Airline Workers: Top Upgrade Tips Please

helmar29

I work for an airline and upgrading does still happen. It does help if you are a member of a loyalty scheme and any upgrading is usually done by the ground staff and dispatcher. As cabin crew we don't really have any authority although passengers tend to think up some wonderful stories as to why they should be the chosen ones..Also we are not stupid and I am always amazed at how some people will upgrade themselves sitting in a seat in a clearly different cabin to the one they have purchased. We do find you then you are given the choice to either pay the difference or to move!

The last flight I did had about 30 people upgraded into what is premium economy. So it may help to arrive late at check in when they are adjusting the final figures, plus if you are reasonably well dressed this will work in your favour. Finally there is no harm in asking the ground staff, just be polite and courteous. Being bolshie and thinking it is a right will not work.

Good luck and just to let you know that as airline staff we are not automatically upgraded. Have spent many flights sat wedged in the middle seat between two snoring men when I am dying to go to the loo!

stuart07970

Best story I ever saw to get upgraded was a honeymoon couple who said that the husband was suffering from SHINGLES, apparently this is contagious,
they were removed from the aircraft and refused travel until we received a medical certificate stating that he was 'fit for travel' THREE days later.

His new missus did not look happy at having missed the first 3 days of their honeymoon.

In short - don't jerk around with airline staff - they hold all the cards!!!

stuart07970

please do not follow helmar29's advice to show up late, you are more likely to get bumped due to overbooking!

What the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew never see is the trauma of refusing travel at checkin due to overbooking!
God bless the groundstaff!

cestor

The way they work, is that if they have capacity they allocate upgrades using the following criteria and order to determine priority:

1. Class of the Economy ticket - only the top 4 classes (I think they are P S and Y) qualify for this

2. Frequent Flyer Level - Platinum, Gold, Regular

3. Number of Frequent Flyer Points

So basically if you pay for a very expensive economy ticket you are much more likely to get an upgrade than if you are a Platinum member on a lower grade of ticket.

A.Jones

I always travel economy and never been upgraded. But then, I don't care. I prefer to travel in jeans and a t-shirt, and be comfortable at the airport. Flying economy doesn't both me.

If I was paying extra to travel first / business class and I knew that people around me were economy passengers, I would soon stop paying the extra.

I always find it funny that on some flights (especially smaller ones) the business passengers, that have often paid 5 or 6 times more than you (or even more), get to sit a couple of rows in front of you, only get a slightly better meal (it's still airline food, save your money for a decent meal at the destination) and maybe a glass of champagne. I guess business travellers pay the extra because it is not actually them paying.


I travelled first class on the NXEC train line in January (my first time, and for free, since I tried out the old GNER new ticket booking website and got a voucher). I didn't really find it much different to standard class. OK, you get a bigger seat. I regularly make 4 hour journeys, and the standard seats are fine for me. You get "free" tea or coffee. I've got a flask. But the train I travelled was full of business men making mobile phone calls. Endlessly. After half an hour, I moved to the quiet coach in good old economy. And you know what, coach B was at the front of the train, first class at the rear. So I even arrived before them.

RagingAardvark

FWIW, I got an upgrade last week.

Flying Air Transat (of all people) back from Vancouver to Gatwick, I had paid the mighty sum of £7.50 to pre-book an emergency exit seat.

When I boarded the plane - second from last - I went to 10D to discover that, not only was it in the middle of the plane, but someone was sitting there already.

I pointed out to the nice chap at the door that I wasn't going to sit there and turf someone out - as I'd paid for the legroom - and was able to show him my booking receipt confirming the £7.50 "pre-assigned seat" entry.

He kindly bunged me up into business - despite wearing a moose-skin hat and flip-flops.

Thankyou nice Mr Steward!

scrooge678

Stuart07970, airlines certainly do upgrade people without the lower grade being overbooked. I flew by BA in business class on a longhaul flight last year and when everyone was seated (therefore no overbooking) the stewards went back to economy and chose three people to upgrade to fill empty seats in business class. They chose elderly, smartly dressed people. I watched them do it and all they did was go and invite these people to move forward. The people concerned hadn't even asked for an upgrade. Business still wasn't full so obviously they weren't just trying to fill it up.

claireak1

I'm not by any means a frequent flyer, but have been upgraded twice. The first time was because of a serious mistake made by ground staff who, following a cancelled flight, then sent us to another destination to make a connecting flight, but never booked us on the connecting flight, leaving us stranded! I wouldn't recommend this as a way of getting upgraded. The other passengers must have hated us, as at the time we were two students, and we made the most of it!

The second was on a special holiday with my Mum and 2 sisters to New York. We dressed smartly, asked the check-in man politely, he said no, we accepted it, and then at the end when he handed us our tickets he said he had managed to upgrade us, at which point my mum burst into tears. I'm afraid I've no idea what worked, but it was a wonderful trip!

My sister-in-law works as long haul cabin crew for BA, and she says that there are no tricks. She has in the past tried writing a letter to the chief purser of the flight she knows friends/families will be travelling on, but this doesn't work either.

IvanOpinion

I appreciate that this is maybe not what Martin is interested in but thought I would mention it anyway (he can always delete the post).

It may not be free but sometimes the best use of frequent flyer points is to use them for an upgrade (the cost of upgrade being more than the cost of an economy ticket). I think it costs about 20-25,000 BA points to upgrade on a flight to America.

Ivan

myteeduck

I currently work checking in for a charter airline. I am willing to give extra legroom or bulkhead seats to any one either really tall (yeah i get them) or just people who ask if its avaliable. Extra leg charges but bulkheads are free if not allocated to someone else. So get there early and just politely ask if they are avaliable. As for extra leg if willing to pay get there early or otherwise show up late when they might be released due to lack other other seats obviously (but be prepared to sit apart from your party if none was left). I checked in a flight to Sharm el sheik today and the back area was all allocated out and if they werent allocated they were put in the extra leg front cabin - becuase we had no where else to sit them! The only time i have been able to free upgrade someone else was the last passenger last week on a flight to Puerto Plata - the couple had to sit apart but one got premium and the other got extra leg - so they were happy. ( the lead agent authorised it ). i have free upgraded someone on extra leg because of a special occasion. (again authd by lead agent). It also depends if they person checking you in has had a nice day as well. If i've had a bad day i sometimes say its not possible when i have the seats (or make them pay). Bear it in mind that this is charter and not scheduled so there is no airmiles or like on these flights - every one paid the same ish unless they upgraded at the travel agent!