We’re going on vacation in a couple weeks, and on a whim, I asked my travel agent what it would take to get an upgrade to first class. Turns out that it would be ridiculous to pay for it - it’s about 5 times as much as the coach class tickets we bought - but she mentioned that you can occasionally talk your way into first class. She claims that she has clients who manage to do this 70% of the time. She says first to “dress the part” then when you get to the airport, ask at the gate if they have any room on first class, explain it’s a special occasion, and ask if it’s possible to be upgraded. She says if they have room and if you’re polite that quite often you can get an upgrade. Has anyone tried this? Is it really possible?
I’ve gotten into first class by waiting standby when coach was full.
I have tried it with limited success. You are certainly more likely to be given a good seat, if not first class, by treating your ticket agent with courtesy, respect, and giving them somehting to smile about.
I tried on my honeymoon…was very polite, explained the situation, used a little humor…the ticket agent actually checked 1st class, but it was full. I suspect if it wasn’t, we may have gotten upgraded.
One time on the redeye from Vegas I got upgraded to Business Class. A guy checking in next to me did the same thing…along the lines of “If you have a kind bone in your body, you’ll tell you can put me into Biz class.” Sure enough, he was next to me on the flight.
It helps to say “I have a bomb” in a courteous, respectful manner.
“I have a bomb” is also an excellent way to get first classed all the way to jail…free room and meals!
I’ve done it travelling with a baby. The seats with bassinets were already full, even though we had requested them in advance.
I think it helped that the baby in question was screaming.
My folks did, last year on their way to Florida from Illinois. Seems they got switched to a flight departing about 3 hours later than the time on their tickets (though when they confirmed the tix the day before there were no changes) and my mom had a fit. After bitching out everyone in earshot they got free drinks and a biz class upgrade.
–tygre
In my experience, it’s easier to do as a single person as opposed to a family unit. I’ve often gone to the gate and asked the attendants if there was a single available in 1st class. I usually just mention that I don’t fit in the coach seats too well. If they have an unsold single which isn’t filled by upgrades, they usually will place you in it. I’ve been upgraded quite a few times by just asking.
I too, have asked for & received first class. I’ve only done it if the airline has screwed up somehow & I’ve missed a flight, or been bumped or something. If you’re very polite to the gate people, and there are available seats, it works. Once was from San Fransisco to Budapest. My, that was nice!
My dad does this all the time. He flies first class about 25% of the time, but never pays for it. If the airline does any little thing that’s inconvenient, he simply asks politely if he can get a free upgrade. If the plane is delayed or something, he usually gets free upgrades for the return trip.
Jman
Due to a weather delay in New Orleans, my plane was late getting into DFW and my connection left five minutes before I arrived. I stood in the long line with angry people to see what the airline was going to do to get me back to Los Hideous. The man ahead of me was very abusive to the agent, and was told that there’s “no room at the inn”. I went up and was very friendly, explaining that I know that the agents job must be a hard one, having to deal with so many irate people, but I really did need to get home, and isn’t there anything he could do? My attitude was just the opposite of the last guy. Guess who got a seat in first class on the next plane out?
(Too bad I don’t drink much, or I could have really taken advantage! But the food in first class was good.)
Yes. More than 2 dozen or so flight legs.
My best time was getting bumped up from Business to First Class from Italy to Atlanta on a BA 777. I got to sit with the Pilot and Co-Pilot and chat for a while too!
That’s a $10,000 ticket, BTW.
CAn I just say, I find that is very unclassy and NOT the way to do it?
Most amusing case of an upgrade that I saw :
Was flying from Hong Kong to Shanghai on China SouthWest. During the introduction announcements were given in Mandarin then English as usual. All was routine until just after the plane completed its taxi, turned and started its take-off run. There was a short announcement in Mandarin and some people started leaving their seats and moving forward carrying their cabin baggage.
As I found out later, the announcement was “Ladies and Gentlemen, there are spare seats in Business Class”.
At the time the plane was going through 300km/hr and the nose was about to lift off. The procession continued as we climbed out of Kai Tak and banked away. At an estimate, 20 passengers upgraded and a couple got there to find all the seats taken and had to return to their seats. Amazing!
Yep. It can be done, but your travel agent is indeed correct in stating that it helps to be comely, female, and traveling single. I have had my best luck with Air France and Air New Zealand…worst with the Asian and American carriers.
Definitely dress the part, be washed, be lucid. A cane or walking stick helps as it is incongruous and sympathy making. Ask nicely, and keep in mind that late night flights yield better results. If you are fully prepared to upgrade yourself, you will have far more credibility at the counter.
If you are a frequent flyer, tell them so. If you had an amazing adventure, or anticipate having one, by all means, share–enthusiasm is contagious. If you can engage the ticket agent in a rousing and amusing conversation (don’t try this on crowded flights) so much the better. A friendly offering of foodstuffs you might be carrying is sometimes rewarded. Don’t try this with drugs, especially in SEAsian countries.
Let’s see…
I’ve occasionally allowed an intriguing fellow traveler to cash in some last minute frequent-flyer miles to have me at his side for the duration, but this entails on-the-spot self-analysis and the potentially icky complication of being stuck next to a groper for the next 6-14 hours.
Finally, on trans-continental flights, it is often preferable to fly coach anyway…especially if you depart at night, because you can stretch out across empty seats and sleep, whereas in First, this is generally not an option. Hey, good luck, and have a grand flight.
a
My sister always flys Qantas and always gets an upgrade to business class. In order to do this she is:
1/ A doctor
2/ A doctor who helped out during a medical emergency on an international flight.
Aparently whenever her name gets put into their booking system she is flagged for an automatic upgrade.
As a former agent for American Airlines, I echo that sentiment. Had I been the agent your parents abused, they would have been sitting in the last row of coach, middle seats. Please, please, don’t do this. Sure, you get upgraded, but the entire flight crew is alerted to your jerkiness, and who knows what the flt attendants might be doing to your food/drink in the galley.
Contrary to what many people have said, I don’t think asking for the upgrade is the best way. Sure, it works sometimes, but I always felt like the customer was putting me on the spot, and it made me less likely to move them up. If there is room, and it seems as though you have had a bad traveling day, but are PLEASANT about it, then I am more inclined to brighten your day. I would sometimes upgrade people just for being nice. They didn’t have any complaints or requests, they just seemed like they would appreciate it.
Sapphire, I have a question. Do seat upgrades sometimes happen because somebody’s running ridiculously late? One time (at band camp…), I was horrendously late for a flight out of Hell A, I got to my flight, as far as I can tell, way after final boarding, because some bozo decided to fake a suicide attempt off the pedestrian bridge where the 110 and 10 freeways (read: the two freeways I needed to get to LAX)intersect. Anyway, by the time I got to the gate, they were pretty much done boarding everybody that was on freakin’ standby, and I was sure I was going to get bumped. Instead, I got an upgrade to business/first class (I’m not sure which, all I know is that when I boarded the plane and asked where my seat was, they told me to turn left instead of right). Is that (probably) because that was the only open seat, or because I looked like I’d already gone through hell that day, or just a random occurence? Don’t mind me, it’s just that this has been nagging at the back of mind since it happened…
well, it could have been any of those things- but most likely the agents gave your seat away when you weren’t at the gate 10 min prior to departure and the first class seat was the last one left - you got lucky, baby!