Treat yourself to Business Class

Anything and everything about Thailand
joshhb12

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by joshhb12 »

For me, for 12+ hour flights, I prefer night time flights in business class. I get 6 hours sleep as a minimum. Austrian from London is good, with decent connection times. And normally it is a fair bit cheaper that EVA. But I am lazy, and default to EVA, despite the ultra-boring return flight.
fountainhall

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by fountainhall »

gerefan wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 2:08 am The days of plentiful free upgrades at ckeck in are over.
Upgrades may have been relatively common on US flights a couple of decades and more ago, but asking for them rarely worked in Europe and Asia. Nowadays it is almost impossible unless you are an upper tier member either of the airline's elite flyer programme or the same on the airline Alliance you belong to.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21462
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by Gaybutton »

fountainhall wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:21 am asking for them rarely worked in Europe and Asia..
If you buy a cattle class ticket, that's where to expect to sit. But it can't hurt to ask, even if the chances of getting upgrade are remote. If they say no, you're no worse off than you already were. But if you don't at least ask, there's no chance. I don't see any reason not to ask.

And if it were me, if I was holding a business class ticket, I'd ask for an upgrade to first class. While I would assume it wouldn't happen, you won't know if you don't ask.

If I am going to travel on a long haul flight, no matter how poor the chances may be, I'm going to ask.
fountainhall

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by fountainhall »

Gaybutton wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:42 am If I am going to travel on a long haul flight, no matter how poor the chances may be, I'm going to ask.
And I shall wish you the very best of luck.

It seems you rarely travel long distance now. I wonder what the rate of success is when simply asking for an upgrade (rather than being informed of one by airline staff either at check-in or the boarding gate) by those who travel more regularly in any class.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21462
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by Gaybutton »

fountainhall wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 11:38 am It seems you rarely travel long distance now. I wonder what the rate of success is
That's right. The last time I was outside of Thailand at all was in 2012.

As for the rate of success, I have no idea. Maybe no chance whatsoever anymore. But I fail to see any harm in asking.

The best once in a lifetime luck I ever had was when I was trying to travel from Florida to Bangkok. The plane in Florida had something wrong with it and they announced that passengers who will miss connections need to see the ticket agent. I had a cattle class ticket.

To make a very long story very short, when I explained the problem to the ticket agent I also told the ticket agent, and it was true, this has happened to me 4 times when trying to get to Thailand, but still I always travel on American Airlines (not from loyalty - from price - in those days they were the least expensive). I asked the agent, in the spirit of loyalty could you give me business class for just one leg of this trip?

After working with her computer for quite some time, the agent told me she was going to put me on a flight to Chicago, cattle class. In Chicago, they are going to fly me to London - first class. In London, I will then transfer to a British Airways non-stop to Bangkok - also first class.

The point is, if I hadn't asked, that never would have happened. It would have been cattle class all the way. If anyone thinks it's useless to even bother asking, good luck convincing me.
Jun

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by Jun »

joshhb12 wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 3:12 am Austrian from London is good, with decent connection times. And normally it is a fair bit cheaper that EVA. But I am lazy, and default to EVA, despite the ultra-boring return flight.
I also saw the option of Austrian from London, but the stopover time in Vienna was something like 30 minutes, which seems tight, considering the tendency for flights from Heathrow to have delays. Then even if you make the flight, there is the risk that your checked baggage doesn't. Something I once suffered when flying to Tokyo indirectly. In Japan, you can rely on your bag being delivered to the hotel 24 hours later. I'm not sure about Thailand.
Have you tried this Austrian option ?

As for asking for free upgrades, well if the airlines grant the upgrade, word gets around and the check in staff will get many more upgrade requests. So there is an incentive for them to kill off all hope. Also, if there are free upgrades to be had, I believe some of the airlines allocate them to frequent fliers with appropriate status on the loyalty card.

So whilst there is no harm in following the Gaybutton strategy of asking, I suspect the chances of an upgrade for infrequent customers are slim.
joshhb12

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by joshhb12 »

Yes, Austrian connection time is tight, but last time they moved me to EVA as the inbound to Heathrow was late - so two night time flights, and one on my favourite EVA.
Jun

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by Jun »

joshhb12 wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 7:40 pm Yes, Austrian connection time is tight, but last time they moved me to EVA as the inbound to Heathrow was late - so two night time flights, and one on my favourite EVA.
That's a good solution, however I wonder what they do if that happens and EVA are full. Any solution that involves arriving in Thailand one day late quickly makes the fare saving much less attractive.
joshhb12

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by joshhb12 »

It was a gamble, but it saved £700, I figured that Gold Star Alliance, and Thai and EVA departing every night, they would get me onto a flight.
User avatar
christianpfc
Posts: 1507
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:26 pm
Location: Bangkok Sathorn
Has thanked: 329 times
Been thanked: 26 times
Contact:

Re: Treat yourself to Business Class

Post by christianpfc »

I would not spend money for business class. I'm comfortable in economy.

Once I was upgraded without asking, I think it was Oman airlines. From memory, I had two return trips to Thailand with them, which makes 8 individual flights, which might have been a factor.

But I would never get the idea to ask for an upgrade. But letting all other passengers board first, and then look if there are empty seats in first or business, and taking one of these seats, that would be my style. But I guess airline staff knows how many passengers in which section, and which seats are supposed to be empty, and would ask for my ticket. Or the meals are different and during serving it would be found that I'm in the wrong seat.

On the other hand, as far as I observed, first or business class boards first, so every economy passenger walking past an empty first or business class seat can be sure this seat will stay empty.

I haven't tried, it would be too embarrassing if some other passenger or airline staff comes and finds out that I'm not just in the wrong seat, but in the wrong class!
Post Reply