Upgrading to Business Class at Check-In

[mattmoore1965x]

Hi, has anyone ever had any luck upgrading to business class at the airport check in?  I’m not on about those mythical free upgrades just by asking, but say paying an extra £1000 last minute as appose to the £2500 extra they wanted when you originally booked?

i’m well travelled, and normally fly business class when I am on business, then economy if I’m just doing something by myself (like a quick trip to Pattaya!) I’ve never asked when checking in, has anybody here done it and did it ever work?

I apologise if this has been answered before on the forum, but I just searched and found thousands of posts on business class, but nothing on upgrading at the check-in.

Edited December 28, 2022 by mattmoore1965x

[Marc5]

In the 90ies it happened to me once a while that I got an upgrade if the flight was overbooked. But als an offer to downgrade from Biz to Eco with a nice financial cash reward. 

But nowadays no chance. You get this funny offers to pay another 600 Bucks for one leg of your flight and enjoy 6 hours in a wider seat. I never took that offer because I am too pragmatic: just thinking how many 9's I can fuck later in Pattaya for that money. 

[Tatanka]

Never been offered an upgrade.

Numerous of times picked out for a bag search.

[Sloracer]

Singapore airlines sends an upgrade offer a couple of days before your flight. I was already booked on business so the offer was for 1st, but not very attractive!!

[The Blue-Eyed Sheikh]

My brother-in-law managed this; he’d done his back in on the family vacation and bought himself an upgrade to business on the return flight. IIRC, it wasn’t a particularly great deal - something like £800 one-way HKT-LHR about 15 years ago. 
 

TB-ES

[MidniteM]

I did with BA on SIN-LHR a couple of years ago.  Can't remember the price, but it wasn't outrageously expensive, or that cheap either.  Maybe it was about 60% of the difference between my economy airfare and the business class airfare.  I just asked the Manager at the service desk.  I tried the same thing on the return flight LHR-SIN and it was fully booked, so couldn't upgrade.

As already mentioned, some airlines will send out an email a week or so before the flight to offer to bid for upgrades, or even to block the seat beside you in economy.

Depending on your route, right now the flights are much more likely to be at full capacity than in 2019.

[bradonw]

You cant ask at check-in desk they have no means to facilitate the change/take payment if you ask they will tell you to leave the line which you just queued to the front of and go to your airlines' admin desk (where you pay excess baggage fees etc...) and ask. 

I have never done it but its all automated on the system now - computer says what the computer says they cant negotiate it or override it or speak to a manager or anything it just gives a price and you either pay or you don't. 

What I can say is I have turned up at these desks to buy a flight leaving immediately and they are never cheap so I doubt the upgrade will be either although the flight could be considered essential and the upgrade optional so they have less leverage just ask when you get to the airport but do it before queueing so you don't queue twice

[Fire Bar Matt]

14 hours ago, mattmoore1965x said:

Hi, has anyone ever had any luck upgrading to business class at the airport check in?  I’m not on about those mythical free upgrades just by asking, but say paying an extra £1000 last minute as appose to the £2500 extra they wanted when you originally booked?

i’m well travelled, and normally fly business class when I am on business, then economy if I’m just doing something by myself (like a quick trip to Pattaya!) I’ve never asked when checking in, has anybody here done it and did it ever work?

I apologise if this has been answered before on the forum, but I just searched and found thousands of posts on business class, but nothing on upgrading at the check-in.

Did it about 6 years ago, dumbest thing I ever did as I can’t ever go back to flying economy now. Three trips this year, all business class and not fucking cheap 555. 
 

As someone posted, if you do want to do this just check with your airlines admin office at the airport you’re flying out of (if there’s one there) before you check in. 
 

What I have noticed on all my flights this year though is that business class has been full or near full every flight. 

[Bonkabit]

15 hours ago, MidniteM said:

some airlines will send out an email a week or so before the flight to offer to bid for upgrades

My experience with two budget carriers flying out of Melbourne to SE Asia:

AirAsia  Deposited $A100 (~2,500 bahts) for upgrade each way, subject to availability. Going out, got upgrade. Returning, no luck. Airline refunded $90 within a week.

Scoot  sent me email, 'How much will you bid to upgrade flight Melbourne-Singapore (minimum $100)? It's a 7-8 hour flight.

I bid $175. Got email day before departure, 'You have upgrade seat number A1.' Excellent.

[momo5]

2 hours ago, Dr No said:

What I have noticed on all my flights this year though is that business class has been full or near full every flight. 

Very true.  I fly Delta One regularly and it’s nearly always full.  Delta does not complementary upgrade or sell discounted last minute upgrades to Delta One (they’d rather fly with the Sears empty than dilute the value of the product), so it seems to me many are ponying up to pay the fares. 
 

Complementary upgrades to first on domestic flights are not as plentiful as they were previously either, despite my medallion status … again, people are paying for the access more than they were before. 

[Shamrocksam]

I got a free upgrade with Emirates in  2016. I was on a 10 day trip to pattaya and I tore the arse out of it. I slept the whole way home.

I also got upgraded on a dubai -Phuket leg on my following trip

I had just got my Emirates silver card , so that might have had something to do with it. 

[Shuggy]

It can be done. I have the mythical free upgrades on Thai, American and Malaysian. The trick is dress well, be friendly, check in early and most importantly ASK!!!

You can also ask at check in if paid upgrades are available. Recently I asked at check in for Thai for a Melbourne to Bangkok flight. Was available for $1200 on top of the $590 I had already paid. I passed. Have previously(pre-covid) asked on Thai, VN and Singapore and was also told that it was available. I took up one offer on Thai which was 17,000bht for a Bangkok to Melbourne.

You can also ask the crew on boarding if paid upgrades are available. Have seen it done on Emirates, Thai and SIngapore.

[snowy34]

I just got a free upgrade to business class last week with Emirates. When I went to board I was told about the flight being full so I was being moved. I am a silver member so that probably helped.

[Atlas]

Hey mate,

Pre pandemic from Pattaya - Brisbane return it was my modis operendi, every flight. 

What I would do is book a normal flight and at check in ask if there were any upgrades available, 90% of the time there was. So instead of paying 4-5K plus by booking it, it would cost me about $800 plus the original ticket, about $700... So a good saving and the only way I could do Business Class.

 

[Bobson VaGene]

6 hours ago, Bonkabit said:

My experience with two budget carriers flying out of Melbourne to SE Asia:

AirAsia  Deposited $A100 (~2,500 bahts) for upgrade each way, subject to availability. Going out, got upgrade. Returning, no luck. Airline refunded $90 within a week.

Scoot  sent me email, 'How much will you bid to upgrade flight Melbourne-Singapore (minimum $100)? It's a 7-8 hour flight.

I bid $175. Got email day before departure, 'You have upgrade seat number A1.' Excellent.

Did you get Flatbed with Scoot or just extra leg room?

An unpleasant experience with Scoot left me determined not to fly with them in standard seats if at all possible

[Bonkabit]

11 hours ago, Bobson VaGene said:

Did you get Flatbed with Scoot or just extra leg room?

Seat lay flat. It was number A1, the most forward place in the front cabin of a Boeing Dreamliner. Think I had an afternoon forty winks.

Price included increased baggage allowance (my suitcase is normally 17-18kg plus small carry-on bag) and a decent meal.

In Singapore I changed to a flight to Bangkok, less than two hours flying time, so Economy Class was OK. 

I am 183cm/6 feet tall; budget carrier is just too squashy for a long flight.

But Economy is OK on e.g. ThaiAir, Singapore and Qantas; if I have enough reward points I upgrade to Business Class on overnight flights. To pay cash for the full extra cost is just not a good use of funds for me; I'd rather stay in a better hotel and/or stay longer once in LoS.

SeatGuru web site shows seat size etc for most airlines and planes.

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Bonkabit

[RRosenberg]

I get upgraded quite a lot with Emirates as the route I fly is very busy and economy is generally full. It's clearly overbooked on purpose (as with most airlines) then they bump based on airline status.

However, you don't know that you've been upgraded until the boarding gate where they exchange your ticket and simply say 'you've been upgraded'. 

I've never yet had all of the journey upgraded though, its usually one leg each way.

 

 

[semi-retired member]

17 hours ago, Shamrocksam said:

I had just got my Emirates silver card , so that might have had something to do with it. 

Agreed, I got a similar upgrade on Qatar, many years ago, just after moving-up to Silver.

I think they want to show what you're missing, in case you're rich enough to purchase Business-class again with real money, I'm not (or maybe I'm too cheap !). 😎

[ronthebrummie]

On my November trip with Qatar had email couple of days before offering upgrade for daft money on one leg MAN/DOH think about £500??, couple in departure had bought it paid best part of a £1k for 6 hours.

Nah not for me.

[Laid Back Larry]

On 28/12/2022 at 13:36, mattmoore1965x said:

Hi, has anyone ever had any luck upgrading to business class at the airport check in?  I’m not on about those mythical free upgrades just by asking, but say paying an extra £1000 last minute as appose to the £2500 extra they wanted when you originally booked?

i’m well travelled, and normally fly business class when I am on business, then economy if I’m just doing something by myself (like a quick trip to Pattaya!) I’ve never asked when checking in, has anybody here done it and did it ever work?

I apologise if this has been answered before on the forum, but I just searched and found thousands of posts on business class, but nothing on upgrading at the check-in.

It has happened to me the airline has offered a discounted upgrade to anyone willing, in order to solve an over booking in economy. I took advantage of it., this was not to LOS though.  It is a matter of priorities, timing and planning, but I usually look for business class tickets at this time in June/ July for holiday in LOS and see if I can find a good deal, for the case that I pay myself. It varies from year to year and throughout the season, right now Turkish Airlines offer Business class for the equivalent of 1500 USD. Sometimes Finnair has good deals.  As said, its a matter of prioritizing what  you spend your money on,  once a year is a bloody nice treat to oneself to start the holiday and no need for sleep rectification upon arrival, can hit the bars running.

[Judge Dredd]

Well this is a coincidence. I was reading this thread before getting on my flight for Thailand (Cathay Pacific, premium economy) got to the gate and the gave me a new boarding pass for business class. As others have said it must be something to do with my one world alliance sapphire frequent flyer status 

[Rocketboy]

On 29/12/2022 at 15:33, Shuggy said:

The trick is dress well, be friendly, check in early and most importantly ASK!!!

I retired four years ago as a Delta Airline ticket and gate agent and that dressing well "trick" ain't happening....we know all the "tricks"! 555 The asking, sure you can ask. But in my experience it ain't hardly going to happen either!

 

There are customers who have status at Delta and other airlines. Those folks if not already in Business/First Class are usually on the list for upgrades so chances are even slimmer. 

 

On 29/12/2022 at 15:33, Shuggy said:

 

You can also ask the crew on boarding if paid upgrades are available.

Once again at Delta and other American airlines that I'm familiar with that ain't likely to happen either.

 

Flight attendants usually don't have the capability or time to be bothered with that!

[stevole]

I was upgraded to business class on Korean Air from Bangkok to Incheon.  They apologized to me for not being able to give me a boarding pass for a connecting flight on the same ticket.  I have often wondered, if that had anything to do with the upgrade.

[mughat]

I sure would like to know the game behind the free upgrades as well... they do seem quite random.

The very first time I flew with Qatar Airways I was handed a 1st Class boarding card at the gate, on the DIA-BKK leg. Not a member of their FF-programme, and no status with Oneworld to speak of either. Not in any way dressed out of the ordinary, but I was not wearing sandals.

Pre-Covid; As a Gold status holder with Flying Blue, I've never received free upgrades. I did ask for the plane's purser for any free seats and if possible to facilitate a paid upgrade - right after boarding. Paid 500 euro for AMS-BKK. This was possible more than once.

I haven't been on any long haul flights with KLM since early 2020, so will be interesting to see if this an option come next time.

[Warlord123]

My last trip to Thailand was 2019.was leaving Bangkok heading  for dubai then Dublin with Emirates.at the airport I held the door open for a thai man and woman thinking nothing off it .was in my economy queue as normal .I could see the buisness checking desk to my left and there was a man staring at me .he waited til I was nearly checking in and walked over picked my case up and walked me to the buisness check in.he was the man I held the door open for lol.i got a free upgrade on an a380 to dubai buisness class