Miles upgrade vs OpUp - the gamble?

When you have an upgradeable PE fare, and might like to get into UC, how late in the procedure can you do it, if there's availability - right up to the boarding gate, perhaps?

I am AU, and sometimes get Op-Up's 1 cabin grade. Of course if the plane is full and I get an OpUp for zero miles, I'd be happiest, hence the gamble of waiting to the last minute. Or is that just plain silly, and "take it while you can" is better advice?

Interested to know how often you get op-ups ... VS usually only gives these when operational need necessitates it ...

In terms of approach, I suggest take it while you can is right - you can do this in the clubhouse after checking in but I do not know if the gate will organize that for you ...

Interested to know how often you get op-ups ... VS usually only gives these when operational need necessitates it ...

Not that often, but when I do its always in USA. They know to prioritise AU FFlyers, and are good at following to that policy. London just don't seem to give a damn about status, and upgrade whomever is there at the instant it's required, which is deeply annoying, and disrespectful of their most loyal high spending customers... v(

thanks for advice otherwise. will see what availability is in Clubhouse.

I've only been upgraded once. I did a miles + money upgrade at the check-in desk from Economy to PE. At the gate I was upgraded to UC The plane was packed. I'm AU but whether it made any difference I don't know.

I have been fortunate to have 3 Op Ups from PE to Upper in 19 years of flying VA all on inbound flights.
1.Lax to LHR. Given by the lady who had checked us in at the gate. She had noticed our passports covered in VA sercurity stickers and said she "liked to look after their loyal customers." y)
2. St Lucia to LGW. We were sat in our PE seats drinking our glasses of bubbly, when a ground crew gentleman told us to follow him. Oh no! I thought we've been bumped down to economy. n( I was very reluctant to go with him. He however escorted us to Upper and were immediately handed a proper glass of bubbly.
DBX to LHR. We had the magic beep at the gate. y)
The first 2 Op Ups both my husband and I were Ag flying club members. The third my husband Au and myself Ag.
So is this a good average for 19 VA flying years?
It would be interesting to know what the average of Op Ups is amongst V- flyers. ?|
Or what was the most unexpected Op Up you've had.
Daffodil :X

Hi Daffodil,

The most surprising op-up we have had was many years ago, when travelling back from EWR on a Virgin ticket we were put on a Continental flight, who upgraded us from EC to Bus 1st.

We were wearing our most comfortable scruffiest clothes at the time for the overnight flight, and did feel rather uncomfortable next to all the business men, but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience quaffing all the wine and food that was offered, hence to say we didn't sleep at all but savoured the trip. Never been upgraded since

The last time i flew with Virgin was back in May 2006 :#
I was lucky enough to be upgraded from PE to UC As the contract i was doing at that time meant i was reguarly flying to JFK or SFO (oh to have the opportunity to do it again!)

I was flying from SFO to LHR was first in the queue to board when my name was announced along with probably half a dozen others to go to the desk, when i got there was asked for my ticket and told Upgrade to UC I was Silver Status at the time.
I really enjoy reading the posts on this forum with lots of great information and look forward to flying again taking the family abroad flying Virgin next year.

BarrieM: its only semi-serious, but I think perhaps you are misunderstanding. OpUp's (Operational Upgrade's) are when the plane is too full at the back or in Premium Economy (PE), due to oversold seats, or problems with an earlier flight /whatever, and they have to move passengers around. Someone has to be moved EC to PE or PE to UC.

(sometimes they have to be moved down too ! )

If you are at the top of the Frequent Flyer program with an airline, any airline, usually you are first in line to get the upgrade, because you are among their most loyal and highest spending customers. It is certainly not a question of entitlement, but simply... that on occasion customers have to be switched about, so its good protocol to keep happiest your big spenders and regular flyers, rather than a random students on a bucket economy ticket.

Talking of random students on cheap seats... (neat segue eh?)

I once was precisely that and got bumped up EC to PE on a LHR to JFK flight, only when arriving at my new seat found someone sitting in it. Correctly. We both had been allocated same seat in last minute Gate shenanigans. While I stood to one side the Steward offered to move her, as I presume she was a paying PE customer, but she declined because she was with a friend. He paused, turned to me, and said, "Sir, follow me" and there I was double upgraded to UC. from a $185 student ticket.

Lucky Jim that time, but they've got my loyalty since and plenty of business in return.

If you get the chance to use miles for an upgrade grab it before someone else does.
Even if the flight looks sold out in Y or PE others may wish to upgrade at the airport releasing otherwise overbooked seats.

Narikin - in the words of monty python, "you lucky lucky b....". Sadly I know I have zero chance of an OpUp when I have my family in tow, and when I'm traveling solo, it's always UC for work, so I know my place...

But on your 1st post, a lot of the anecdotal evidence I've seen on these boards suggests that OpUps are not handled well from the UK side, in terms of hierarchy of loyal customers. Wheras in the US they seem to have their act together a lot better. Not sure why that is, but my expectations are set at zero for my flight this evening anyway!

RC

But on your 1st post, a lot of the anecdotal evidence I've seen on these boards suggests that OpUps are not handled well from the UK side, in terms of hierarchy of loyal customers. Wheras in the US they seem to have their act together a lot better. Not sure why that is, but my expectations are set at zero for my flight this evening anyway!
RC

Totally agree. Personal experience too. You would think the opposite - that the London team would be the most 'on it', but that appears not the case.

US team indeed run their OpUp list by the book, the UK don't appear to give a hoot.

The US airlines appear more geared for this and mech more open.

UA have screens at the gate listing names of pax on stanby/waitlist etc and at JFK when I was checking there the DL check-in agent actually told a pax what position she had on the list IF there were going to be any upgrades on her flight.

I had my one and only op-up on the first flight I took after I attained AU status a couple of years ago. I was flying out to Las Vegas for a conference, I had an economy boarding pass and I got the beep beep as it went through the machine. The girl crossed out my old seat number and gave me 19D or E as I recall. At the time I thought "This is alright - the shape of things to come".

Sadly, Lady Luck has never come to meet me at the gate since that day and 40 or 50 flights later I still live in hope of hearing that again.

The US lounge at JFK is much more into the "Welcome Back, Sir" thing, which is great.

The London one is a bit more brusque/ business like. Surely their computers tell them how regular you are or not, and a little "welcome again" would be a nice touch, no?