My previous job was for a medical assistance company that would receive hundreds of gate or onboard medical screens calls requesting recommendations a day.
And yes we were a vendor for CX. When they called us stating that someone was requesting an upgrade it would often be one of these....
1. "This passenger states that their father has a history of DVT. They have a numbness in their leg and state they need a reclining seat to elevate their leg."
Our typical answer--- "A DVT is a serious medical condition that can lead to death in flight regardless if their feet is elevated. Do they have a Fitness To Fly note from their Doctor and all medications listed in said letter?"
Their answer"...... he says no."
Our answer" We recommend he is not fit to fly until he presents a clearance letter from his Doctor and has the necessary medications."
Not Fit To Fly.
2. A US airline calls and states that a passenger is allergic to peanuts. His allergy causes his airways to close and can cause death. He demands that he be moved to business class where nobody around him eats peanuts or they need to not serve peanuts on the flight to anyone.
Our answer, "He has an allergy that causes anaphylaxis? Does he have a note from his Doctor, an Epipen, or any medication?"
Them "No"
Our answer, "He should not travel without a letter from his Doctor and if he has an airborne allergy to peanuts that causes anaphylaxis, he should have an epipen. We recommend he is not fit to fly, pull him off."
3. As for this one, the leg injury for business class was also very common. No Doctor's note stating that an xray was done that shows no fracture? Your pain is uncontrolled? You Doctor cannot confirm that your are able to ambulate in an emergency on your own and are safe to travel? Your Doctor cannot confirm that you have no clots or other issues that would make you dangerous to fly? Nope, not clear to fly. You do have a Doctor's note that states all of these things and that you should elevate your leg? Congratulations, the airline is not required by federal law to elevate your leg, you now have to pay for an upgrade or you can't fly at all.
On some occasions a nice gate agent or FA will help someone out and move them just to be nice, but this is actually against their policy and can be very dangerous if the person has a serious medical issues. I have known of cases where personnel have been fired for not escalating these issues to staff or personnel who are able to make these decisions based on medical protocols- the passengers then experienced emergencies in flight that have lead to diversions costing hundreds of thousands or even death. Yes, they are fired for doing this.
In 90 something % of these incidents people trying to get upgraded by faking or reporting a medical issue will be removed from the flight or required to pay themselves for an upgrade. It is very very very rare for staff to just upgrade without checking.
It was also a common experience to tell someone they were not clear to fly until they get the necessary clearance, then after some reluctance they admit that they had made it up and lied for an upgrade. They are "very sorry". This would happen multiple times a week. After making them attest that they were lying and that they have no medical condition, we would allow them to fly on with their guilt and shame as a carry on in their old seat.
As a manager who saw hundreds of these calls in a week, dealt with QC and complaints often made to the media by people who were denied flight, and who often gave direction to medical staff on how to handles these calls- I would not recommend anyone doing this in the hopes of getting an upgrade. Chances are you won't be happy with the results.
"Give us a kiss, big tits."
