Air NZ - Recognition Upgrades

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › Air NZ - Recognition Upgrades

Dulouz

887 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 384

#181310 10-Oct-2015 10:58

I'm flying on Air NZ and have requested a recognition upgrade for a couple of legs of the trip. I can see via the site that the request is pending. When do you normally find out if it has been approved?

Amanon

scottjpalmer

6032 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 790

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1403387 10-Oct-2015 11:00

Dulouz: I'm flying on Air NZ and have requested a recognition upgrade for a couple of legs of the trip. I can see via the site that the request is pending. When do you normally find out if it has been approved?

If you're silver or gold possibly a day or 2 before but most likely when you board the aircraft.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80652 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41040

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1403448 10-Oct-2015 12:08

I was gold for years and most times only found out at the gate... My theory is that if you are not entitled to use the lounge by your status they would hold off telling you just so you couldn't use the lounge thanks to the upgrade.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

stocksp

721 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 355

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#1403465 10-Oct-2015 12:58

They have a limited number of seats per trip which are available for upgrades. Once these are used you go into pending. Then if no-one buys up all the business class seats, you should fid out about the upgrade when you go to checkin. Status upgrades are awarded in order of status, so Gold Elite first, then Gold, etc.

Non recgonition upgrades (i.e., when the plane is full and they need to move people into business) tend to be done at the gate at boarding, and again preference is given to gold elite, then gold, etc

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1403466 10-Oct-2015 13:05

The simple answer is "depends". Elite upgrades can be confirmed when lodged if there if R (BP) or A (PE) availability of which there are a certain number allocated for each flight. Once these are gone you join the wait.

Upgrades can be processed anywhere from 7 days out right up until the gate.

Where and when are you flying?

sleepy

337 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 39

#1403474 10-Oct-2015 13:50

Had a silver upgrade recently LAX to AKL it came through 6 days before flying

Dulouz

887 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 384

#1408975 19-Oct-2015 08:57

I got my upgrade. Found out at the gate. It was nice.

Amanon

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

mattyb

254 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 19

#1408993 19-Oct-2015 09:16

It must work for some people but I've tried 5 times to use them on AKL -> SFO (or return) flights and never once been upgraded as requested. Waste of time for me.

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2174

Subscriber

#1409879 20-Oct-2015 15:26

I just landed in San Fran today and used Air Points OneUp to upgrade to premium economy, they emailed Thursday last week to say I was successful.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1410161 20-Oct-2015 21:16

mattyb: It must work for some people but I've tried 5 times to use them on AKL -> SFO (or return) flights and never once been upgraded as requested. Waste of time for me.

Your success rate (or lack of it) would have to make you Air NZ's most unluckiest customer. I've had 100% success rate over the past 3 or so years with RU's, standby upgrades and OneUp's out of the probably 3-4 long haul return journeys per year mainly to North America, Japan and Europe.

The one exception is if you fly during school holidays you can forget about any form on non paid upgrade as the planes fly 100% full.

graemeh

2080 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 226

#1410353 21-Oct-2015 09:55

sbiddle:
mattyb: It must work for some people but I've tried 5 times to use them on AKL -> SFO (or return) flights and never once been upgraded as requested. Waste of time for me.

Your success rate (or lack of it) would have to make you Air NZ's most unluckiest customer. I've had 100% success rate over the past 3 or so years with RU's, standby upgrades and OneUp's out of the probably 3-4 long haul return journeys per year mainly to North America, Japan and Europe.

The one exception is if you fly during school holidays you can forget about any form on non paid upgrade as the planes fly 100% full.

The other exception I know of is Friday night leaving Hong Kong, premium economy and business were packed like a sardine can. It was positively roomy back in Economy. This was as a Koru Club member with a gold upgrade.

Strangely Friday night leaving Auckland (actually really, really early Saturday) for Hong Kong I was upgraded with no problems. This was as a Koru Club member with a silver upgrade.

lchiu7

6521 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 543

Trusted

#1410637 21-Oct-2015 18:43

I have good and bad luck with RU's. I have received 3 recently and the 2 earlier ones I ended up upgrading to Premium Economy on AKL-SFO return. Alas it was on the older 777-200's (I think) so the cabin had not been upgraded. The Premium Economy was average to say the least - quite old and in need of refurbishment. But it was good to get the additional bag after my trip to Frys and CostCo :-)

The last time I got upgraded to the new cabins. That was nice. I don't understand why AirNZ is discontinuing the space seats on their new fleet - I think they are really comfortable.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

kiwiharry

1064 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 476

ID Verified

Subscriber

#1410658 21-Oct-2015 19:18

RU's seem to be hit and miss. I just got back today from a trip via the USA. On my outbound leg I got advised of my upgrade 4 days prior to departure. Inbound I was upgraded at the gate. I have elite status.

A work colleague who travelled with me on the outbound leg didn't get upgraded, yet there were at least 8 empty seats in PE. He says he's tried for the RU on about 3 return trips this year and so far no luck on any of them.

If you can't laugh at yourself then you probably shouldn't laugh at others.

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1410723 21-Oct-2015 21:07

lchiu7: I have good and bad luck with RU's. I have received 3 recently and the 2 earlier ones I ended up upgrading to Premium Economy on AKL-SFO return. Alas it was on the older 777-200's (I think) so the cabin had not been upgraded. The Premium Economy was average to say the least - quite old and in need of refurbishment. But it was good to get the additional bag after my trip to Frys and CostCo :-)

The last time I got upgraded to the new cabins. That was nice. I don't understand why AirNZ is discontinuing the space seats on their new fleet - I think they are really comfortable.

I read an hilarious article in which some ANZ person claimed it was because people found the seats "too complicated to use"!!

More like it was too much like Business and they thought they could squeeze a few more in by using more normal seats.

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1410725 21-Oct-2015 21:08

kiwiharry: RU's seem to be hit and miss. I just got back today from a trip via the USA. On my outbound leg I got advised of my upgrade 4 days prior to departure. Inbound I was upgraded at the gate. I have elite status.

A work colleague who travelled with me on the outbound leg didn't get upgraded, yet there were at least 8 empty seats in PE. He says he's tried for the RU on about 3 return trips this year and so far no luck on any of them.

Doesn't it also depend on the fare class of your booked seat? Sure I read that somewhere.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1410738 21-Oct-2015 21:53

lchiu7:
The last time I got upgraded to the new cabins. That was nice. I don't understand why AirNZ is discontinuing the space seats on their new fleet - I think they are really comfortable.

The economics don't stack up. And that's all that matters to them.

The Spaceseat was flawed from the start when they had to remove an entire row from the 77W fleet after a few weeks of service because the seats were too crammed. This immediately changed the economics of the seat, and PE as a whole. Lots of people also don't like the Spaceseat, and it's very much a product that people immensely love, or immensely hate. There is no in between.

With the new 77R/789 seats you can fit 2-3-2 in the same space as the 2-2-2 Spaceseat, and more seats in the cabin as a whole.