{"id":17285,"date":"2014-04-22T01:00:11","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T01:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17285"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:39:51","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:39:51","slug":"how-to-get-upgraded-on-a-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/how-to-get-upgraded-on-a-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get upgraded on a flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I was transitioning my business class seat from upright to flat, an Emirates flight attendant on my flight to Dubai<\/a> hurried over and asked me if I would like a mattress.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, please,\u201d I responded in an octave higher than my normal tone of voice.<\/p>\n

Sitting in upper class is not\u2014and will never be\u2014something I take for granted. Once you score a taste of seat 1D, you quickly realize it’s heavenly, and worth planning ahead to try and secure.<\/p>\n

Having partaken in front-of-the-curtain perks such as personal pods, seats that double as massage chairs, and carts of sommelier-selected wines, it\u2019s always my goal\u2014especially for long-haul flights\u2014to get bumped to biz. Here are my well-traveled tricks for pursuing flight upgrades.<\/p>\n

Dress nicely<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unless you have elite status or you\u2019re a million-mile flier such as George Clooney\u2019s character in Up in the Air, <\/em>you need to look the part if you want to be considered for an upgrade. This doesn’t have to mean designer labels only. It does, however, mean no ballcaps.<\/p>\n

Fly airlines offering cost-effective upgrades<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re hoping for an upgrade and don\u2019t have the points or the status to make it happen, find an airline offering cheap upgrades. Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Virgin America\u2014to name a few\u2014offer reasonable, last-minute econo-to-biz fares. For example, Alaska Airlines releases unsold business class seats on its domestic flights for as low as $50 at the gate (and yes, I have taken advantage of this perk).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Emirates first class suite<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Focus on B routes at B times<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flying from LAX to JFK on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon will net nearly zero upgrade potential. The route is too popular and too busy with frequent fliers who will end up in any unpurchased upper-class seats. To thrust your chances of an upgrade into a better lift-off position: A) seek off-peak flight times, and B) find a similar flight path using a nearby regional airport (for example, Long Beach Airport or John Wayne Airport versus LAX).<\/p>\n

Be nice<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my favorite books is The Power of Nice,<\/em> which was written by two ad agency execs in NYC. In it, they talk about how treating people with grace (rather than a cog in the wheel) has revolutionized their business. Apply this same approach to travel and think about how practicing \u201cpolite\u201d could alter your airport experience. While it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll find yourself perched at the 25-seat, Carrara marble Long Bar at Cathay Pacific\u2019s flagship lounge in Hong Kong because you\u2019re a nice person, you might get bumped to the front of the plane for being courteous and understanding. I\u2019ve seen it happen on a few occasions, and experienced this up-up-and-away moment myself.<\/p>\n

Viewfinder Tip: Don\u2019t underestimate the power of asking for an upgrade. If the seating stars align and the gate agent is feeling generous, there\u2019s a chance you’ll get what you want.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Get Serious<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking ahead, if you\u2019re serious about launching yourself into the world of airline upgrades, I recommend two tried-and-true methods: Building points with an airline alliance (for example, Oneworld or Star Alliance), and charging purchases on a travel credit card. Five years ago, I deployed both strategies. This year, my husband and I have just about enough points to fly to the Maldives in business class for free. Thanks to flights here and there, and mundane stops for gas and groceries, I see a set of Champagne-class seats and an over-water hut in our future.<\/p>\n

What flight upgrade methods have worked well for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dishing on strategies to get bumped to business class and beyond<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1786,1780,1797,1787,1843,1781,1776],"tags":[33,563,20],"authors":[2232],"class_list":["post-17285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","category-inspiration","category-luxury","category-news","category-solo","category-travel-tips","category-type-of-vacation","tag-couples","tag-shoulder-season","tag-wine","authors-trip-styler","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to get upgraded on a flight | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/how-to-get-upgraded-on-a-flight\/\" \/>\n<meta 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