One of the most common questions I’m asked at my workshops and presentations is, “How can I get upgraded for free on a flight?” Compared to hotels and car rental agencies, bagging an upgrade through an airline is more challenging in recent years because more flights are flying at capacity. If you’re not up for paying extra or using frequent flyer points, here are five key ways to improve your chances of getting to the front of the bus:
(1) Dress Well
Dress comfortably but business-like. When I was a flight attendant, I once was standing beside a gate agent and a man wearing a nice, pressed long-sleeved shirt and jeans approached her asking if an upgrade was possible. She quickly responded with a no. After he walked away, she turned to me and whispered, “I would have given him an upgrade if he wasn’t wearing jeans.” Don’t wear sweatpants, t-shirts, tank tops, revealing tops, shorts, baseball caps, sneakers, open-toed shoes, torn or dirty clothes, mini-skirts, etc. And nix the backpack. Peter Greenberg, travel editor of NBC’s Today Show and author of numerous informative books including The Travel Detective series mentions this tip and other helpful advice in this video:
(2) Fly Off-Peak
As Greenberg mentions in his video, fly during quiet times of the day, week and year and the agents will have more leeway to move you from steerage. When are the off-peak times? Figure out when businesspeople are flying (particularly on domestic flights) and don’t fly then. The quietest times of the day are 9 am – 3 pm and 7 pm – 11 pm. During the week, travelling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays can help you score a premium seat. And, booking a flight when it’s not spring or summer break, holiday or other major event will help.
(3) Travel Alone
If there’s only one person looking for an upgrade, it’s easier for agents to change seats of solo travellers than those of couples or families. A frequent flyer I once worked told me that every so often, she gets bumped up to business class by mentioning to gate agents that if they needed to move her to accommodate a family or group travelling together that she’d be happy to switch seats. You could also offer to be bumped to another flight if it’s oversold. I’ll talk more about getting bumped off a flight in a future post.
(4) Have Special Notes on Your File
Something that sets you apart from other passengers may just help too. If you’ve made a reservation on line, call the airline and ask that they note on your file that you’re 6’5” or travelling to your wedding, 70th birthday or 40th wedding anniversary (if you are, of course!). Pleasantly remind them when you check in just in case the note wasn’t added.
(5) Pay Full Fare
If you’ve had to purchase an airline ticket at the last minute, chances are you’ve paid big bucks for it. Airlines realize this and may reward you by moving you up. When checking in, pleasantly inquire if there is a possibility of an upgrade due to the cost of your ticket. Keep in mind that there’s a hierarchy of who receives upgrades with frequent flyers, VIPs and passengers with special circumstances being at the top. Full fare-paying passengers are close behind.
Although employing these strategies won’t guarantee you an upgrade, you may as well try! Happy flying!!
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