British Airways: When is an Upgrade a Downgrade?

Frequent flyers often count complimentary upgrades as one of the quiet perks of loyalty, especially those holding elite status with their airline. A traveller flying on British Airways put forward their thoughts on Reddit when they were moved from Euro Traveller to Club Europe on a busy flight from an undisclosed Spanish airport to Heathrow, but the experience on board was a disappointing, and a wholly avoidable downgrade to their experience.

British Airways customer enjoying their meal...

The upgrade came at the gate, when scanning their ticket, the computer informed the gate agent that a change of seat had occurred. The flight had been oversold in Economy, so moving this traveller seemed logical, especially as they had Gold status with British Airways. All well and happy, but once onboard, the experience took a turn.

According to the passenger, they were completely ignored during the initial food and drink service in the Club Europe cabin. This passenger was being rather polite about the matter, not wanting to cause a fuss. But it was only after the seatmate flagged the issue with the crew that any attention was given. By that time, their preferred meal option was no longer available.

When asked why the service had been ignored/delayed, the flight attendant responded, “You get served last as you are an upgrade,” adding, “They always upgrade people without telling us” - a comment that felt more dismissive than explanatory.

While the passenger wasn’t particularly bothered about missing a meal on a short flight, the tone and treatment left a poor impression. Having held top-tier frequent flyer status (including Gold and oneworld Emerald) for years, and having received numerous upgrades in the past, they noted that this was the first time they had ever felt like a less than valued customer in a premium cabin. This is the sort of traveller that BA should be doing all they can to hold onto, with the recent changes to the Club loyalty scheme.

Whether a simple communication gap or something more, the incident highlights how even well-intentioned perks can fall flat when not backed by consistent service. Even a simple “I’m sorry, I’ll come to you as soon as I can”, would have neutralised the situation for this passenger. British Airways commonly only staff the Club Europe cabin with only one member of staff, and as there is no hard limit on the amount of Club seats (see here for an explanation on Club Europe), the workload for crew can be daunting. I have personally seen Club cabins stretch back to the over wing emergency exits.

I appreciate that this member of crew will have been working hard to provide the cabin service, but from the passengers perspective, an upgrade should feel like a thank-you - not a reminder that you didn’t pay.