Seat Upgrades

Travel 101 | July 15, 2011

Good morning everyone! Today, I am excited about letting you all in on some secrets of snagging airline upgrades. When you are traveling for your honeymoon, sitting in First Class makes it all the more fun! So here are a few tips:

Stephanie Williams

Be Timely: Arrive at the airport early so that you are among the first passengers to check in for your flight. This is key to being at the top of the upgrade list.

Be Polite: Airline personnel have to deal with pushy and impolite passengers day in and day out. Approaching the ticket counter with a smile can be all it takes for a ticket agent to want to help you. Ask about their day, tell them you just got married, and be extra friendly.

Be Persistent: Sometimes airlines decide to bump people up to First Class at the very last minute. It’s very possible that while the agent at the ticket counter was unable to provide you with an upgrade, the agent at the gate has the capabilities.

Be Cute: Skip your typical flying attire of sweats and a t-shirt and throw on a casual summer dress or a cute top and flats. Although no airline personnel will ever admit it, they will probably be more likely to give you an upgrade if you dress the part of a First Class passenger.

Be Realistic: Unfortunately, just because you are a happy honeymoon couple doesn’t mean you are automatically going to get an upgrade. If you are flying to Tahiti and hoping for an upgrade, using “it’s our honeymoon” it most likely won’t work, seeing as the majority of the other passengers are probably on their honeymoon as well!

Be Smart: Always make sure to mention if you are a frequent flyer with that particular airline or a partnering airline, or if you have a credit card with that airline. These are always a plus!

Well That Is Cool

So those are a few tricks I (and past clients) have found to be very effective when trying to snag upgrades. What works best for you?