Upgrade Challenge - How do you get yourself a FREE airline upgrade?
Getting any kind of free upgrade is seemingly the Holy Grail in the airline business. People have tried and failed but there are those who claim to have a knack at getting the nod in the direction of business class.
Most who achieve this state that they are nice and polite, dressed well, are frequent flyers and the fact that recent polls indicate 1 in 5 people score a free upgrade must mean it can be done…
There are always stories that go viral talking of the magic bullet request or method to get yourself a free upgrade. Frankly, you need to treat them with the scorn they deserve. They are nonsense.
There is no real formula on how to get a free upgrade, but there are ways to improve your chances. The truth of the matter is that most people don’t ask or, they ask with some lame story as to why they should receive an upgrade. That is why, statistically, most people do not get a free upgrade. However, for those who dare to ask, there is a much higher percentage of success.
Obviously, there is no guarantee and it still remains a challenge to score a freebie upgrade, no matter what you do. However, here are some tips from airline insiders that may increase your chances.
Points to remember:
- Always dress smartly for a flight. It may not be as comfortable, but a good impression of style and grace goes a long way. Asking for an upgrade when you look like a homeless person is not effective.
- You definitely have a better chance of getting a free upgrade from economy to business class by booking a flight at times when business and corporate travelers are likely not to be traveling.
- If you travel frequently, be sure to have signed up for the airlines fly miles program. As a member of a loyalty program, chances are you would have an advantage over others when requesting an upgrade.
- If you travel solo, you will have a better chance at your mission to get a free upgrade
- If you have special diet requirements, forget about any upgrade. If you booked economy your meals will be served economy class. The airline will not be able to provide you with an equivalent request at Business or First Class standard – and NO, they will not serve you an economy meal in another class.
- Never EVER refer to a flight attendant as stewardess or air hostess. That is their pet peeve. They will tell you that they are there for your safety and the meals and drinks are supplemental. Call an attendant air hostess, stewardess or steward and you can kiss those free upgrade favors goodbye.
- Be polite and helpful to the attendants and don’t bitch about something. Quietly mention you are having some discomfort and make it in good humor. They usually want to help you then.
- Try and solve the issues yourself at first otherwise you’ll be acting like that tell-tale kid you hated in school.
How to get a free upgrade from economy
“….. So unless you know your way around a hedge-fund, or happen to be flying the plane, there’s only one way you’ll find yourself turning left when you board an aircraft: the free upgrade.
Nabbing one is rare. A few years ago the website MoneySavingExpert.com polled nearly 9,000 travellers to find out whether they had ever received a free upgrade. Less than a third of those questioned had done….”
How to get a free upgrade or, worst case, dealing with hell…
It’s all very well finding the best air travel deals and making the booking, but this is a small aspect to the travel plans. For most who travel coach, it’s a bit of a nightmare. You’ve saved money on the flight but now you’re stuck in cattle-class and enduring unspeakable misery. Long haul flights that involve world travel can become a torture.
If you are like me, and over 6’3 feet tall. you can look forward to some agonizing hours in the air. Or, if you find yourself on a flight during vacation season, chances are you’ll be flying to or from a destination that is child friendly. However planes are not child friendly. A plane filled with inquisitive or annoying children can add to the suffering. A few ideas about how to deal with the issues you may be faced with:
Invasion of the body space
Ah yes, this is the real downer about low cost flights and economy class travel. As airlines try to save money and cram more paying passengers into their aircraft, the seats shrink and leg room is at a premium. I have sat on a flight, watched people enter the plane and search their seat numbers and spent that whole time praying to God that the two empty seats next to me will remain so.
The worst is when they are about to shut the doors and two harried passengers bluster their apologies to the cabin attendant and I know they are the vacant occupants of my treasured free space. My heart sinks as I watch them mentally count the row numbers, looking up at the luggage compartment seat indicators and their eyes fall on me and my two tiny seats of invaluable real estate. Aaargh!
My ungracious self exists, alas…
This is by no means meant as an indictment of big people. In these circumstances, it is entirely the airlines fault for not catering to passenger needs in order to squeeze in a few extra dollars and seats.
So these oncoming late passengers put away their overhead luggage. I regretfully surrender my area as I stand and watch the booty ‘moon’ a feat of clothing material flexibility as the first passenger crawls to the window seat. Husband follows, also a sizeable man with a belly he’ll be resting his tray on. I look up at the ceiling and whisper “Why me, God?”
And now the venomous resentment for all living things
The plane is chock-a-block. Ain’t no way out of this sardine can now. I curse my employer for being so miserly about paying for a decent seat – up front where the orange juice, stretch leg space and champagne flows freely. Once the bountiful passengers are in their seats I sit down and notice my seat is being invaded by body that is not mine.
This is when I need to know how to get a free upgrade!
What to do?
If the flight is full, there is not much you can do. I try and befriend the cabin crew and charm my way into some kind of upgrade. That does not work most of the time. Worst case scenario, you make it obvious that your fellow passenger is hogging your space and he or she needs to lean away from you. Sometimes a smile and gentle request can do the trick.
Most times it’ll be an obvious attempt at body language to get the message across. Sometimes the passenger owning one and a half seats cannot do anything about it…in which case, neither can you. Just promise yourself next time to get business class – no matter what the cost. Or take your chances on getting that upgrade. (I suggest the former)
Chatty Betty and Jabbering John
This species of airline passenger can either be entertaining or highly annoying. There is nothing worse than being a captive audience for 8-16 hours. I usually know my mood by the time I make it on the aircraft, and in many cases, my decorum is quiet. I am thinking about the things I left behind and the things I have to do when I reach my destination. If I’m in that place, I really do not want to be having conversation with anyone. I just want to be left alone. So, if I have a chatterbox next to me at these times, it would be very uncomfortable.
How to get some silence?
Usually I would suggest preventative action. If I am not feeling sociable, I’ll have my headphones already in my ears…without music even. This is a good signal to the passenger that you’re not the talkative type. Reading a book is usually not as effective because that does not stop someone chatting. If you do find yourself trapped in a mind-numbing conversation, the most effective way to close conversation is to gently suggest that you would like to read or sleep or watch a movie. You can be non-offensive and get the required peace.
I sometimes will say I need the bathroom. This allows me to break the thread of conversation for 5 minutes. On my return I offer a smile and say I need to get some sleep/read/work/watch a movie etc. That way I have bridged the segue and the passenger will have got the message (gently).
Child back seat kickers.
Groan! This is one of the most irritating aspects of flying coach. The kid behind decides that life is boring and kicks the back of your seat like a toy drum.
How to deal with this?
Simple really. It’s not the kids fault. It is the parents fault. They should have had the child stop kicking already. Okay, maybe they’re not aware of it, in which case you can make them aware. I have found that standing up from my seat and smiling at the parents usually gets things off to a good start. I say hi to the kid and then ask the parents if they could request the child not to kick my seat because I would really like to take a nap or enjoy my movie in peace. In most cases this works. It is a civil and friendly exchange and the parents are made aware.
Don’t, like most people, try and ram your seat lean back further or turn and glare. That usually will uninvite any empathy from behind. Plus, you might hurt the kid.
If the parents are obnoxious and the child keeps smacking the back of my seat I have gone to the cabin attendant and asked them to sort it out. I have been known to get a free upgrade mid flight so that the cabin attendant is left trouble free and avoids confrontation.
The uncomfortable baby-stare
Ever had a cute kid peek at you over their seat and stare you down. At first it’s a delight to see the angelic face. But, after three minutes of baby-stare, the delight wears down to a level of discomfort.
What to do about it?
This is a tough one, because all kids are different. Engaging them might be dangerous if you don’t want to be bothered. I love kids so my initial reaction was to pull a goofy face at them and say hello. Sometimes the kid would immediately go shy and hide but, more times then not, however, the game was on!
All well and good if you want to have playtime at 30 000ft with a toddler for 2 hours. Not so much if all you want to do is relax. Ignoring them seems to work best. I will say hi and immediately go to my book or movie and silently pray that the Universe will hit that kid with an overdose of melatonin or boredom. Generally though, it gets boring fast for the child if you do not react and just go about your business. The baby stare eventually should break off.
A sleeping passenger and getting past them when you need the bathroom.
How often have you been in the situation when you have just downed your third wine or coffee and your bladder keys in a time out? You look toward the aisle and see that your route is blocked by a sleeping ‘not-so-beauty’. Yikes, now you have to negotiate past. Our natural inclination is not to wake or disturb anyone. This is one case where you need to break against the social protocols and actually wake someone up. Trying to spider your way past a sleeping passenger could have you in a seriously compromised position should the person wake up find you straddling them.
How to handle this issue?
Wake them up! Better still, avoid the inner seats altogether. I always opt for an aisle seat. The only disadvantage would be if it’s a row of three or more seats – that means two people are going to need the bathroom at some stage and you’ll get woken up several more times. However, I’d rather that than having to negotiate my way past two sleepers if I’m stuck in the window seat.
The other problem: A passenger who decides that you’ll make a nice pillow …
Many people feel intimidated by this situation. It can be very embarrassing. I had this happen to me when a woman went into slumberland and rested her head against my shoulder. I had no idea how much a head could weigh! Are there any worse social situations then this? I have tried coughing really loudly – that didn’t work. I have tried moving gently, hands at the ready to catch a falling head but, in this case, she was stuck to me like Velcro. And then I have taken the last resort of action available….as described below.
How to be polite and get what you want?
You know what, forget the niceties. Wake them up!
How to get an upgrade?
It’s not easy and there are no guarantees. No matter what your charm skill set is, you may find the mission a failure. However, it is always worth asking.
Like they say, you cannot win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket!
Actually, win the lottery and fly first class!
