[Stretch]

I’m travelling to Chennai in WT+ onn Friday, and have been offered an upgrade to Club World for £400.00 on MMB. Should I wait until check in at T5 for a better price?

[Cwyfan]

Go onto booking system and work out how many empty seats there are.

From that, you might be able to assess your chances of any still being left for later

Best of luck

[VintageKrug]

“a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”

Especially on that route, with a lengthy time aboard involved, I’d go for it; and 100% go for it if you don’t already have lounge access.

[Danwolf]

“a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”

Agree with this, in my experience in terms of cash upgrades, it generally won’t be any cheaper at the gate than the ‘cheapest’ price offered online (my BA.com experience and pestering call centre staff with ‘how upgrades work’ questions). Cash upgrade price depends on availability. I’ve been offered vastly different prices on upgrades (depending on what cabin from/to). at different times. One thing to remember with CW is that availability will change quite a lot leading up to a flight (leant over the shoulder of a BA staff friend’s shoulder a few times to see ‘real’ availability). If you are offered a good price before you get to the airport, take it.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Stretch

It all depends how much you would prefer to fly in business.

If you would really value it and it is worth £400, then I’d go ahead and upgrade now, for the reasons others have stated.

If you are pretty happy in WT+ and wouldn’t mind travelling there, then waiting for a better deal can result in no worse an outcome than staying in WT+ and **might** result in a better deal, although it may well not.

[LuganoPirate]

I’d go for it Stretch. At most you may save £50 if the seats are still available. This way you know and as VK points out, you’ll get full lounge access as well.

[Bullfrog]

Without a doubt .. ‘upgrade now’ ..

[Cwyfan]

I am due to fly to Miami in CW later this month.

When I ought the ticket, BA had a sale on!

Does this mean that I will not be offered an opportunity to upgrade in MMB or on the day, using points or cash?

If I was, any idea how much would represent a good deal?

[Stretch]

Thanks for all the advice. You only live once, so I upgraded.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Good call, hope you enjoy the flight, flat bed is very nice on a sector of that length.

[travelchamp]

Martyn Sinclair – you seem to have a real bee in your bonnet about staff travel. I take it you work in a company where no benefits are offered.

To clarify, BA staff may book premium travel for themselves and a nominee at a higher price than regular staff travel. It is still subject to space available and frequently staff don’t get a premium seat even though that may be what they’ve paid for.

Also after 5 years, many staff have a priority to sit in the business cabin. This is only after all passengers booked in that cabin have been given their seat choice, etc. Any upgrades purchased at the airport will also be honoured before staff are loaded onto a flight.

Staff may also purchase Hotlines and they can purchase a seat in the CW cabin – and a number do, albeit quite small.

Upgrades are not given out willy nilly at the gate. The TRM is accountable for any upgrades he/she actions and quite honestly it’s more than their job is worth these days.

Staff passengers have to wait until flight closure to see if they’re on a flight and then have to run. Of course it’s a good perk, but these days it’s a lot more trouble than it’s worth and more and more staff are buying commercial tickets to avoid the hassle.

I hope this has clarified what the policy actually is, rather than what you think it is.

[MartynSinclair]

I only have “a bee in my bonnet”, when I share the upper deck with staff on bench seats, sharing seats and being moved into seats after take off. I am fed up trying to get collegues sitting together on the upper deck, only to learn after the event that staff appear to have collored the upper deck seats (not all, granted!).

I have absolutely no issue with staff getting cheaply priced seats as long as the seat style matches the price paid, especially on full flights.

I also dont see the need for any employee, however important, being allocated 2 beds to use for sleep/rest on a long haul flight.

Apart from that, I have absolutely no issues at all with staff travel.

With regards to my work perks, no I dont get the use of any empty seats (neither would my family and friends) on any executive jets even on an empty leg.

I do get the use of a Club Wembley tickets though when they are not being used, but tend to avoid as I would get taxed on the perk. I may decide to suffer that tax though, if my team gets into the the Playoff final.

My best work related perk is being semi retired (aged 50 1/3rd) and being able to choose exactly what work I take on.

Oh, I do get one other work related perk, fees for the professional exams being studied, which will enable me to enjoy my semi retirement even more!

[Bullfrog]

I have to commend an experience with Virgin about 10 years ago.

Flying out of Antigua in Upper Class I had requested front row in the 747 nose. A friend was flying Premium Economy so at check in, I tried to upgrade them by paying the £ 499 surcharge & was told we would have to move to the last row. We decided against it.

Prior to take off, the person sitting next to me in the front row was a teenager who openly said how his girl friend’s father works for Virgin & he was on a free ticket.

Imagine my surprise ! Revenue management in the subconscious hands of ‘freeloaders’.

I calmly chatted with the most senior crew member & pointed out what had happened. Why had the freeloader not been moved to the available seat further back ?

Prior to take off the crew member came along and advised the teenager that after take off he needed to move to the empty seat further back. My friend was then allowed to come and sit with me.

Full marks to the crew member. After arrival in London, I duly informed the appropriate office within the airline of the excellent handing of the situation by the crew member.

[travelchamp]

What do you mean by bench seats? I’ve never seen any bench seats on any BA aircraft?
Nor am I sure what you mean by somebody being allocated 2 beds?

Do you work for Netjets or similar? Take it that’s what you mean by not being able to get free seats on executive jets.

But as you say, you get perks in your job, ie. fees for exams, so it’s good you get something.

Please don’t be jealous of airline staff, some of them are very poorly paid and get little or nothing in the way of perks that the corporate industry do.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“What do you mean by bench seats?”

I think you will find that Martyn is referring to cabin crew seats, of the type that fold down in pairs.

[Author]

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