Getting Upgraded On International Flights

[sillygoosegirl]

Anyone know how common it is to get upgraded on international flights? If I don't do anything special, I'm going to be at 58 segments when we fly to South America later this year. That puts me 2 segments shy of MVP Gold (middle tier) status on Alaska, which partners with Delta and LAN. Should I plan myself an extra trip somewhere before then (probably fly PDX to Seattle to visit my sister instead of taking the train or driving like I normally do), or a couple layovers (SF to PDX by way of Seattle) to increase our chance of getting upgraded? We'll be buying our tickets to SA with miles, if that matters.

[Brit]

Delta doesn't do complimentary international upgrades, so I don't think you will get one either way. They have systemwide upgrade vouchers that can be used to upgrade on international flights, but even with those, there are usually some fare restrictions.

[babygirlpriest]

Ditto Brit - I doubt you'll get upgrades.

Different airlines have different policies regarding upgrades, who gets them, what matters (miles vs. $$), etc. I flew Eth Air to Africa and got free upgrades both ways due to being Star Alliance Gold (United mostly - never flew EA before).

Do you have a premiere # you can call? United's premiere agents will give me the lowdown on upgrades & other perks that agents answering the regular line won't tell you. Just my personal experience though.

[emilyinchile]

I would be stunned if you got upgrades no matter what. If you're buying the tickets with miles, I think your chances are pretty much nonexistent.

[basilosaurus]

You might get them with a combination of $ and miles. I'd be gobsmacked if you just got them for free.

[frlcb]

You won't get upgraded for free on Delta, and even if they did them for free (which they don't) they would give them first to Diamond Medallion, then Platinum, then Gold, and you may be equal with gold but Diamond and Platinum definitely have preference. You can use miles to upgrade.

[Deleted]

I fly with qantas and have oneworld sapphire level, and have never been upgraded. I have heard of it happening, but in my opinion it's rare.

[ktkl09]

I think it's rare that you will get upgraded. It used to happen, pre 9/11 and before the airlines went bankrupt.

I've been upgraded for free on British a few times, but only because something happened with my tickets that was their fault + I was very nice to the cute gate agents who had to figure out what to do with my tickets.

If you want to try to get free upgrades, dress nicely and be nice to the gate agents and pray that something happens to your ticket.

[alleinesein]

I got upgraded on my LHR-BOM flight in June on BA. It was classified as an "involuntary upgrade" and I only went from world traveller to world traveller plus (economy to premium economy) but it was still a free upgrade. Thank god for Indian families with small kids who had to sit together....I ended up with a better seat and more leg room!

[gtkim]

While it isn't necessarily common it does happen. On our honeymoon we were flying on free tix overseas and my husband got upgraded. The last year he was on a paid ticket and I was on a free ticket going to Ireland and we both got upgraded. And he is gold on Delta.

[frlcb]

Aug 11, 2012 11:48:23 GMT -5 gtkim said:

While it isn't necessarily common it does happen. On our honeymoon we were flying on free tix overseas and my husband got upgraded. The last year he was on a paid ticket and I was on a free ticket going to Ireland and we both got upgraded. And he is gold on Delta.

You didn't get upgraded because he is gold, and certainly not on a free ticket. My parents are diamond on Delta and fly internationally once a month and never get upgraded, it doesn't happen. He got upgraded because someone was being nice, not because of status.

[dawnyp]

It is very rare to get upgraded on Delta when you have status on Alaska. I am gold on Alaska and have never gotten upgraded on Delta. Also I think the Delta upgrades do not apply to your traveling companion. If there are 2 passengers on the same itinerary you aren't eligible for a DL upgrade. The companion upgrade only applies on AS. If you want to fly first I recommend using points to upgrade instead of using points for a coach ticket.

[expatpumpkin]

Aug 10, 2012 12:56:56 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

Anyone know how common it is to get upgraded on international flights? If I don't do anything special, I'm going to be at 58 segments when we fly to South America later this year. That puts me 2 segments shy of MVP Gold (middle tier) status on Alaska, which partners with Delta and LAN. Should I plan myself an extra trip somewhere before then (probably fly PDX to Seattle to visit my sister instead of taking the train or driving like I normally do), or a couple layovers (SF to PDX by way of Seattle) to increase our chance of getting upgraded? We'll be buying our tickets to SA with miles, if that matters.

Sorry, but Delta is not going to upgrade you because you're MVP on their partner airline. They just don't do it. And even if they did, you'd be in line behind all the Delta VIPs first before they'd consider partner-statuses.

[GilliC]

Have your DH book the window seat and then pack a large collection of suspicious-but-allowed items in his carry on. Then there's a chance they'll put in air marshall next to him and bump you to business to free up the seat. This is the only way we ever got a free international upgrade.

Of course it was by accident. And it could always backfire and cause you to miss your flight because you were too suspicious!

[frlcb]

I think the main point is that it doesn't matter who you have status on in regards to delta, they simply don't upgrade on international flights based on status (or at all). They do give medallions upgrade certificates but you have to have bought a certain level ticket, and generally they are the higher level tickets.

Edit: I am sure there are instances where Delta will randomly upgrade someone, but they don't do it based on any sort of system in regards to status, but rather it is luck.

[gtkim]

Aug 12, 2012 19:28:23 GMT -5 frlcb said:

I think the main point is that it doesn't matter who you have status on in regards to delta, they simply don't upgrade on international flights based on status (or at all). They do give medallions upgrade certificates but you have to have bought a certain level ticket, and generally they are the higher level tickets.

Edit: I am sure there are instances where Delta will randomly upgrade someone, but they don't do it based on any sort of system in regards to status, but rather it is luck.

I disagree. DH got the upgrade when we went to Ireland because of his status. Delta was moving medallion members out of overbooked coach to open first class to get more passengers on the plane. My upgrade with him was defintiely luck but his and the oter medallion members on that flight were definitely due to a system.

[frlcb]

Aug 13, 2012 12:10:29 GMT -5 gtkim said:

Aug 12, 2012 19:28:23 GMT -5 frlcb said:

I think the main point is that it doesn't matter who you have status on in regards to delta, they simply don't upgrade on international flights based on status (or at all). They do give medallions upgrade certificates but you have to have bought a certain level ticket, and generally they are the higher level tickets.

Edit: I am sure there are instances where Delta will randomly upgrade someone, but they don't do it based on any sort of system in regards to status, but rather it is luck.

I disagree. DH got the upgrade when we went to Ireland because of his status. Delta was moving medallion members out of overbooked coach to open first class to get more passengers on the plane. My upgrade with him was defintiely luck but his and the oter medallion members on that flight were definitely due to a system.

I can tell you with 100% certainty that as a practice Delta does not upgrade medallion on international flights in the same manner they do for domestic, as in every flight has an upgrade list and if there is seats available they clear and fill them with medallion. As I said it can happen sometimes due to luck, and in the case of your husband that is what it was, they needed to fix an overbooked situation so they upgraded medallion. That was luck, not a practice that Delta has in place on every international flight.

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 13, 2012 12:41:36 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Aug 13, 2012 12:10:29 GMT -5 gtkim said:

I disagree. DH got the upgrade when we went to Ireland because of his status. Delta was moving medallion members out of overbooked coach to open first class to get more passengers on the plane. My upgrade with him was defintiely luck but his and the oter medallion members on that flight were definitely due to a system.

I can tell you with 100% certainty that as a practice Delta does not upgrade medallion on international flights in the same manner they do for domestic, as in every flight has an upgrade list and if there is seats available they clear and fill them with medallion. As I said it can happen sometimes due to luck, and in the case of your husband that is what it was, they needed to fix an overbooked situation so they upgraded medallion. That was luck, not a practice that Delta has in place on every international flight.

DITTO this. OP if you want to fly in Business buy a ticket and use your points to upgrade.

[M]

They definitely won't upgrade you for free even if they have seats available. H and I upgraded from business to first on our flight to Argentina a few years ago. There were 16 seats available and only 4 of us there - me, DH, and my two cousins and we all paid to upgrade. On the way back there was 2 more passengers in first with us but one was a pilot and the other was an employee flying standby.