Air New Zealand Recognition Upgrade

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Wheelbarrow01

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#304484 8-May-2023 10:25

Ok travel gurus, help me out if you can....

I have just attained Airpoints silver status which entitles me to a single recognition upgrade. My wife and I have tickets booked to Hawaii in October which is the perfect opportunity to use that upgrade. I was just trying to apply it to our booking but obviously the upgrade is only applicable to one person.

My dilemma is that the wifey will be a bit snakey if I leave her lanquishing in economy lol.

If I submit the recognition upgrade request, can I then attempt a One-Up request for just her on the same flight sector? Or does it not work like that?

Xeon

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#3073753 8-May-2023 11:35

Yep, myself and my partner successfully used one up and a recognition upgrade from Auckland to Seoul.

The booking does end up getting split into two meaning you need to check in separately though, and the one up was confirmed several days after the upgrade confirmed.

CokemonZ

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#3073758 8-May-2023 11:53

I had it the other way where the recognition upgrade was approved but the one-up was not. my colleague had to sit in the back of the plane back from LA.

Bit annoying really.

So heads up, you're not guaranteed to have it happen - even if you are on the same booking.

johno1234

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#3073765 8-May-2023 12:21

One-ups are notoriously unlikely to be awarded unless you bid within 10% of the retail upgrade price or the plane is half empty (rare these days). Recognition Upgrade will be ranked behind Elite and Gold requests so probably would only know if successful a week out. If the flight is full, the chances are quite low of succeeding.

Note that Elite/Gold/Silver (and Koru) can also apply for discounted business class tickets (including one companion) with Airpoints Dollars - for Honolulu $1830 APD - under half price.

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/discounted-business-award-tickets

Senecio

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#3073784 8-May-2023 12:58

I've tried on 3 occasions to apply for a recognition upgrade and been unsuccessful each time. As above it will depend on how busy the flight is the number of requests in front of you from higher tiers.

wlgspotter

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#3074976 11-May-2023 12:05

My sister recently encountered this exact same dilemma when travelling from Singapore to Auckland.

In short, you can use your regonition upgrade and attempt to do a one-up for the wifey, but both of you need to be on separate, individual bookings apparently, and it means a call to their Air NZ Call Centre (can't do this yourself online). For the case of my sister, Air NZ split their booking into 2 separate booking but have then linked at the reservation level to indicate both the paxs are travelling together. Of course there is still a possibility that you get your recognition upgrade but the wifey's One Up didn't go through, but it seems there are no other ways around it - this was what happenned to my sister's flights ex Singapore as the flgiht was really full so only she got the recognition upgrade (and that only upon checking in at the airport) whereas my BIL ended up in economy.

[Edit: Fixed grammer, typo and edited sentence for clarify purposes]

MikeAqua

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#3074981 11-May-2023 12:18

Senecio:

I've tried on 3 occasions to apply for a recognition upgrade and been unsuccessful each time. As above it will depend on how busy the flight is the number of requests in front of you from higher tiers.

Interesting. I'm batting about 7 from 8 on RUs. All prior to COVID. I haven't done much long haul since then.

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johno1234

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#3074985 11-May-2023 12:33

Gold elite often get awarded at time of booking. They have a far higher success rate. Silver more likely to wait until the day so no luck on full flights

bendud

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#3075011 11-May-2023 13:55

*GE for the last 10 years or so. If travelling alone I often get recognition upgrades (~80%); with one member of family that falls to ~20%, and if there's more of us then zip. One up upgrades I have no recollection of ever getting (certainly not in the last 5 years although for obvious reasons less travel).

Basically try and talk to a human at Air NZ and ask nicely. Depending on your status they will also give your one-up bids a small % boost (can't recall how much for Silver).

Given the wait times for the call centre this may take a long, long time... even *GE calls are taking a long time to be answered especially if any weather disruptions.

As with most airlines currently the value of the FF programs is getting less year by year - perhaps things will ease up a bit if capacity improves but I'm not overly optimistic. Despite a fair amount of flying most years and some long haul pointy end ones it's only the credit card spend that keeps me in *GE most years, and the earn rates for status are falling now too with tiered rates meaning some quite large spends attract relatively few points now. First world problems for sure, but the days of really cheap companion fares etc have gone.

Having said which, about 5 years ago going from LA to Geneva in business I got to the gate for boarding fairly late after the usual LAX immigration nightmare. I scanned my pass but got the flashing red buzzer of doom. I was diverted down a small corridor whilst trying to work out how the heck I was going to make the very tight connection in Zurich. "Oh we saw your connection was a little tight so if it's OK with you we have decided to put you in first class, so your limo will take you direct to the plane at the domestic terminal". Oh ok then... it was very nice, apart from the other 3 people in the cabin who ignored or bossed the crew around and generally behaved like entitled ash-holes. When I got to the limo I hopped in the front with the driver - turns out the only other person who had ever got in the front with her was also from NZ and though she was far too discreet to say so, preferred a yarn to driving self-important execs around in silence!

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Wheelbarrow01

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#3075260 11-May-2023 22:21

Thanks for all the responses - some good info there. I have lodged my request to use the recognition upgrade on the flight to Honolulu (use it or lose it right?) and may follow the advice of @wlgspotter and try contact the call centre about the one up for the wife. She's philosophical about it. Two of her sisters are coming with us on a separate booking (yes it's "Wheelbarrow & the Sister Wives Do Maui" lol) so worst case she can slum it with them in economy while I stretch out a bit.

The last time we went to Hawaii I moaned the whole way in economy as my knees just didn't quite fit. When checking in for our flight home, we paid US$350 each to upgrade to PE which was an absolute bargain and worth every cent. In hindsight we should have just ponied up for PE when booking our upcoming trip...

We recently pulled the old request PE at check-in stunt again with success on our flight home from Rarotonga - and again it was a great price.

We are departing Auckland for Honolulu on a Sunday night this time so might get lucky again with unsold PE seats at check-in time - you never know really.

johno1234

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#3075283 12-May-2023 06:35

Just seat select the exit row. Tons of legroom for a fraction of the PE cost.

wlgspotter

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#3075304 12-May-2023 08:22

Wheelbarrow01:

Thanks for all the responses - some good info there. I have lodged my request to use the recognition upgrade on the flight to Honolulu (use it or lose it right?) and may follow the advice of @wlgspotter and try contact the call centre about the one up for the wife. She's philosophical about it. Two of her sisters are coming with us on a separate booking (yes it's "Wheelbarrow & the Sister Wives Do Maui" lol) so worst case she can slum it with them in economy while I stretch out a bit.

The last time we went to Hawaii I moaned the whole way in economy as my knees just didn't quite fit. When checking in for our flight home, we paid US$350 each to upgrade to PE which was an absolute bargain and worth every cent. In hindsight we should have just ponied up for PE when booking our upcoming trip...

We recently pulled the old request PE at check-in stunt again with success on our flight home from Rarotonga - and again it was a great price.

We are departing Auckland for Honolulu on a Sunday night this time so might get lucky again with unsold PE seats at check-in time - you never know really.

Good luck @Wheelbarrow01 - hope both you and the Wifey get the upgrade. In any case, enjoy your travels - much to look forward to I'm sure! :)

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openmedia

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#3075569 12-May-2023 17:32

Yeah best of luck @Wheelbarrow01. I've got a trip with the wife where my upgrade has been approved (Gold Elite), whilst the wife's is likely to be pending right up until we board.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

johno1234

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#3075698 13-May-2023 08:12

If you get split up will the crew allow you to swap seats at half way?

kiwiharry

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#3075704 13-May-2023 09:26

openmedia:
Yeah best of luck @Wheelbarrow01. I've got a trip with the wife where my upgrade has been approved (Gold Elite), whilst the wife's is likely to be pending right up until we board.

I've got exactly same situation. I'm also Gold Elite. My upgrade approved instantly but wife's (Elite Partner) upgrade is pending so may not know until we board. Hopefully it clears a few days beforehand.
I'll probably downgrade if hers isn't approved when we check-in. Trans-Tasman flight back to NZ so no biggie.

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