Cheapest BA-tickets never possible to upgrade?

We have booked the cheapest possible, for the cabin we have booked, British Airways tickets to New York for our cruise in February.

We have Club World to New York and World Traveller back to Sweden. We are happy with the tickets we have but I'm still curious, can it be possible to upgrade our return tickets to Club World (with cash) or is it always impossible to upgrade cheap tickets?

When I log into Manage my booking it's not possible to upgrade, can it be done if we call somewhere?

Strange. Normally there is the upgrade option in Manage my bookings. Maybe its sold out.

Did you try to phone them? If this does not work, the only thing I can think off is to upgrade in New York at the airport if they still have seats left in Business class.

They have asked us once in Miami and I think the upgrade was 500 Dollars per person.

Sorry, can't help more than that. :)

You can only upgrade by one cabin, so from World Traveller (economy) you'd only be able to upgrade to World Traveller Plus - premium economy - and only if your economy (WT) class is H or above (i.e. close to full-fare.) If your WT bucket is in a highly restricted class, enjoy coach. Not that WT+ is all that terrific - IMO seldom worth the Avios for a short hop like NYC - LON.

You can only upgrade by one cabin, so from World Traveller (economy) you'd only be able to upgrade to World Traveller Plus - premium economy - and only if your economy (WT) class is H or above (i.e. close to full-fare.) If your WT bucket is in a highly restricted class, enjoy coach. Not that WT+ is all that terrific - IMO seldom worth the Avios for a short hop like NYC - LON.

Especially since most JFK-LHR flights appear to be 747-400 aircraft, which have the old WT+ seats...I would agree. I do like the new WT+ seats on the 777 and other aircraft, but they are keeping the old product on (I believe) all 747-400 aircraft. It's nothing all that spectacular, honestly.

We have Club World to New York and World Traveller back to Sweden. We are happy with the tickets we have but I'm still curious, can it be possible to upgrade our return tickets to Club World (with cash) or is it always impossible to upgrade cheap tickets?

The most likely reason you can't do this via MMB is because of the mixed cabin booking. ba.com is not good at automated handling of a ticket that's out of the ordinary. But you should definitely be able to do this on the phone.

Before you call, use ba.com or ITA to price the final itinerary that you want to change to, so that you can see in advance what the likely total cost will be. This will alert you to any availability problems that might bump the fare up above the theoretical lowest fare for your travel dates. If there are any problems, that may perhaps also give you some clues as to flight or date changes that you might think about making to get a lower final fare, as you can do all the changes at once for one payment of the change fee.

You can only upgrade by one cabin, so from World Traveller (economy) you'd only be able to upgrade to World Traveller Plus - premium economy - and only if your economy (WT) class is H or above (i.e. close to full-fare.)

But the OP was asking about a cash upgrade. Almost all BA published fare tickets allow you to change anything: booking class, flight, date, cabin, route - or any combination of the above - basically subject only to the non-refundability of any fare that you've already paid.

So, for example, you could take a LHR-JFK-LHR deepest discount economy ticket and turn it into a first class SYD-LHR-SYD ticket on completely different dates for the change fee plus fare difference. It's not very far from a system of allowing you to keep the value of the ticket for future travel - you just have to rebook at the time that you make the change.

Sorry, I missed the "(with cash)" in the OP.

Sure, you can upgrade. You might not like the number, however.

You might not like the number, however.

Even lower for OSL-LHR-MIA-LHR-OSL: about NOK 15,340 = about USD 2,065 (all in).

There are cheaper sale fares than these, but they require outbound travel on relatively limited dates.

As the OP has (it seems) paid for business class in one direction already (and thus the fare difference will be relatively limited), it's possible that these numbers might be a pleasant surprise rather than a shock.

I'm not impressed with World Traveller + either. No difference to economy in my opinion.

I'm not impressed with World Traveller + either. No difference to economy in my opinion.

More legroom, slightly wider seat, generally better food. I think there's definitely a difference.

I'm not impressed with World Traveller + either. No difference to economy in my opinion.

More legroom, slightly wider seat, generally better food. I think there's definitely a difference.

One statistic which illustrates the difference is that on the 747, each seat has 50% more real estate attributable to it than in economy. If that's not a difference from economy, I don't know what is.

Many people who claim that they can't notice any difference are people who usually fly in first class or business class. If that kind of minority sport is your typical experience of long-haul travel, then you may think there are more similarities than differences between economy and WT+. But the majority of air travellers, who normally fly everywhere in economy, would certainly welcome the extra space that WT+ provides.

There's most definitely a difference, as attested to by the fact that it has at times been (and may well still be) the most profitable cabin on the aircraft per square foot.

 

 

 

One statistic which illustrates the difference is that on the 747, each seat has 50% more real estate attributable to it than in economy. If that's not a difference from economy, I don't know what is.

 

 

 

Many people who claim that they can't notice any difference are people who usually fly in first class or business class. If that kind of minority sport is your typical experience of long-haul travel, then you may think there are more similarities than differences between economy and WT+. But the majority of air travellers, who normally fly everywhere in economy, would certainly welcome the extra space that WT+ provides.

Heck, I usually DO fly business class and can still tell the fairly big difference between world traveller and world traveller plus.

Heck, I usually DO fly business class and can still tell the fairly big difference between world traveller and world traveller plus.

Thanks for all information and suggestions.

As I said, we are happy with the tickets we have but it should be nice to upgrade to Club World if the cost isn't to high. I think that it is a little waste of money to fly in Club back home because our vacation is over and we won't be happy even in First and since we hopefully will sleep for some hours we can as well sit in World Traveller. If the price is right, it could be worth it.

As I said, we are happy with the tickets we have but it should be nice to upgrade to Club World if the cost isn't to high. ... If the price is right, it could be worth it.

Today when I checked it was possible to upgrade in "Manage my booking" but the price for it was defenitely not interesting!!!

The cost for a oneway upgrade from World Traveller to World Traveller Plus (JFK-LHR) and from Euro Traveller to Club Europe (LHR-ARN) was close to $2000 each and that's more than what I have paid for the tickets we have (with Club World to JFK).

World Traveller Plus don't really interest me but it gives lounge access and I didn't knew that before.

World Traveller Plus don't really interest me but it gives lounge access and I didn't knew that before.

The cost that you've been given probably isn't a fair reflection of the cost to upgrade to WT+ anyway, if you have been quoted for WT+ to LHR and then CE from LHR to ARN. I suspect that the new fare that you've been quoted uses a WT+ fare LHR-JFK-LHR plus a CE fare ARN-LHR-ARN. Both of those are likely to be expensive. Unless there are availability problems, it seems likely that you could upgrade so as to fly WT+ on the JFK-LHR for much less than that. I don't know whether MMB gives you an option to upgrade JFK-LHR to WT+ but leave LHR-ARN in ET (economy). If it does, you might find a much more palatable price. But if you're not really interested in flying WT+ anyway, there may not be that much point asking about this.

Having a ticket for WT+ doesn't give lounge access. If you had upgraded as quoted by MMB, then on that return half you would have had lounge access at LHR only, because of your CE sector LHR-ARN.

Having a ticket for WT+ doesn't give lounge access. If you had upgraded as quoted by MMB, then on that return half you would have had lounge access at LHR only, because of your CE sector LHR-ARN.

This is from the "upgrade process" in Manage My Booking:

About World Traveller Plus

• Use Fast Track security to speed your way through the queues at London Heathrow and London Gatwick
  
• Begin your journey in style, in our exclusive lounges
  
• Enjoy superior dining with delicious hot or cold meals served on fine china
  
• Enjoy complimentary champagne from our in-flight bar
  

The cost that you've been given probably isn't a fair reflection of the cost to upgrade to WT+ anyway, if you have been quoted for WT+ to LHR and then CE from LHR to ARN. I suspect that the new fare that you've been quoted uses a WT+ fare LHR-JFK-LHR plus a CE fare ARN-LHR-ARN. Both of those are likely to be expensive. Unless there are availability problems, it seems likely that you could upgrade so as to fly WT+ on the JFK-LHR for much less than that. I don't know whether MMB gives you an option to upgrade JFK-LHR to WT+ but leave LHR-ARN in ET (economy). If it does, you might find a much more palatable price. But if you're not really interested in flying WT+ anyway, there may not be that much point asking about this.

 

It is the price I got when I tried to upgrade in Manage My Booking and since I already fly in Club Europe and Club World to JFK WT+ between LHR and JFK shouldn't be included but I guess that it can be some kind of problem in the system.

I checked the price to upgrade to WT+ only because that was the only option given, to upgrade to CW was not an option. For the right price I could consider to WT+ but not if it will cost us $2000 each.

This is from the "upgrade process" in Manage My Booking:

 

About World Traveller Plus

 

• Use Fast Track security to speed your way through the queues at London Heathrow and London Gatwick
  
• Begin your journey in style, in our exclusive lounges
  
• Enjoy superior dining with delicious hot or cold meals served on fine china
  
• Enjoy complimentary champagne from our in-flight bar
  

It is the price I got when I tried to upgrade in Manage My Booking and since I already fly in Club Europe and Club World to JFK WT+ between LHR and JFK shouldn't be included but I guess that it can be some kind of problem in the system.

 

I checked the price to upgrade to WT+ only because that was the only option given, to upgrade to CW was not an option. For the right price I could consider to WT+ but not if it will cost us $2000 each.

If you have a ticket for Club Europe ARN-LHR + Club World LHR-JFK, and World Traveller JFK-LHR + Euro Traveller LHR-ARN, the fare will very probably have been calculated as 50% of:-

ARN-JFK-ARN in Club

ARN-JFK-ARN in economy

ARN-JFK-ARN fares will almost always be significantly cheaper than LHR-JFK-LHR fares.

I think that the problem you got when you were given that upgrade quote was that you were quoted for 50% of:-

ARN-JFK-ARN in Club

ARN-LHR-ARN in Club

LHR-JFK-LHR in WT+

The second and third fare components will typically be pretty expensive, hence the expensive quote that you got.

However, if you get a quote that's based on 50% of:-

ARN-JFK-ARN in Club

ARN-JFK-ARN in WT+ (which puts you in economy for LHR-ARN)

you may find it much cheaper (particularly with the sale fares currently in force, if they apply to your travel dates). If the website won't give you this, then call to ask.

If that's where the blurb appeared, then unfortunately that's a website bug. I'm reasonably sure that that's the list of amenities for Club (and probably Club Europe - accidentally displayed to you because of the sector upgraded to CE in the quote that you got). And I am sure that World Traveller Plus does not get you Fast Track security at LHR or LGW, lounge access, "cold meals served on fine china" (although the hot main course in the main meal is on china), or champagne.

Maybe a mistake from someone at BA, worse than a bug I think!

That's why I think you might be better off calling to ask.

 

If you have a ticket for Club Europe ARN-LHR + Club World LHR-JFK, and World Traveller JFK-LHR + Euro Traveller LHR-ARN, the fare will very probably have been calculated as 50% of:-

ARN-JFK-ARN in Club

ARN-JFK-ARN in economy

 

ARN-JFK-ARN fares will almost always be significantly cheaper than LHR-JFK-LHR fares.

 

I think that the problem you got when you were given that upgrade quote was that you were quoted for 50% of:-

ARN-JFK-ARN in Club

ARN-LHR-ARN in Club

LHR-JFK-LHR in WT+

 

The second and third fare components will typically be pretty expensive, hence the expensive quote that you got.

 

However, if you get a quote that's based on 50% of:-

ARN-JFK-ARN in Club

ARN-JFK-ARN in WT+ (which puts you in economy for LHR-ARN)

you may find it much cheaper (particularly with the sale fares currently in force, if they apply to your travel dates). If the website won't give you this, then call to ask.

Thank you for your long answer! I think that I understood it (!) and I might then understand why the quote I got was so high!

If it was important to me to upgrade I would call and ask but since we are happy with the tickets we got I won't call to BA in England just to ask about it. (If I could call them in Sweden I might but writing in English is hard enough for me so since it isn't important for me I prefer not to call them!!!)

Thanks for your help! Always good to be able to communicate with an expert!

I have been offered a cash upgrade at the point of check-in, but the cost was stunning. At least for me.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app