I’ve always been curious about this because BA makes it feel very opaque.
Seeing open F seats but being told “no upgrades available” is such a classic BA move. From what I’ve seen, phone agents usually can’t do much if it’s an Avios booking, even when the cabin is half empty. The real action seems to be at online check-in or the airport, but even then it’s very hit or miss.
Anecdotally, people do get cash upgrade offers at check-in on long haul routes, but it’s inconsistent and the price can swing wildly. Sometimes it’s a decent-ish number, other times it’s so high you might as well just enjoy CW and call it a day. Using Avios for a day-of upgrade feels even rarer.
SAN-LHR on a 777 with an empty F cabin feels like the perfect setup though. And yeah, Concorde Room access alone would be tempting if the price isn’t insane.
Curious if anyone has actually pulled this off recenly.
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