Next, making it happen. Petersen offers the following tactics for getting a free upgrade:
Seven Ways to Keep Your Stuff Safe When You Fly
More Tricks of the Upgrade Trade
Ask Your Travel Agent
My own travel agent has a relationship with certain airlines that let her book her customers into preferred seats that are not released to everyone (usually toward the front of the plane, in exit rows and the like). She can also see upgrade availability fairly quickly, and many agents can add comments to your reservation that increase your chances of being chosen for an upgrade. Ask about these the next time you talk to your travel agent.
Search on First- and Business-Class Fares
Most regular folk do all their airfare searches for economy fares, but a recent search on some cross-country fares showed a batch of business-class fares that cost only about $200 more than economy fares on the same flights (first class was almost double this). It is worth the few seconds of your time to filter for business- and first-class fares when you search.
Watch for Business-Class Sales
Most leisure travelers also ignore advertised business-class fare sales entirely. I have recently seen transatlantic business-class sale fares for around $1,000 at a time when it costs that much to fly coach. This will take some persistence and sleuthing, but you can sometimes fly in the front of the plane for less than the folks crammed into the back of the plane.
Look for Two-for-One Sales...
If you are traveling with family or a companion, a two-for-one sale on first- or business-class fares could cut the cost of upgrading, well, in two. At current coach prices, these could result in a wash with respect to price, if certainly not with respect to pleasure.
...or Two-for-Two Sales
One interesting tactic to find yourself some breathing room offered by Petersen might appeal to folks traveling on very cheap sale fares: buy two coach tickets. Say you find one of these $35 roundtrip fares to Florida or the like; the airlines that offer these usually make up the difference in fees for checked bags, movies, food and other extras. However, if you don't need headphones or to check a second bag, you can skip all those charges, and get yourself a heap of legroom for $35 -- a lot less than the cost of most premium seats.
If you use this tactic, it will be important for you to check in your second seat, as well as present the boarding pass at the gate -- otherwise your seat could be given to a standby passenger.
See Our Latest Airfare Deals
If You Have a Title, Use It
David Rowell notes that judges, ministers and sometimes doctors are more likely to get upgrades. By all means, if you have a title, put it on your reservation.
In all honesty, your chance of falling into one of these free upgrades is slimmer all the time -- even Rowell has stopped trying entirely. That doesn't mean you have to; if you have had recent experience with surprise or unpaid upgrades, let us know in the comments below.
Go Anyway,
Ed Hewitt
TravelersEd@aol.com
Features Editor
The Independent Traveler
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If the flight is relatively empty, your chances are slim. Even though seats in business class may also be empty, the airlines don't usually upgrade people for no reason. If the flight is full, your chances are better. Airlines carefully plan how much they oversell flights, and their inventory departments are not upset if people need to be upgraded to accommodate everybody on the flight. Therefore, on a full flight the airlines sometimes are forced to upgrade people. In this scenario, if you have a good story, you may be lucky. Remember of course that business or first class may already be full from prebooked elite-level upgrades.
- Volunteer to give up your seat if the flight is oversold. Tell the agent that if they don't need your seat but they do need somebody to upgrade, you'll be happy to volunteer for that. Small chance, but worth a try. If they end up needing your seat for someone else, ask whether you can be upgraded on the next flight.
- If you have been inconvenienced by the airline, don't hesitate to ask for an upgrade. Again, airlines don't generally upgrade people for no reason, but if they have caused you a problem, that may be reason enough.
Seven Ways to Keep Your Stuff Safe When You FlyMore Tricks of the Upgrade Trade
Ask Your Travel Agent
My own travel agent has a relationship with certain airlines that let her book her customers into preferred seats that are not released to everyone (usually toward the front of the plane, in exit rows and the like). She can also see upgrade availability fairly quickly, and many agents can add comments to your reservation that increase your chances of being chosen for an upgrade. Ask about these the next time you talk to your travel agent.
Search on First- and Business-Class Fares
Most regular folk do all their airfare searches for economy fares, but a recent search on some cross-country fares showed a batch of business-class fares that cost only about $200 more than economy fares on the same flights (first class was almost double this). It is worth the few seconds of your time to filter for business- and first-class fares when you search.
Watch for Business-Class SalesMost leisure travelers also ignore advertised business-class fare sales entirely. I have recently seen transatlantic business-class sale fares for around $1,000 at a time when it costs that much to fly coach. This will take some persistence and sleuthing, but you can sometimes fly in the front of the plane for less than the folks crammed into the back of the plane.
Look for Two-for-One Sales...
If you are traveling with family or a companion, a two-for-one sale on first- or business-class fares could cut the cost of upgrading, well, in two. At current coach prices, these could result in a wash with respect to price, if certainly not with respect to pleasure.
...or Two-for-Two Sales
One interesting tactic to find yourself some breathing room offered by Petersen might appeal to folks traveling on very cheap sale fares: buy two coach tickets. Say you find one of these $35 roundtrip fares to Florida or the like; the airlines that offer these usually make up the difference in fees for checked bags, movies, food and other extras. However, if you don't need headphones or to check a second bag, you can skip all those charges, and get yourself a heap of legroom for $35 -- a lot less than the cost of most premium seats.
If you use this tactic, it will be important for you to check in your second seat, as well as present the boarding pass at the gate -- otherwise your seat could be given to a standby passenger.
See Our Latest Airfare DealsIf You Have a Title, Use It
David Rowell notes that judges, ministers and sometimes doctors are more likely to get upgrades. By all means, if you have a title, put it on your reservation.
In all honesty, your chance of falling into one of these free upgrades is slimmer all the time -- even Rowell has stopped trying entirely. That doesn't mean you have to; if you have had recent experience with surprise or unpaid upgrades, let us know in the comments below.
Go Anyway,
Ed Hewitt
TravelersEd@aol.com
Features Editor
The Independent Traveler