asking for a free upgrade on flights.
- Thread starter utajoker
- Start date
Associate
I asked on my honeymoon and she then spent ages typing stuff on her computer, like 10 mins or so we were there in silence thinking it must be good news, then got told 'no'
Was gutting
Was gutting
Only been upgraded twice flying across the pond and both times was flying with a friend of mine who happens to be a pilot.
He asked nicely at the check in desk wearing his captains uniform and was promtly told no problem we had been moved to 1st
I had given him a load of stick about poncing about in his uniform too but it worked.
He asked nicely at the check in desk wearing his captains uniform and was promtly told no problem we had been moved to 1st
I had given him a load of stick about poncing about in his uniform too but it worked.
Only been upgraded twice flying across the pond and both times was flying with a friend of mine who happens to be a pilot.
He asked nicely at the check in desk wearing his captains uniform and was promtly told no problem we had been moved to 1st
I had given him a load of stick about poncing about in his uniform too but it worked.
He wears his uniform to fly as a passenger? What a douche!
Man of Honour
I used to ask lots (but I used to take several dozens of flights a year) and every now and then I got upgraded. Doesn't do any harm to ask, and it's a good practice for a bit of flirting/charm action 
Soldato
I've been upgraded once from Economy > Premium Economy in Sweden, on request. Have also been asked on the plane to move to Business class (First Class was full apparently) so a woman with a baby could have more leg room or something.
I Was also offered money ($200 + food vouchers) to get off another plane and wait until the next one (4hrs).
I Was also offered money ($200 + food vouchers) to get off another plane and wait until the next one (4hrs).
she was just posting on her forum that some poor guy is playing the 'hooney moon card' trying to get an upgrade
we are flying with air france, going from manc>paris>JFK and the same back.
we did have direct flights but something about the airline merging and cuting its amount of direct flights :/
but atleast we get to see paris! ( for about 10 minutes).
will ask if theres an upgrad available, as someone posted, wouldnt mine paying £10 to get some extra space.
Soldato
I second the dressing smarter thing. Look clean & sharp and it improves your chances. Sometime you wont get it right away and will have to go to your economy seat. But sometimes they take note of your seat number and once airborne the FA might come to you and offer you an upgrade. Happened to me once, it was sha-weet!
Thing is though, you are most likely wasting your time dressing smart if you don't regularly fly with the airline, you would also need to be alone and a holder of the airlines club cards.
My Father has been a BA Executive Gold card holder for as long as I can remember, it's quite common that he will get upgraded, but then he spends a good deal of money with them for business and personal life and won't even look at another airline.
Infact I remember him getting upgraded when I was a kid and leaving us all in economy!
The route also has a lot to do with it, if you are flying to a city or business destination its unlikely. If flying to a holiday destination that isn't fully booked there is more chance.
My Father has been a BA Executive Gold card holder for as long as I can remember, it's quite common that he will get upgraded, but then he spends a good deal of money with them for business and personal life and won't even look at another airline.
Infact I remember him getting upgraded when I was a kid and leaving us all in economy!
The route also has a lot to do with it, if you are flying to a city or business destination its unlikely. If flying to a holiday destination that isn't fully booked there is more chance.
TBH the whole dressing smartly thing is a load of crap. You're right about the frequent flyer thing though, the airline will always put it's frequent flyers ahead of everyone else, and rightly so. TBH I'd be pretty peeved if they put a regular customer ahead of me for an upgrade considering the amount of business and loyalty I give them.
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I think dressing smartly is also a reflection of the changes in the times. It used to be that going on a plane was quite an occasion, so people did put their best on. I know my parents did in the 80s even when going on holiday.
Nowadays you can be sat in 1st class wearing whatever the hell you want to. The only people who are really going to fly dressed up in a suit are those who have come straight from work or are going straight to work/meeting on the other end with no time to change etc.
Nowadays you can be sat in 1st class wearing whatever the hell you want to. The only people who are really going to fly dressed up in a suit are those who have come straight from work or are going straight to work/meeting on the other end with no time to change etc.
There are two types of people who fly dressed to the hilt. Those who have to go to or have just come from an engagement straight after/before the flight and those who try to get an upgrade by putting on their Sunday best and attempting to flirt with the check-in / gate staff. You can usually see the latter squeezed into an economy seat right at the back beside some beast of a person
The people who don't fit either of these categories normally dress for comfort. You're going to be squeezed into a small box of space for the next 7-11 hours. Might as well be comfortable!
The people who don't fit either of these categories normally dress for comfort. You're going to be squeezed into a small box of space for the next 7-11 hours. Might as well be comfortable!
Associate
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never been lucky but i upgraded to business class on a flight from Miami - Heathrow. Was the best experience ever! eating steak, drinking champagne, had seats which went flat, too bad i slept for a while and missed the experience
Flew with BA
Flew with BA
Always try and dress smartly, stand up tall at the desk and ask for extra leg room.
50/50 I'd say as to whether I get put in cattle class or not.
Feels good turning left when you walk through the hatch
I don't believe this for one second unless you have FF status or fly on a full Y ticket every time. Even then you are exceptionally lucky if you are getting anything close to 50/50