I think comparing "first class" in the US to "first class" elsewhere is grossly misleading. What is known as first class in the US (domestically, at least) is equivalent to "business class" in much of the world, and short-haul business class in Europe (in particular) almost always kinda sucks in terms of the hard product on-board.
That being said, I'm also reminded of how Virgin America approached F - they did some op-ups (I was offered one once, gratis, but I was already in F) but otherwise you had to pay for F to get into F.
It cheapens the product, and as is a poor business decision.
Back in the days when qualification was about butt in seat miles I’d get an unexpected upgrade once or twice a year on long hauls as a top tier elite. It was a nice surprise each time but never expected. Still it certainly reinforced my loyalty at essentially no cost. My guess is a little more unexpected surprise and delight would be a good ROI even these days.
Have status and book early to get a bulkhead/bassinet economy seat. Perhaps they've overbooked economy, perhaps they need the bulkhead/bassinet. Maybe you get an op up. Probably not.
The argument of not giving away upgrades for free is sound business. If the airline can sell the seat rather than provide it for free or an operational fraction of the cost, good for them.
The interesting thing this post has me thinking about is the "paid" upgrade via status instruments. My 1k Plus Points upgrades rarely clear. This will likely be the third year in a row I have unused points (I'm aware there are now other uses, but the stated purpose for those is to upgrade). If the biggest incentive for status fails to incentivize travel, folks will go somewhere else more often.
@Ben, I'm curious if you've thought about that line. How much can revenue optimization undermine loyalty incentives before loyalty will no longer be a choice worth making?
A couple years ago I was on an American flight where there was no one left on the upgrade list and there were 3-4 open seats in F. Instead of just letting them go out empty the FAs ran a contest to fill them. It was ridiculous. It's OK if a seat goes out empty once in a while.
I guess I am on the other side of this situation. I have no status with any airline. As part of my award travels, sometimes I end up with a BOS-SFO/LAX on United in economy, connecting to a long haul flight in business. Most of the time, closer to departure, United offers an upgrade to first for $400 - I take them for a 6-hour flight. I guess that means one fewer upgrade available to someone with a diamond-encrusted unobtainium galactic services frequent flyer status. Sorry about that.
@Ben
As part of this discussion, have you ever wondered how many of these "super galactic" frequent travelers are Flying OPM? Without skin in the game. What do they have to bitch about?
As a point of reference, I am lifetime Premier 1K, and a current Senator with LH. As a retiree, I travel as a free agent.
Living in Europe, I don't have a U.S. based mileage plus credit card. So, no deals. I used my other cards with LH. Not mad at UA for their change in philosophy. When working, based in U.S., I rarely didn't get fc upgrade with UA or CO. They change policy. No big deal. I spend my own money now on LH. As a free agent, retired, I get to choose I fly with.
As I said previously, I don"t know who flies OPM. I don't care. But for the ones that do: stop your whining.
As a follow-up, I had a couple of free upgrades to business at the gate on the BOS-FRA nonstop Lufthansa flights. I think I was booked in premium economy, and it was in the second half of the year when I had 5 business trip to FRA. All miles were credited to United, so no status with Lufthansa. The company I work for doesn't pay for business class to Europe, so it was a nice surprise to get a flat bed. Good will is irrelevant - Lufthansa doesn't have a competitor on this route.
I fly long-haul flights in business class only. What I do not get is that on most flights I see unoccupied first class seats, for which I would be willing to pay a (discounted) upgrade, but am never offered it at the check-in.
It's extremely unfortunate but it really feels like you've become an airline and hotel shill. I've been reading you for the better part of 20 years but you didn't use to make excuses for companies screwing over loyal members. Instead you used to call them out. Follow the money I guess.
To cite an example rather than just anecdotes, I am an AA EXP. I spend four figures with them annually on airfare and well into the six figures on their (more profitable to them) credit cards. Yet AA consistently will not show availability for SWU's on flights where there is patently availability showing. And on domestic flights my "free" - a misnomer given what I spend - upgrade is often usurped by someone who rarely flies AA but is offered a $30 upgrade. Your attempts to defend this come up hollow.
I miss when you didn't try to defend indefensible policies. Just say you either don't understand, you disagree, or both. Come back to backing readers rather than corporations. Please.
Oh please, your "spend" (and if not yours than 99% of "elites") is not yours.
Airlines have the right to sell the seat for money instead of giving it to freeloaders whose corporate overlord bought the ticket for them.
"...whose corporate overlord bought the ticket for them."
How do you know that's the case vs. his buying the tickets with his own money?
On top of that, how does the source of his payments have anything to do, whatsoever, with his comments and opinions?
@Alan, I'm Delta Diamond and AA Exec Platinum. This year exactly ONE trip was paid for by someone else. There are a lot of people with high status buying their own tickets.
Airlines are in business to make money. Never give something away for free if you can sell it for cash or points. Top-tier members of the FF program are already a captive audience, so there’s zero commercial benefit to offering them extra sweeteners. Besides which, on a longer flight it’s very pleasant to find oneself in a premium cabin with empty seats. It’s quieter, and the service is better. If you really want to sit up at the front, buy the seat with money or points.
I have silver tier status and am entitled to an upgrade every time I fly. If I don’t get one I’ll be really mad and post about it to my 31 followers on social media. Airlines better be aware.
It makes sense for airlines to offer paid upgrades first to passengers with the highest status and then offer it to other passengers with lesser or no status. If no one is willing to pay, say $400, to upgrade, then the airline can offer paid upgrades at a lower price, say $325, down to a certain price floor. In the end, if there is no passenger willing to pay $325 or $250 or $200 for the upgrade to First, then the airline should just leave the seat empty, as it is clear that no Economy passengers consider First valuable enough to pay for. The price floor would depend on the length of the flight and number of seats in First remaining, etc.
On a side note, I've noticed that it is very hard to book First class tickets on United using [a modest number of] points, whereas it is usually easier to book First class with points on American (e.g. for 25K points one way on select flights).
No upgrades. Pay for your seat. Exception are screw-ups. Its ok if Y or C is full and the C/F has free seats. Stop filling up the front cabins.
What ya'll do in the US doesn't matter for the rest of the planet. One benefit of intra-European C is the distance to fellow passanger. Same for APAC where typically wide bodies are flown. US they put (large) bodies next to you and fill the front, annoying.
It would be totally unfair to passengers who paid full fares to travel business class
If you are flying for work whining that people can buy up for $100, the issue is not with the airline, take it up with your employer.
Today, "loyal" means not most frequent, but OPM flyers with status who dont pay for their tickets anyway.
You seem obsessed with who reimburses the travellers for their flights, and are assuming that all front-of-plane pax are expensing the tickets.
That is utterly irrelevant.
And your ASSumption that all first class flyers are flying on someone else's dime is erroneous. All you're doing is making yourself seem ignorant and biased.
I offer a counter point. It is in the airlines interest to upgrade one or two passengers to a higher cabin if they have never flown the cabin and spending significant money / flying regularly in the airlines. This could be limited and a long term investment for showing passengers what the next higher cabin is like so they will get free sample and later will want to pay for it.
Obviously it makes sense to upgrade only 1 cabin, so Y+ to PY/W, W/PY to J and so on. And priority to people who paid higher fare which is a good signal of them spending more money for better comfort/service.
With the data they have on passengers and AI, this should be fairly easy to implement and hook passengers who have disposable income to pay more in future for higher cabin. Sort of strategic investment for long term.
If someone is not paying for J, then the chances that they will pay for J after getting a free sample is close to zero.
Most people who fly J today, used to fly Y or W before. I am talking about non corporate travelers. The trend in leisure J is going up quite fast. People move up in their income/wealth status and prioritize comfort when they have more disposable income and/or get older. I know many of my friends who used to fly only Y, then tried W a few times and then later J and now they can't imagine travelling long haul in Y anymore.
You just need to get people (especially the ones already paying higher fares not basic/light fares) experience better comfort and service and they will keep coming back for more. I am not talking about people who travel only when necessary and the cheapest fare available.
Untrue. One of my friends who had never flown international J was upgraded once and never flew long haul economy again.
I had a one way Delta One ticket a year or so ago and the long haul portion was ATL- HNL. It was booked 2 days before departure for about 3000 dollars. I was up working for probably 60 of the 72 hours prior to this trip. All I wanted to do was sleep, but NOOOOOOOOO. I was seated in one of the centered aisle seats and upon boarding a child approximately 10 years old sat next to me……ok no big deal……well his parents sat behind me and were so excited that they were randomly upgraded at the gate……ok again, no big deal. Although, this child spent half the flight sprawling out onto my space across the divide, starring incessantly and poking me while crawling over me at least a dozen times to see his mom……needless to say I was pissed galore and his parents could care less on their child’s behavior. His parents allowed it and wouldn’t stop his behavior even though I asked them politely. Finally, I went to FA and they had one PS seat open they let me go sleep and rest in.
If you want to sit upfront, pay for it. If you can’t afford it then I’m sorry, work harder or do something else to make more money. Flying is a privilege and not a right. I’m not saying that this situation may not have happened with paying D1 passengers, but they were clearly upgraded and didn’t respect or understand how to act. Can’t really fault the child, it’s the parents.
"If you want to sit upfront, pay for it."
One of the biggest complaints I'm reading here is that people with loyalty are provided, by the airlines, the means to sit upfront in the form of certificates. That's a form of payment, but then the carriers turn around and, seemingly, disallow the use of these forms of payment.
That's a legit gripe.
At least in the US open premium seats are a rarity. Presumably airlines want people to pay for those seats and at the very minimum award those seats to their FF base prioritizing higher levels and historical spend.
Not to mention that would be additional work on gate staff that are already tasked with clearing standbys and upgrades, checking bags and getting the flight boarded and off the gate by departure time.
Back on NYE 2009 going into NY 2010 I took a QF JFK/LAX/SYD flight on an award ticket. I was AA EXP at the time. Both segments were very light due to it being NYE and the agent at JFK upgraded me into business for both segments. I suspect that NYE 2026 going into NY 2027 would be a very different story.
One of the best aspects of La Premiere with AF is that they do not upgrade business to their first.