Did you know more than 60% of travelers inquire about upgrades at check-in? If you live with the unfulfilled dream of traveling in First Class because your budgets simply won’t stretch that far… here are ten quick secrets that will help you score that exclusive seat in First Class.
Do The Basics
Always, always do these basic things- they may not get you an upgrade but they will open the doors to the chance of a free upgrade:
- Dress Smart
- Arrive very early or late
- Sit near a baby
- Travel alone
An Expert Piece Of Advice
Complain if your seat is broken! Sounds simple but travel expert Rick Brown, author of the book ‘Kiss My Baggage Fees and How To Be A Savvy Travel Hacker, recently revealed a little-known rule which could get you into one of those elusive First Class seats.
If your seat is in some way faulty or broken (this includes the seatbelt), then you’re allowed to ask for a new one. “If one is not available in Economy, they have to put you in First.”
If you are unlucky, there will be another fully functioning seat in Economy, and you will remain in Economy, but if you are lucky… The moral of this story is that if your chair has any damage on it whatsoever, complain!
Become A Regular On Your Favourite Airline
Rather than booking on ever-changing airlines, pick one airline and stick to it. Build up status so that you can benefit from free airport lounge access and get yourself at the front of the line with free flight upgrades.
Grow Your Social Media
If an airline knows that you have 100,000 followers on Instagram, much like our own luxury travel Instagram channel, they are much more likely to upgrade you as there is value in them giving you a great seat. Let the airline marketing team know what you can offer, and this will get you at the front of the queue for an upgrade.
Use AwardNexus And ExpertFlyer To Secure Your Free Mile Flights
If you have collected miles, you may still have trouble finding available flights and upgrades. Yes, you can earn enough miles for a one-way upgrade in a couple of months, but without availability, what is the use? If there isn’t space available when you book, it may very well and most likely will open up before your flight. Expert Flyer and Award Nexus allow you to set alerts for when upgrades become available on any flight. The moment British Airways opens up space on your flight, you’ll be notified and can beat the rush.
Pay For It But Get A Big Discount
Book any luxury hotel or premium flight through our luxury travel concierge for discounts and benefits. We offer free upgrades, free breakfasts, free hotel credit, and VIP gifts at luxury hotels like Four Seasons, Aman, and more for the same price as the hotel’s websites. (Book direct and you don’t get these benefits, so why would you?). Our Business and First Class flight prices tend to be considerably cheaper than flight prices available online.
Finally, compare all quotes with google flights to be 100% sure you are getting the best possible prices.
Expert Blogs
Sign up to newsletters from expert blogs about flights and offers like HeadforPoints in the UK and View From The Wing in the US. They will update you when a too-good-to-be-true deal comes up.
Signup for email alerts from the airlines
Airlines offer Business and First Class flash sales. These flash sales are rarely officially announced. In the past, in these sales, Virgin Atlantic has offered Upper-Class return tickets for less than £1,000 GBP per person to destinations all over the United States. In a similar sale, British Airways offered £1,000 GBP per person returns in business class from London to Beijing or Shanghai (this is the price of an economy ticket).
If you have a preferred airline, sign up to their mailing list, so you don’t miss out!
You can track as many prices as you like to as many places and dates as you want on google flights. Decide where you want to go. Set up the alert and wait. You never know what price you might get emailed one morning!
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Note: All benefits & upgrades subject to availability & Terms & Conditions, enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.