Finally! After reading all those self-serving and smug posts on FlyerTalk about how lucky, and therefore, better than everyone else is (one of the tenet’s of being a FlyerTalker, I believe) when one receives an op-up (operational upgrade – when the good people at the airline simply hand you a gratis upgrade, usually because one cabin is oversold or has a enormous number of standbye passengers, and therefore, the airline moves passengers, usually of higher status, to business or first class). Now, I can join the ranks of those afflicted by serendipity, for I, had my first real op-up, this morning.

I call the op-up “real” because it happened out of nowhere, and without expectation (rule number one for op-ups – don’t expect it. Ever. I had had complimentary upgrades before, but only in situations when I had volunteered off a flight. There are ways of guessing when an airline migggggght need to op-up passengers, but there are no rules, and no reason. I once read some haughty post on FlyerTalk from a United gate agent under the handle DullesJason, who attempted to explain the logic behind op-ups, but really just ended up penning some condescending yarn about how entitled passengers are, and how he revels in his own sense of power and the truly mind-boggling esoteria of being a gate agent. Right. Getting a flight out the door is like building the universe. So few people possess the intellectual accumen to become a gate agent. The agent spun at as if some sort of advanced degree was required. I read the post, hoping to find some insight, but instead only came away with the idea that this gate agent in particular is a power hungry and out to try to play logic games that complicate the lives of passengers. A real winner. On the seventh day, DullesJason rested. But – that’s neither here nor there.

I arrived at JFK for my 6am SFO flight at about 5.15am, after a bleary-eyed and interminable A train ride from Manhattan. I immediately proceeded to print my boarding pass from the Easy Check-In machine, and then boldly asked an agent if I could upgrade my “non-upgraded business class ticket,” conveniently omitting the fact I was traveling on an award ticket that did not qualify for upgrades. It took her about 15 seconds to determine that I was traveling on award ticket, and to reject my ugly ass for the upgrade. I tried to play dumb, and responded with an innocent sounding, “Oh! I thought 1Ks can upgrade award tickets on the day of flight?” a rather idiotic tack, but I simply wanted to drop that I was a 1K. She shook her head.

As I headed towards security, I figured I would ask at the gate, because the flight, at this point was under gate control, and the gate agents, hopefully not like our friend with the Napolean compex above, would be more kind to my plight. The night before, I had checked, and the loads o the flight looked heavy, and I figured I might be able to use that to my advantage as a case to upgrade. No need, though. After heading through security – finally – contending with an agent who felt the need to chat with each person as he checked his or her ID, then, stop the line completely to yell suggestions for how one should head through the security checkpoint, I headed for gate eight. Boarding was in full swing, and as soon as I readied to stand in line to talk to the agent, I heard the agent butcher my name, and ask me to appraoch the podium.

I briefly went into tachychardia, thinking that I might have scored an op-up – after all, the gate agents usually make the unexpected announcement. I approached the podium, and the agent asked if I would be interested in upgrading to first class. Oh, sure, why not? Out spat a boarding pass with 1D.

I’ll write about my impressions of p.s. first class and the purser in my next post. At that point, I was just happy to be able to board, and be able to get to sleep.