were top of the list of candidates at your level / due to the anniversary.
I’ve been moved to business even at a fairly low tier level to make room for a family. Used to be regularly upgraded on weekends and mid day flights, less higher tier business travellers. Alas flights these days are always full or over booked so it’s far less common than pre Covid.
Other reason on smaller planes to be moved around, as a solo, is balancing. They use solo travellers as the movable weight. Easy to move a solo without causing disruption. Planes can become unstable front to rear. They are broken down into, if I remember right, 3 sections. Too many in economy and it’s unbalanced, they have to move people up front.
Tru said: @Remy
Thanks for the detailed explanation, good to know!
No worries. One other reason. If you fly early in the year and are simply a program member the likelihood of being upgraded is far higher than it would be at the end of the year. Tier status resets back to the previous level attained. End of year you get considerably more people at higher tier levels.
It sometimes happens if you booked full fare economy, even without status. Full fare economy can be expensive, 2x or more the discounted and 3x basic economy. I got an upgrade on Delta, into a lie-flat pod. The lady next to me, too. We chatted about it. The only thing we could figure out was we had paid for what must have been the most expensive of the economy tickets. Such as the vagaries of dynamic pricing.
Honestly I’ve no idea what kind of economy I booked, but I’m fairly sure it would have been the cheapest possible with BA, i.e. no checked baggage, no choice of seat unless you paid, no refund if I cancelled, etc. Like you say, with dynamic pricing maybe I had paid more than others for the same thing.
I Work for an international airline. If flights are over booked, upgrades go to highest status frequent flyers. But sometimes if that isn’t possible, ground staff will choose someone nicely dressed or sindine they think deserves a nice thing. Someond probably took a shine to you at check-in!