La Premiere is amazing due to fact you simply pay or are a top AF customer. My friend only flies on AF and she appreciates that many times the cabin is empty (four seats only)
Be kind when receiving a gate upgrade. Don’t give attitude for not getting a meal choice for obvious reasons. Kindness is also free.
We have noticed a shift in customer behavior, and it is refreshing to see customers the purchase upgrade offers and behave with exitment and grace. Opposite to what most people believe.
I understand that, with hotels, offering free upgrades can be a good business decision because it's easier to sell a base room at the last minute than a suite, so moving someone out of a base room makes that room available for a last minute sale. I wonder if the calculus is different for airlines? Is a business seat or an economy seat more likely to sell at the last minute?
Except, airlines can get the best of both worlds. Hypothetically, an airline has 90 Y and 10 F seats. If they have 90 Y reservations and 6 F, there is no need to move someone to F to open a seat. They can just sell a 91st Y seat. If all Y pax show up, you can then move one to F.
At Delta our mantra is "Protect the Product". Over and Over. Nobody wants to pay thousands for a seat only to be swarmed with back packers and screaming babies that have been upgraded. It will never happen. There is no little to no goodwill created by upgrading someone from coach to Delta One. Ask the Waldorf Astoria if you can have the Presidential Suite since It's empty anyway tonight ......and see if they don't throw you out into the street!
A couple of years ago we were flying in economy on AA. A few days before departure I received an email from AA offering an upgrade at a very attractive price. Much less than the "published" fare difference. I was pleasantly surprised, and free upgrades always escape me due to my lowly gold status, so I bit. Not sure if that was some sort of marketing test?
Instead of free, perhaps there is an incremental revenue opportunity for those empty seats upfront, IF they are priced attractively?
One distinction people are missing about upgrades is whether they are corporate or personal/leisure travelers. I am a corporate traveler and have status with the exception that I'm held hostage to my companies travel policies regarding what class of ticket purchase I am allowed. If the airline wants me to be loyal and win my biz flights/travel then I expect to be upgraded whenever premium seats are available. When I am traveling on personal expense then I should have much less expectations of being upgraded
I think Airlines should distinguish between these types of travelers when determining who gets upgrades etc. Biz travelers should always have priority over leisure travelers in my opinion
I'm sorry, @John V, what? I should expect that when I'm paying my own money for a trip I should have less of a chance of an upgrade than if my employer is paying? What are you smoking? If my butt is in the seat, my status is the same regardless of who is paying. What you're really saying is that you want less competition for upgrades when you're traveling on business. Thankfully the airlines don't think like you do.
It's mainly because if an airline has a reputation that they upgrade people for free frequently, the value in paying for the premium decreases. Also, the 'goodwill' it creates is extremely temporary and most people look back more like they got lucky rather than the airline going out of its way to help them.
If these people are really peeved about this, many airlines have an upgrade bidding system. Just put in the minimum bid and you'll likely be upgraded for much less than at check in or paying for a full ticket.