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Brussels Airline
It's possible to ask for anything. However, the probability that you'll be upgraded from economy is pretty low and will depend on many factors:
1) Is the flight fully booked? If economy isn't fully booked, it is highly unlikely that anyone will be upgraded.
2) Did you pay full fare or a discounted fare? You are more likely to be upgraded if you have paid a full fare economy ticket.
3) Are you a frequent flyer - if you are a frequent flyer on Brussels Airlines you will already be in their system and have priority for upgrades.
4) Do you look appropriate? If you turn up in jeans and a t-shirt, there's no way you'll be upgraded. In a business suit, then you'll be considered.
5) How polite you are to the check-in staff.
6) How early you are to arrive at check in
plus a whole load of other factors that the airline may or may not consider.
I'm not saying it's impossible (I've been upgraded in the past), but I'm suggesting that there are probably a lot of other people that could have priority over you.
Once boarded, doors locked, you can also make a request to the purser. If space available, you may be allowed to upgrade and payment taken from your credit card. This is often a cheaper way to fly business class. It can help to be a member of the airline's loyalty scheme. Free upgrades more rare and only arise when economy class is overbooked. You have more chance if travelling solo. Again, loyalty members will be favourised. And dress accordingly!
Brussels airlines and lufthansa both open a bid for upgrades if there are spaces available in businness class or first class...
You can quote the max price (bid) you would like to pay for the upgrade...min is already set by the airlines...
If you are not a freq traveller forget having a free upgrade...if there has to be a free upgrade ...the economy class has to be overbooked and the freq traveller gets the first chance for upgrade
in a nutshell
- Yes, you may be upgraded against the payment and when some other conditions are met (se below part 1: paid upgrade)
- free of charge - as a rule - No, you will not be upgraded just by asking the checkin or gate agent (see below part 2: OpUp)
Part 1: paid upgrade from economy to business, or from business to first (almost never from economy to first bypassing business) if:
- seats available AND
- your current booking class allowes upgrade (e.g. lowest economy fares usually are not qualified for upgrade) AND
- you pay the cost (difference between our current and fistt/business fare).
Part 2: Free of charge upgrades, a.k.a. OpUp (OPerational UPgrades) are sometimes possible when:
- economy is overbooked and the company needs to spare seats for the passengers on waitlist AND business class sears are available
- then WHO makes decision re WHO is going to be upgrades - as a rule, never the gate or checkin agent, almost always it's automatic selection by the boring system based on a set of criteria (booking class, frequent flyer tier etc). Human intervention sometimes possible, and almost always from back office, not a front office - i.e. by people who you don't see.
Good luck and please do tell us if you manage it I think many peo0le dream of it and it rarely happens my husband was bumped up on a long haul from business to first but he had frequent. Flier points and it only happened once in many years of business travelling
The only way this would realistically have any chance of happening whatsoever is if you had a high frequent flyer status level with the airline you have the ticket with. The fact that you bought an economy ticket to the USA and think that asking for a free upgrade to 1st is even an option means you almost certainly do not.
These days there are so many people who are in some way rightfully eligible for an upgrade that even these can often not be accommodated by airlines.
Basically, you have to understand that you would be right at the back of the queue, behind anyone on the flight with any loyalty status whatsoever, anyone halfway famous, anyone better dressed than you, anyone that asks first, those with business tickets, those with economy plus tickets, those with full price economy, those that paid for priority or specific seating and indeed any class economy above your ticket class.
If you have more airline questions, flyertalk.com is a good resource
