Every so often I see a frequent flyer express frustration online about not receiving a free upgrade to an empty premium seat. Some airlines have published complimentary upgrade programs, but I’m referring to situations where an upgrade isn’t a perk of elite status.
For example, a Delta Medallion reader shares taking a transatlantic flight where half the business class seats were empty. While he recognizes that Delta’s policy is to only offer complimentary upgrades on select flights within North America, he’s confused by the business sense of this. Why not make your best customers feel appreciated for their loyalty, because what’s the real cost of doing so?
I thought that would be a fun topic to discuss…
In this post:
Airlines have published upgrade procedures
Airline upgrade policies vary greatly around the globe. For example, in the United States it’s pretty standard for elite members to be eligible for complimentary space available upgrades on select routes. Meanwhile at most airlines in Asia and Europe, there’s no such thing as an unlimited complimentary upgrade program.
Obviously there are other ways that upgrades happen as well. Sometimes it’s possible to redeem miles or upgrade certificates for upgrades. Other times airlines will sell upgrades prior to or during check-in. Other times airlines will offer operational upgrades, which are in situations where economy might be oversold, while there are empty seats in business class.
However, almost across the board, airlines follow published procedures a lot more closely than in the past. Back in the day, frontline airline employees had tons of discretion when it came to who they could upgrade, and under what circumstances. From upgrading friends and family, to upgrading people they might be flirting with, there were a lot of shenanigans and little accountability.
With technology having improved and most upgrades now being automated, frontline employees have very little discretion when it comes to upgrades. It’s common for airlines to audit upgrades, and an employee could be punished if they upgrade someone in a way that’s not in line with the carrier’s policies.
Upgrading people for free creates goodwill
I can appreciate the argument in favor of providing complimentary upgrades on more routes when there are empty seats. If a seat would otherwise go out empty, it’s a sunk cost at that point. The incremental cost of upgrading someone to a premium cabin is next to nothing, as the airline can no longer monetize that premium seat.
If you’re a frequent flyer and ever travel in long haul economy, surely you’ve boarded and hoped for an operational upgrade. And if you were to receive an upgrade like that, you’d no doubt have a very favorable feeling toward the airline at that point.
So I can appreciate why people say that more complimentary upgrades would create goodwill, as that’s almost certainly true.
Free upgrades are a slippery slope
Why don’t airlines provide free upgrades anymore? Simply put, because at some point it dilutes the product. Look at what has happened to domestic first class in the United States.
For as long as I can remember, airlines have been offering free space available upgrades to first class. Unfortunately the quality of first class within the United States also isn’t great, when you compare it to what you’ll find elsewhere in the world.
For years US airlines had a major issue — people viewed first class as an “upgrade class” of sorts, and that made it hard to justify paying for it when you could get it for free. This is a trend that airlines have reversed in recent years, as we’ve seen airlines get much better at monetizing premium cabins.
Airlines have started pricing first class more reasonably, and offering more pathways to upgrade beyond just complimentary space available upgrades. To go along with that, we’ve seen airlines hugely increase the percentage of first class seats that they sell. For example, in 2011, Delta only sold around 31% of its first class seats. Now that number is closer to 90%. That’s a pretty remarkable transformation.
While the goal is of course to maximize revenue, the long term way in which that’s being accomplished is by conditioning people to once again expect to pay for domestic first class, rather than expect an upgrade to it.
This same principle applies when it comes to long haul flights on US airlines (where complimentary upgrades generally aren’t offered), or on all flights on most other airlines (where complimentary upgrades just aren’t a thing).
If you think you’re going to be able to score a complimentary upgrade, why would you bother paying for the seat? Rather many of us would just strategically book the flights that we think give us the best odds of an upgrade.
In the past we’ve seen airlines sometimes have “surprise & delight” upgrade campaigns, where there was an unpublished policy of upgrading elites on long haul flights under certain circumstances, even without an operational need. While I think a gesture like that is fantastic, the problem is that at some point it also creates expectations.
If an airline upgrades you once, you’ll probably be disappointed if you take the same route again and circumstances are similar, yet you don’t get an upgrade.
Lastly, on some level providing complimentary upgrades probably doesn’t make those who paid a lot of money for those seats feel great. Admittedly there are always going to be some sort of policies in place for upgrades, but many take issue with others getting something for “free” when they spent a lot for it.
Bottom line
All airlines have official policies as to when they’ll upgrade loyalty program members. Unless an airline has a complimentary space available upgrade program in place, expect that you’ll only receive a free upgrade if it’s for operational reasons (like if economy is oversold).
Ultimately airlines don’t just upgrade loyal flyers unless it’s a published benefit, in order to avoid revenue dilution. If someone knows they can get an upgrade for free, they’re less likely to pay for it. Furthermore, knowing that something is just being given away to others likely won’t make those who paid cash feel great.
Where do you stand on airlines providing free upgrades to empty seats, aside from published policies? Should it happen more often?
Some airlines have a bidding system where passengers can bid for an upgrade and if they win the upgrade their credit card is charged.
I am a 1K on UA (lifetime) I used to get the upgrade almost all of the time. Then UA decided to monetize the F/C domestic product. If you are a bit flexible, in time of day you Can usually purchase F/C for a very reasonable price, often less than the cost of coach on the more popular flight before. I have that flexibility and just buy First almost all of the time. It takes...
I am a 1K on UA (lifetime) I used to get the upgrade almost all of the time. Then UA decided to monetize the F/C domestic product. If you are a bit flexible, in time of day you Can usually purchase F/C for a very reasonable price, often less than the cost of coach on the more popular flight before. I have that flexibility and just buy First almost all of the time. It takes the guess work out of the process. It's amazing how many under $500.00 flights in First in today's world that used to be priced over $1,500 -$1,800 and went to upgrades.
So, Ben good job on this article. It's all about revenue even if there are empty seats in premium class. I remember the days that elites did not book business class on international flights because they counted on getting day of flight upgrades.
But one suggestion that KLM used to do in the past was to offer random passengers without regard to their elite status an upgrade at a very nominal cost 50-70 euros....
So, Ben good job on this article. It's all about revenue even if there are empty seats in premium class. I remember the days that elites did not book business class on international flights because they counted on getting day of flight upgrades.
But one suggestion that KLM used to do in the past was to offer random passengers without regard to their elite status an upgrade at a very nominal cost 50-70 euros. This was very good for promoting the airline positively. I happened to take advantage of thos situation 3 times on KLM from AMS-TLV when I was Northwest Platinum where there was no benefit for any other upgrade opportunity on Int'l flughts.
The a sweet is pretty simple . Airlines would be actually discográfica people from paying for their product.
In the US all three of the majors offer complimentary upgrades to all elite levels, assuming-a big assumption, there's open seats. Not sure why one would expect an airline to give away a first class seat to a flyer that isn't generating at least some amount of revenue.
How are seats assigned for crew and their families flying for leisure or deadheading?
I started flying extensively for work back in the mid 90 (done hundreds of flights, mostly with BA). I’d say I’d get upgraded on every third or fourth flight on average. Over the last 15+ years I was probably upgraded once, by a lovely Cathay agent. It seems that at least flying out of Australia, that’s no longer a thing. Most premium seats sell and there is always a waiting list for paid upgrades.
I agree with all what you said Ben, but in all honesty, this is also true for hotels and hotels do upgrade. I think the fundamental difference is the difference in willingness to pay for an airline upgrade vs a hotel upgrade.
For airlines, there is a willingness to pay from business travellers to get a better rest and save on work time. For hotels, this almost doesn't exist and you could argue that people...
I agree with all what you said Ben, but in all honesty, this is also true for hotels and hotels do upgrade. I think the fundamental difference is the difference in willingness to pay for an airline upgrade vs a hotel upgrade.
For airlines, there is a willingness to pay from business travellers to get a better rest and save on work time. For hotels, this almost doesn't exist and you could argue that people who need a suite are rather families who would have otherwise paid for two rooms.
Bottom line, what I'm trying to say is: airline upgrades is a need for some who are really willing to pay, while hotel (or car rental) upgrades are just commonly seen as a perk.
There are Ways to upgrade internationally, if empty seats. Use a SWU or use miles and copay.
Why don't they offer bidding on the empty premium seats--like cruise ships and other airlines do??? vs going out empty and No revenue
I wonder why flying economy continues to be even less comfortable? Sure airline travel costs a lot less than during the so-called "golden age of air travel," half a century ago. While airlines say flying in coach costs a bit less than, say, 15-25 years ago, I think that's debatable, because seat pitch was longer, food and checked baggage were included in the ticket, and changing flight dates was free of charge –all in all,...
I wonder why flying economy continues to be even less comfortable? Sure airline travel costs a lot less than during the so-called "golden age of air travel," half a century ago. While airlines say flying in coach costs a bit less than, say, 15-25 years ago, I think that's debatable, because seat pitch was longer, food and checked baggage were included in the ticket, and changing flight dates was free of charge –all in all, it was a better travel experience. Current ancillary costs and restrictions may make more economic sense for airlines and the public but no wonder flying is more stressful for both airline staff and passengers (and there are more cases of air rage than years ago), and many flyers often try to sneak cabin luggage that is bulkier and heavier than allowed.
Imagine if restaurants, coffeeshops, stores, amusement parks and other consumer experiences involving customer service had gone the airline path.
It may be that airlines in the America used to price the first class seats on domestic way too high and they would award elite travelers complimentary upgrades as to not less those seats go to waste and to create loyalty. Now, they have gotten better at monetizing those cabins so they must slowly get travelers conditioned to pay for those ‘premium’ seats again but yes it would sorely put a damper on the elites...
It may be that airlines in the America used to price the first class seats on domestic way too high and they would award elite travelers complimentary upgrades as to not less those seats go to waste and to create loyalty. Now, they have gotten better at monetizing those cabins so they must slowly get travelers conditioned to pay for those ‘premium’ seats again but yes it would sorely put a damper on the elites who have been used to it for so many years.
Being loyal to a FF program sure gets us to do irrational things so get off the automatic hamster wheel. I think it still makes sense to be a part of the FF programs but be reasonable about it and have common sense about it. Be loyal to it where it makes sense for you or works for you but not only because you want to accumulate miles, loyalty points, segments, etc.
Can you do a post about how they think about award tickets at saver levels then? Seems to have the same philosophy. You want to have some to have good customer relations but better to price em like skypesos. Why do some airlines open seats when Delta gets away with insane awards and making billions from Amex?
Restaurants don't give away their food at the end of the day...neither should airlines with their product. You need to pay to play end of story. Entitled travelers are nauseating
So if a 787 is half full in business class and the agent gives 20 passengers a complimentary upgrade what happens to the meal service?Most airlines don’t cater for a full flight if the planned load is half that. So are the flight attendants supposed to go around the cabin and identify who gets a business class meal and who gets one from premium economy or even economy? That would be a great meal service....
So if a 787 is half full in business class and the agent gives 20 passengers a complimentary upgrade what happens to the meal service?Most airlines don’t cater for a full flight if the planned load is half that. So are the flight attendants supposed to go around the cabin and identify who gets a business class meal and who gets one from premium economy or even economy? That would be a great meal service. What about a domestic flight that has enough meals on board but by the time they get to my row the only choice is a gluten free tofu casserole because all the freeloaders took the short ribs?What if the freeloaders drink all the good champagne? (In this situation we would obviously not be riding on American.). I am supposed to drink beer with my tofu? What if there are not enough amenity kits on board? Am I going to have to sit near someone that hasn’t brushed their teeth in over ten hours? This idea has crisis written all over it.
And you just know that the gluten-free tofu casserole will have a kale and raw broccoli salad to go with it, and a vegan cheese plate to finish. Gross.
As a vegan, I am impressed that in your scenario they haven’t forgotten to load the VGML
As a former FA, we only had so many meals to serve in F/J class. Gate agents did not to board too many as we may not be able to provide a true “upgraded” service.
I think that airlines should bump up high level frequent flyers on international flights specifically because they have largely destroyed consistent domestic upgrades. If upgrades are gone, what good is elite status when you can get many of the benefits just by having a credit card? International upgrades would mitigate that damage.
You are correct. But, the reality is that tier benefits have become mostly not realizable. Airlines and hotels. And, it's not going to change. It's going to continue on the same path. The programs have no incentive to change. People need to view these programs in terms of the pure dollar value of points. That's it.
Lufthansa somehow manage to create disappointment even with their upgrades, kicking elites out of exit row aisle seats and placing them in 3F or something with a Heimat meal as a consolation prize.
Did the "Delta Medallion" passenger have their request for a points upgrade declined, or did they get a glimpse at those empty seats up the front and get their sense of entitlement all butt-hurt? The passengers who paid for the big seats with their cash or points probably enjoyed the quiet, half-empty cabin. Let's keep it that way - end the "I'm special, I deserve a free reward!" upgrade culture.
I have regularly paid cash for F and haven't cared a bit how any of the other F passengers get there. It hasn't affected my experience in the least.
F and J are arguably quite different. While I've never had a chaotic F flight, i have had many in J which were less than desirable due to others in the cabin
A full F or J cabin does affect the quality of service and wait/cleanliness of the lav.
I pay for my F/J seat. I despise it when someone who didn't pay for it gets the seat next to me. Oh, and my incoming flight is delayed and they put me in Y because the already gave away F/J seats? Ridiculous.
#1 -- If you look at airline financial statements, the value of points are categorized as a liability for "prepaid future travel" or a similar term. That's because a cash ticket includes both the current flight and a future award flight using the points earned on the current flight. The cost of the award flight is embedded in the purchase and IT IS PAID FOR. #2 -- I regularly pay for F and I delight...
#1 -- If you look at airline financial statements, the value of points are categorized as a liability for "prepaid future travel" or a similar term. That's because a cash ticket includes both the current flight and a future award flight using the points earned on the current flight. The cost of the award flight is embedded in the purchase and IT IS PAID FOR. #2 -- I regularly pay for F and I delight seeing award ticket travelers realizing a dream. #3 -- Get over yourself.
At the same time US airlines are going extra J heavy on wide-bodies, the economy is slowing down. You are going to see more empty seats and no one willing to pay for or paid upgrade to those seats.
Disagree. Airlines dynamically price to fill their cabins. They can cut capacity to control load factors. The days of 60 or 70% percent load factors for a quarter are history.
Can the same be said for hotels? All major hotel chain have suite upgrade clauses for elites.
In the end, the owners are tight-fisted and don't get the concept of goodwill. I've had far better experience being loyal to individual independent properties. They truly appreciate it and they let you know. The value of perks significantly exceeds at lack of points earning.
I'm not sure what to think about this statement: "Unfortunately the quality of first class within the United States also isn’t great, when you compare it to what you’ll find elsewhere in the world." First Class in Europe is business class and, as you pointed out many times, it's just an economy class seat with a blocked middle seat and some food plated in China/glass ware. So what do you expect? US airlines are focusing...
I'm not sure what to think about this statement: "Unfortunately the quality of first class within the United States also isn’t great, when you compare it to what you’ll find elsewhere in the world." First Class in Europe is business class and, as you pointed out many times, it's just an economy class seat with a blocked middle seat and some food plated in China/glass ware. So what do you expect? US airlines are focusing on space; EU airlines are focusing on food quality/travel experience. Neither is going to give economy passengers a free upgrade passes because- as you rightly say - it would devalue Business/First Class. The one thing that values business/regular travellers most is having a free seat next to them. Yet it seems that airlines (both in the US and in EU) haven't been able to figure out the IT requirements to make that happen. It would make me want to be Super Premium Plat Plus Executive Member if I knew the airline would do all efforts of keeping the seat next to me empty instead of upgrading me to a middle economy premium seat.
You beat me to it. Domestic First class in the states is definitely superior to the equivalent Business class in Europe for me. Much nicer seat which is the priority for me as I am over 6”. Food is hit or miss on both sides of the Atlantic but I would give the edge to European carriers.
Lufthansa group does reserve a free seat next to their SEN/HON in Economy class (as long as the flight is not fully booked.)
When checking in for a LH flight, my colleagues see less available seats on their seatmap than I do, e.g. the first couple rows of Economy show occupied for them (but not for me) and the seat next to me shows to be occupied even when it is not. (During online check in, I have the possibility to seat them next to me but not vice versa).
I honestly can't see how US First class, usually consisting of literal peanuts, is better than European business which, even on the worst carriers, includes lounge access and proper food. Yes, the seat is smaller but that's rarely something I care about on a 2 hours flight and the empty middle seat actually gives me more separation from the person next to me (which is what really matters on a short flight) than the US style First.
It’s all subjective. I also prefer European business class (with lounge access, good food onboard etc) to US-style first class (bigger seat but that’s it).
I'm happy with Australian domestic business class. Bigger seats, lounge access and [usually] good food on board. But the prices!! And if you want an upgrade to get there, you need to spend points for that.
An empty seat next to me is a perk whether in Economy or Flagship First. In the latter, the emptier the cabin is, the better my experience is, as fewer passengers vie for the attention of crewmembers. The cabin is quieter. So on and so forth.
Having said that, I support empathetic airline policies. The whole world needs more empathy, desperately. If there are empty seats and somebody boards with a visible physical disability, or...
An empty seat next to me is a perk whether in Economy or Flagship First. In the latter, the emptier the cabin is, the better my experience is, as fewer passengers vie for the attention of crewmembers. The cabin is quieter. So on and so forth.
Having said that, I support empathetic airline policies. The whole world needs more empathy, desperately. If there are empty seats and somebody boards with a visible physical disability, or something like that, the crew should be empowered to offer a free upgrade.
The disabled person is expecting something for nothing, then? Reasonable accommodation doesn't mean they get the best seat in the house for free because they're disabled.
UHNW did not say the disabled person was expecting it. This is NOT about entitlement. UHNW said it would be the airline that offers it. It's the airline's seat to do with it as it wishes. Do you feel somehow cheated?
My mom flew her last flight recently. She doesn't wish to do it again nor will she be changing her mind. I can't imagine anyone would want to see an 86 year old woman hobbling to the back on a 45 min. domestic route, but you never know. I did let them know that she is handicapped. No. Not the kind of terrible awful disability from youth or birth, just old age really can't get around well kind.
+1.
It's thousand unbelievable when you pay thousands of dollars for a domestic first ticket and your flight is 50% empty but everybody is upgraded up front so you end up with slow service, lines in bathroom, noisy cabin, etc. while economy class is more than 50% empty (after the upgrades) and the people who paid less are the ones to get a much better experience than what they paid for. Very similar experience on...
+1.
It's thousand unbelievable when you pay thousands of dollars for a domestic first ticket and your flight is 50% empty but everybody is upgraded up front so you end up with slow service, lines in bathroom, noisy cabin, etc. while economy class is more than 50% empty (after the upgrades) and the people who paid less are the ones to get a much better experience than what they paid for. Very similar experience on long hauls given the amount of free upgrade coupons they give out.
That's one of the many reasons I only buy premium tickets from non-North American airlines when it's a route with that option. That way I've had many great flights with lightly booked business class, something you would rarely see on a US carrier.
Also, as a result premium classes in the US cater to people who don't pay for them (they are skimpy on food, which is universally bad and with bad wines, lounge isn't even included in the ticket, service is very basic and perfunctory, etc. etc.).
Take a look at Southwest and all of the disabled people who need to board first to figure out how that would go.
"many take issue with others getting something for “free” when they spent a lot for it."
Non-rev has entered the chat.
Non-rev is not free. It is paid for implicitly when somebody accepts a job at an airline. The same job is far more outside the airline industry.
Sincerely, thanks for that statement! Airline pay is comparatively low, and travel benefits are an important perk in many aspects, so indeed, it doesn't come for free. On top of this, it can be frustrating to non-rev at times. It's not always only premium class and all fun.
Non rev travel and sitting in the best seat possible is a job perk, it’s not something for free. My years of service to the airline and my contract state I have earned that privilege, so don’t mind me while I jet off to Tokyo in 2A “for free”