It's flying's Holy Grail; “upgrade, upgrade, upgrade”. Often you hear of success, but there are no guaranteed rules (except paying for it), as it's the last thing airlines tell us.
As there isn't a hard and fast answer, to compile this article I simply asked all MoneySavers via the weekly e-mail to tell us their success stories. The following is a summary of the responses. Good luck.
- Be polite and friendly
Upgrades are usually at the discretion of check-in staff so a bit of flirtatious charm can go a long way.
- Be subtle and discreet
Staff are unlikely to upgrade you if other customers are within earshot. “Have you got seats anywhere else on the plane?” is a rather nice way of asking for an upgrade, or alternatively request “an aisle seat next to the window!” – think about it!
- Scrub up well
Staff will prioritise customers who look the part, so that rules out any jeans and beach wear - however much you're in the mood for a tropical holiday! There's no need to wear a full suit as this can be uncomfortable on long flights; smart trousers and a shirt should do it.
- Join a frequent flier programme
If you're a frequent flier, then you should definitely consider becoming a member. After all they're completely free to sign up to and usually you'll be given priority over low fare economy ticket holders when upgrades are available or necessary.
- Get friendly with staff
Having friends or family who work for the airline will always help. Also, if you regularly fly on the same route, get to know the staff and they'll be more likely to keep you in mind.
- Avoid regular business hours
Flying during the working day obviously means more business people taking up seats and less opportunity for you to fill them. If possible, fly at the weekend or unusual hours to increase your chances.
- Fly on planes with larger first class sections
It goes without saying the more first class seats there are, the more likely it is you'll get one. You can either check the airline's website or use a site like seatguru to investigate a specific plane's layout.
- Get bumped off
Companies often over-book flights, especially in busy times like school holidays, and hope people will cancel or not turn up. Then they'll ask passengers to voluntarily fly on the next available flight and more than likely offer you an upgrade as well as compensation for the inconvenience.
- Celebrate in style
If you're celebrating a special occasion like your honeymoon always let the staff know. A good tip is to take your marriage certificate with you so you can prove it. You never know, you may get lucky!
- Use Frequent Flyer Miles
If you prefer a guaranteed way to travel in comfort without shelling out, you can always use your Frequent Flyer miles to top up the flight.
- Ditch the family!
It's easier to get upgrades when you're travelling on your own. Families and groups aren't likely to be offered them.
- Chat up the travel agent
Try and get the travel agent to annotate your booking with SFU (suitable for upgrade) or CIP (commercially important passenger), while it won't assure an upgrade, it should increase your chances. Marry a pilot!It speaks for itself!
- Be demanding
While it might work for celebrities, having an attitude isn't going to warm the staff to you and they'll be less inclined to give you an upgrade.
- Undersell yourself
While this won't definitely secure you an upgrade, if you're a Doctor or Reverend, make sure you book with this on the ticket. Some peoples' experiences suggest this will help you on your way to getting a luxury seat.
If you don't rate your chances of getting an upgrade, there are ways to improve the likelihood of getting those much sought-after bulkhead seats with the big leg room. While airlines say these seats are only allocated on the day of flying, frequent flyers may actually be able to pre-book them.
If not, why not try checking in online? As well as saving time, you might be able to grab aisle or bulkhead seats this way. If you've a back injury, get a certificate from your doctor to help persuade staff at check-in. Be aware, though, to sit by an emergency exit you have to be deemed ‘physically fit'.
Also use the airline's website or an online guide to airline seating to compare the amount of leg room you get. For example, Air New Zealand offers their lucky passengers three inches more leg-room as standard compared to BA.
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