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Flight upgrades
Making the most of your chances
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Kayte Platts Saturday 7 August 2010 |
The free upgrade, is it a thing of the past? or is there still a chance you can charm your way into Business or First class?
Sometimes, it does just happen. On a recent trip between Puerto Rico and Florida, my partner and I were given a free upgrade. I suspect this was due to the plane being full after a pretty bad storm in Miami with lots of flights being redirected. So, Mother Nature herself helped out in this instance!
There are, however, a few self-help ideas.
Frequent Flyer programmes actually do work; not only do they show loyalty and build up points for free flights, but they significantly improve you chances of being upgraded.
If you have a friendly travel agent, they may be able to flag you as a CIP, which stands Commercially Important Passenger or SFU (Suitable for Upgrade). The airline can choose to ignore this information but it is worth a try, particularly on busy commercial routes.
A sneaky friend of mine says that the ‘Just Married’ trick works. She mentions her recent nuptials when booking and then again at check in. I do not know what her success rate really is but she claims it is worthwhile. I dread to think what her husband(s) think about it.
Building on this deception, I suppose one might as well mention that special birthday or any other occasion that might warrant the airline’s indulgence to make the event a more memorable one.
Irrespective of the possible scams, it is an absolute necessity that you dress the part. You do not have to overdo it but you must look smart. Ripped jeans or scruffy T-shirts simply do not work. The airline has paying passengers in the better seats and they expect you to be able to fit in with the clientele.
Similarly, politeness and a smile do wonders. Do not go over the top as you do not want to scare the check in staff. But, if the staff like you, then you are at least in with a chance.
Regular travellers also get to know who the decisions makers are. Whilst I would recommend being nice to all staff, you do want to be especially nice to those that control the upgrades. So, the advice is simply to ASK.
We are all afraid of hearing the word ‘no’, but if you don’t ask then generally you don’t get! Ask discreetly, you do not want everyone else to be asking, and you do not want them looking at you like you are from another planet if you fail.
If you have any other ideas, or success stories, please tell us at editorial@flights.co.uk.
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Leigh Ann Smith, Bexley, Kent 11 August 2010, 12:03PM | |
I had a 'success' when I travelled to Mexico for my honeymoon last year, we were travelling with Virgin and mentioned at check in that we had just got married and we were going on our honeymoon and asked if there was a chance of an upgrade, we were actually told 'no', but just before we got on the plane we were upgraded to first class. It was a fantastic experience, unfortunately for us on the way back we had to travel economy again, which was hard, you can get used to too much of a good thing! | |
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It is probably true that the hey day for upgrades is long gone. That being said, Kayte's advice is sound. If there are any upgrades going, the airline will use them to attract the customer likely to come back as a payer. Dress helps but politeness is probably the best lever. | |
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