SQ's op-up policy: what do you think about it?

[QPPS flyer]

The other day, I flew biz class to Bangkok on Swiss Air for a short weekend. Very good fares are available online. To my delight, upon boarding, I found that I was upgraded to First class. I never fly Swiss, however, I suppose that this was due to being a PPS member. That led me to realize, that in my last five years as PPS on Singapore Airlines I was never upgraded. Which when you come to think of it, it quite unbelievable. Some friends regularly fly on AF, and get upgraded almost 50% of the time.
I understand that this may not be SQ policy, but would expect that once in a while, it should happen.
None of this should be expected, I understand..but I would just like to know how do you rate SQ's upgrading policy? or lack of policy versus other airlines. I would be happy to hear your comments.

Thks.

[LionCity]

The other day, I flew biz class to Bangkok on Swiss Air for a short weekend. Very good fares are available online. To my delight, upon boarding, I found that I was upgraded to First class. I never fly Swiss, however, I suppose that this was due to being a PPS member. That led me to realize, that in my last five years as PPS on Singapore Airlines I was never upgraded. Which when you come to think of it, it quite unbelievable. Some friends regularly fly on AF, and get upgraded almost 50% of the time.
I understand that this may not be SQ policy, but would expect that once in a while, it should happen.
None of this should be expected, I understand..but I would just like to know how do you rate SQ's upgrading policy? or lack of policy versus other airlines. I would be happy to hear your comments.

Thks.

I almost thought upgrading does not exist with SQ. . I have never been upgraded in the past half a dozen years as PPS. Still waiting for the fact to happen. I have not heard of a case of a upgrade without Y or J Cabin being full. However, there may be some who have experienced otherwise.

[Kiwi]

SQ certainly does do op-ups, but only when they really need to. My first SQ op-up was when I reached solitaire status - ie I had done a lot of SQ flying before getting an op-up. Since then I have had a reasonable number of SQ op-ups.

Of course your rate depends on flights you take - if already in the top cabin no possibility of op-up. If mainly take flights that are not so full then unlikely to be op-upped. Many of my SQ flights are 100% full or very nearly so, and thus I'd guess my op-up rate (25%+ where a higher cabin exists) is well above average.

Contrast this with LH where in about 100 flights I have never been op-upped.

I like the SQ policy.

[kkjay77]

Kiwi, I do believe you mean LX instead of LH?
Anyhow, QPPS flyer, to LX being LPP, TPP, QPP or KrisFlyer Gold doesn't matter.
You were upgraded because you hold *G status, which all of above is.

[sfvoyage]

None of this should be expected, I understand..but I would just like to know how do you rate SQ's upgrading policy? or lack of policy versus other airlines. I would be happy to hear your comments.

I totally understand. As a PPS, I've been upgraded just once (or at most twice) in the past 2 years. My friends who fly mainly CX seem to get upgraded a lot more frequently. In fact, one, who's CX Gold, claims she's upgraded most of the time flying intra-Asia, and sometimes on longhauls. She even got her sister (non-CX status) upgraded along with her last time she did HKG-BKK.

When I hear stories like these, of course I wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. However, the fact is, SQ's service, in all classes, is unrivaled, so I'll still try to stay with them whenever possible, but my loyalty isn't as strong as before, and I will experiment with other airlines more.

[Jamiegutz]

quite a few times

Have had three in the last three years on just KF*G status.

First time was on a night flight from the middle east ..... just qualified for *G on the outward leg of the journey and as the flight was full they passed me a nice shiny 'blue' boarding pass at the gate!

Second time was on a flight from PVG - SIN. They changed the plane and had given me some middle or window economy seat (i chose the aisle on internet check in). Only noticed when i got to the lounge and i asked the lounge dragon (or not so in this case) if there was anything she could do. AN hour later got paged and was told that they would upgrade be to J but with a window seat. GOt to the gate, and they had moved someone else so i could sit on the aisle in J class.

MOst recently, (and this amazed me the most) was on a GV2 Fare SIN-MNL in Y, and at the gate both of us (incl my collegue who wasnt even a KF member at the time) got bumped up to J .... wow.

In these three experiences, the flight was allways full/overbooked. Sometimes it doesnt hurt to ask at check in but do it discretely. There is nothing worse than someone rudely demanding an upgrade at check in.

J

[N_Architect]

While checking-in at ATH last December (ATH-SIN route), asked the SQ agent a general question about op-ups and was told there has NEVER been an op-up in ATH (Y to J) by SQ.

[YK@HKG]

I totally understand. As a PPS, I've been upgraded just once (or at most twice) in the past 2 years. My friends who fly mainly CX seem to get upgraded a lot more frequently. In fact, one, who's CX Gold, claims she's upgraded most of the time flying intra-Asia, and sometimes on longhauls. She even got her sister (non-CX status) upgraded along with her last time she did HKG-BKK.

Last week, my friend got upgraded on the super long-haul SIN-LAX non-stop due to his KF Gold status. I have never been upgraded on SQ during my 1 year of Gold membership.

However, it's true that CX usually upgrades passengers who have at least Silver and above on routes that are over-booked. I counted that I have been upgraded a total of 6 times during my Silver membership year, including a recent HKG-LAX on the new cabin as well. Last year, when I was holding the Green card, I was upgraded twice, including another longhaul AKL-HKG.

[scooby5]

30-50% of all my past flights on CX were upgraded, inter-Asia, since i was Silver/Gold for quite a few years. My wife has also been upgraded a few times as Green member.

They even upgraded my wife and i from Y to J on a LHR-HKG flight a few years ago. This was from a special buy-1-get-1 fare from HKG where i think it cost us ~HKD5,000 for the two of us. I had even asked on the way to LHR if i could use my miles to upgrade since it was our honeymoon and the counter staff in the lounge said "Wow, sorry, these tickets were really such a special fare class that this is not possible."

Lets see how my first year in KF goes as i'll definately now hit Gold in the next few months if current plans materialise.

[Kiwi]

Kiwi, I do believe you mean LX instead of LH?

No. I reaslise the OP is talking about LX but related my own experience on LH. This is an airline that some friends always seem to be op-upped (on similar number of flights) but I haven't been at all. I don't hold a grudge - it is just the way it goes.

[Kiwi]

While checking-in at ATH last December (ATH-SIN route), asked the SQ agent a general question about op-ups and was told there has NEVER been an op-up in ATH (Y to J) by SQ.

I don't get op-ups by asking for them. Sheesh.

[kkjay77]

No. I reaslise the OP is talking about LX but related my own experience on LH. This is an airline that some friends always seem to be op-upped (on similar number of flights) but I haven't been at all. I don't hold a grudge - it is just the way it goes.

I see...
IMHO, LH treats *Gs very nicely on board.
I've also gotten a couple of opups on LH by being UA*G.

[flo]

I see...
IMHO, LH treats *Gs very nicely on board.
I've also gotten a couple of opups on LH by being UA*G.

I do the VIE-FRA-VIE regularly and I never received any special treatment being BD*G. But it's only a short hop anyway so I do not complain

[Kiwi]

I see...
IMHO, LH treats *Gs very nicely on board.
I've also gotten a couple of opups on LH by being UA*G.

Generally yes. But as a LH*G I've never gotten op-upped by LH.

[milehighj]

I believe SQ's policy is quite clear and logical.

- Revenue management does overbook some flights, i.e. confirm more than 100% of capacity on the assumption that some pax will no-show.

- If more confirmed pax show up than they have seats to accommodate, then op-ups will occur based upon the status.

- What SQ does NOT do is op-up based upon stand-by pax wanting to get on the flight. For example, a BKK-SIN flight I once took was full in Y, but only 50% in J. There were several pax on standby for Y, but were gradually turned away as more confirmed Y pax checked-in - implying that SQ did not op-up in order to accommodate the stand-by pax.