Airline upgrades

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OK guys, what are the best tips for getting upgraded to comfy seats on long haul flights these days?

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Ask on the plane.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

tempted by this also

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Pillow up Vicky's top (I'm serious - along with the wedding/honeymoon claim, obv - have an invite handy!).

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I dunno, these guys are still waiting...
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004Z0LW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

don't pretend to be a member of U2...

also don't get barang to do it for you ;)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

tell them her psycho ex is in the cheap seats and you have to get away ;-)

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

(ask on the plane)

Most airlines have facilities to upgrade on the plane, for half the price. But, as this means the cabin staff have to fill in forms, they often just give the nod.

Of course, if the travelling party is large in number, this might not work...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

just the two of us....

ok then, Pete too ;o)

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Be nice. Really. It's a shitty job and I've been upgraded after my girlfriend sympathised with the staff about the assholes they had to deal with a couple of times.

Fly the same airline. Virgin especially seem to be happiest about upgrading people.

Ask for a vegetarian meal. Gives them a good excuse to upgrade you if you've won them over. "Oh there are no veggie meals left..there's a choice in business tho'"

If you get a member of staff offering you money to fly the next day, (seems to happen more and more lately), say "yes..plus an upgrade, please."

― winterland, Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I hear that check in staff absolutely hate being badgered for upgrades. Wait until you get on the plane.

A man and his son were upgraded from the seats next to me once just by asking an air hostess when they got on the plane. I didn't begrudge it them - the kid had an annoying tsch tsch tsch personal stereo. I've also got friends who were given bottles and bottles of champagne by an air steward when they flirted with him and told him it was one of their birthdays (this wasn't a fib btw). I think you're in with a good chance of getting either if you can prove you're off to get wed (are you willing to bat your eyelashes a bit?)

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

show them a bit of leg Chris

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

or man boob if you're feeling daring

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

A bit of a horse's leg. In a sandwich.

Damn xpost

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

not to be contrary, but every airline i've been on in the past two years (quite a few) has said that there's a post 9/11 policy against upgrades done once on board. also, charging people half price for it seems to be a thing of the past.
the best thing i've found for transatlantic flights is to fly b.a. and ask about an upgrade to premium economy. they'll usually do that for free, but if not it's only about $200 extra. if you sit in the exit row, you've got a very comfy trip.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

we're flying continental, and I'm dragging Vic to the airport as early as possible to at least get a legroom seat

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Only about $200 extra. And which world is it you live in where this is a tiny deal?

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought that. Although, compared to the price of a full ticket, I demur. But then I do anyway.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

are you hoping to get a serious answer to that?

xpost

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

no, he's just being Barry

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, no, Lauren, but everybody I know who books transatlantic tickets spends hours looking for the cheapest ticket possible. I wish it could be otherwise.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

What was the cheapest in the end? Air India at £150? (=276 USD)

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Ahhhhh transatlantic Air India...choice of curry, free lager, *sigh*

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

*burp*

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Look at Madchen showing off to the Americans.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

choice of curry, free lager

Surely the best airline EVAH!

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

*cocks a snook*

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i got stuck on air india once coming back from london. i have never been on a flight with so many screaming children, although my mango dessert made up for it slightly.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Earplugs, we loves them, my precioussssss.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Jonnie got a Virgin flight for 190 quid, I think he may win

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

i got bumped up to business SFO-NRT (toykyo) just for helping a stewardess when something started started to slide from out of her arms.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Some kind of... goo?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

SFO-NRT sounds like goo.

― winterland, Wednesday, 7 April 2004 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

If you were going BA I could have maybe done something for you due to useful family connection (note to everyone else, this offer is limited to Vicky and Chris as I know them and they are getting married. Any other random BA travellers, don't bother hassling me, I won't do it).

Strike up a conversation at the check-in desk about how you are going to NYC to get married. You're more likely to get upgraded there than on the plane. If they are super-nice (like BA were to us) the captain will come and talk to you and you can get extra free drinks off them.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

toykyo... ? hmm... it was like a few plastic/metal trays.

i just remembered how it was initiated, she asked me how tall i was and i told her. she suggested that perhaps i might be more comfortable in biz class. i thanked her immensely, asked for her name and wrote a letter to the cusomer relations dept. commending her service (no details) of the airline when i arrived back home.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Would it help to get to check-in really early so that you don't have a big queue of people behind you that the desk staff don't just want to get rid of you?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

My friend told me that if you tell a flight attendant, with a worried look on your face, "This is my first airplane flight, and in about one minute I think I'm going to freak out," then the attendant will whisk you away to an isolated part of the plane (if there is one), put a wet towel on your head, and make relaxing "shhh shhh" sounds. I don't know if he was making it up, but it might be worth trying. This same friend said that he goes to gay bars and gets old men to buy him drinks with the "I just came out" routine, so I don't really doubt that he's tried the plane technique.

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

hahaha!

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

When I was going on holiday a couple of years ago, someone in front of us claimed to be claustrophobic and unable to sit in small spaces. This worked.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

it's still possible i will be doing the routine described by Ernest during my flight, but it won't be an act (i have flown before, but nothing over 2 hours)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

But Ernest, do you then have to pretend to be freaking out the whole journey? That might get tiring. The claustrophobia thing might work better, although if I were a flight attendant I'd be tempted to ask if they hadn't thought of that before they booked a plane ticket.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't get drunk and start harassing the stewardesses shouting "I AAM R.E.M.!"

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

The "claustrophobia sufferer" one actually went to the airline desk at Gatwick prior to check-in (we were doing the same to wangle upgrades as we'd won the holiday in a competition) rather than bother the flight attendant. I think this may have a better success rate, if you are just chancing your arm with people you won't be encountering on the plane rather than hassling on-board staff.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Better to do it at check-in, get there early, at least you can go for the exit row seat. The one time I managed to get it to work I had the upgrade taken away from me at the gate. One tip though, if you are on an exit row on a 747, don't get the 'window' seat' It doesn't have a window and about half the seat's legroom is taken up with emergency slide and it's really uncomfortable (i've been in this situation, it wasn't pleasant.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

has anyone tried Travelocity's seat request thing yet and did it work? i was going to do it but ended booking through Opodo instead

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I tried one of those once, opodo has one too, it does bugger all and you can't prebook exit row seats, they have to see that you are physically able to operate the emergency exit before they will give one to you.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.seatguru.com/

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it odd to say that coach doesn't really bother me at all?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

How long are your legs?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

kind of odd. it sucks being crammed in like a veal calf. i hate flying, so i get clammy and claustrophobic and fidgety. the more space i have, the better i feel. i'm not that tall, and if i get uncomfortable then i can only imagine how rotten someone with longer legs would feel.

xpost

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, quite rotton.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Rotton? That wasn't even a typo but I don't think I've ever spelled it like that in my life. I do worry about losing brain cells.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

don't worry. the other day i typed "all though" instead of "although" and thought nothing of it until a horrified coworker told me i had made an error. adding insult to injury, it took me several read-throughs to figure out what i had done.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm actually kind of tall. I've been in first class, and if someone else is paying for it, it's very nice. However, coach just isn't bad for me..

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

You can get up and walk about a bit! It's fine! It's not that long out of your life to be uncomfortable, especially as it's getting you long distances in short times.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

It's no good getting up to have a walk if you're trying to sleep!

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Coach is just so uncomfortable -- I feel like I'm being squashed into this tiny tiny space. And I always end up being surrounded by a passel of wailing brats for the entirerity of my flight. But it's not like I can afford first class...

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i hate the armrests battles... those are the worst.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

People kicking you in the back for fun is worst.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Especially when it's the cabin crew.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm 6 foot three and "bulky" ryanair and the like are bloody torture for me, so we're getting there chuffing early.

The worst thing for me is people reclining their seats onto my knees, last time it happened I said "excuse me your dislocating my knees" he replied "and......"

wanker, so I spent the rest of the flight kicking his seat, especially every time he was about to have a drink

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

stop harshing my transatlantic buzz you bastards. it's bad enough that i will probably have to watch Love Actually on the plane over

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

wanker, so I spent the rest of the flight kicking his seat, especially every time he was about to have a drink

So it was you!

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

surely it's not that cramped in Virgin Atlantic economy anyway

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

We tried on the flight to our wedding and on our actual honeymoon - no joy whatsoever.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

probably not no. N I know it wasn't you as it was some fat necked east end twat

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I feel terrible about reclining my seat, but if the person in front has done it to me, and everyone else on the plane seems to be asleep but me, surely I'm not to be hated?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

aieeee! i hate seat kickers!! i had to tell a little brat last year to stop doing that, and he started crying. i ended up feeling like an ogre, although he was obviously in the wrong.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I would have felt a great deal of satisfaction, those little brats need to learn how to behave if the parents are just going to let them act like rabid dogs.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

it's kind of polite to check with the person behind you. I know I always do when I recline mine.

Lauren I doubt if you were,, but if you were crushing his kneecaps then it was entirely justified.

Worst thing ever - hyperactive kid in next seat to me all the way back from Kuala Lumpur, at one point I was asleep and his parents didn't give a shit about him as he climbed out of his seat and whacked his book across my legs. I nearly flushed him down the toilet.

I tend to get really annoyed on planes

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

after taking my sister to the airport and waiting in line for three hours for her to check in her bags, I decided the next time I flew I was going to look into first class.... It was about $2,000 more than economy. I gasped, I tell ya.

― mandee, Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

coach only usually sucks when it's a full flight. but if the flight's not fully booked, coach is okay.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The thing is, it was a bunch of Loaded-reading thugs behind me, and I suspect they would have told me to fuck off if I'd asked, and then I'd be forced to concede that I wasn't really 'asking' at all.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I like flying! Although having been in a long-distance relationship and doing some extensive travelling for the majority of the last 6/7 years, the novelty is beginning to wear off somewhat. I just like it when they have ice cream.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I also always find myself reading Wired on planes and thinking "this is good! I must subscribe to this!" and then forgetting all about it until my next flight.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

It was about $2,000 more than economy. I gasped, I tell ya.

the difference between economy and business class from nyc to london was about $8000 last time i checked. makes the lousy $200 for premium economy seem pretty puny, eh?

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

How much do you have to pay for them to let you lie down in the overhead luggage lockers?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

i've never thought to ask. strange. no idea why.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I tend to get really annoyed on planes

Just planes?

Sadly every time I hear the phrase Mardy Army on the news I think of Cabbage ...

― Mooro (Mooro), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I got a free upgrade from JFK to LAX by smiling and asking nicely. And then I got to sit next to Selma Blair.

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Im not sure I get this upgrade concept. I mean, if you wanna fly business class, you pay (through the nose) for it. Why would they just let you sit up there if you paid cattleclass price just because you were nice or you had long legs?

Being offered an upgrade becase of an inconvenience I can grok - customer relations and all that - but just asking for one? This is some new and strange thign to me. Whats the point of a $10,000 first class cost to the UK if I could just say "hey stick me up in first, youre such a wonderful lovely hostess"!!??

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I assume it's cause first-class is under-booked so no one is going to be sitting up there anyway, and if they give you a free upgrade you are likely to fly the airline again.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:15 (twenty-one years ago)

If you fly one airline enough to be elite level frequent flier (usually about 25,000 miles in a year, or 5 flights from east coast to west coast), upgrades are easier to come by. It depends on the airline- the one I'm elite on will upgrade me on domestic flights, but I have to trade in miles to be upgraded on international flights. I usually go for the get-there-early-get-an-exit-row thing then. Although as Ed noted, avoid the window seats with the escape slide sticking out in front of you!

Also, the extra space and ice cream for dessert are the only good things about first class these days- I carry on my own lunch (usually a nice sandwich from the bakery here) & then just eat the salad & dessert for the meal on the plane. The food is generally just as lousy as what's served in coach.

― lyra (lyra), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I also can't wait until I don't live 2,500 miles away from Boy so that I can stop racking up all these miles. :-P

― lyra (lyra), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I fly a lot but the flight from Melbourne to Canberra is not even an hour, I can handle sitting in a normal seat for that long. I dont even know why the bother serving food - it takes the whole flight to get it out and then pack it away again.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:28 (twenty-one years ago)

As I'm going on such long flights in the coming weeks, I hope I can somehow weasel my way into business or first class... I don't relish the idea of spending 14 hours in coach... I'm too large for the seats, there's no good way to rest in them that won't end in terrible searing pain (especially if you're arthritic), and I'm fairly claustrophobic...

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:32 (twenty-one years ago)

any time I fly 2000 miles, I try to remind myself how much worse it is to be stuck in a car on an interstate for 3 days straight. Then 3 hours of mild discomfort doesn't seem so bad. (if i'm still complaining, I try to imagine what making the journey in a stagecoach would be like)

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:38 (twenty-one years ago)

But, driving is more fun! Well, I only go on drives over 6 hours with just me + my dog, who is a big goofball & doesn't mind that I stop at like every rest area along our route. ;-) Besides, a whole trunk to fill up with snacks, playing your music loudly, driving around with the windows down.... versus sitting in a dry cabin, unable to move, surrounded by boring business types & rude people.

― lyra (lyra), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, road trips are fantastic.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

road trips are indeed great, but only if you have places to stop along the way and really don't NEED to be anywhere.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:55 (twenty-one years ago)

you and your dog is one thing. you and a car full of people is another.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yes, me + puppy + no real destination= wonderful times. Driving to college, say, with your sister & dad & random chick who lives nearby & goes to the same school = lousy.

And advice for Melissa: if you have enough time before your trip, sign up for a mileage credit card. Some will start you off with 5,000-10,000 miles, then it's usually $1= 1 mile. If you build up at least 75% or so of the miles that you need for an international upgrade that way, you can buy the remainder of the miles you need to upgrade. It's cheaper than a Business class ticket. Also, my credit card sends me a lot of special cheap ticket offers- I got a flight cross country for $100 a few months ago from one of their mailings, so it's useful anyway.

Or, dress up nicely, check in REALLY early, and ask at the checkin counter for an upgrade. Do not ask at the gate, they won't give you one, and by then most of the seats are already assigned.

― lyra (lyra), Thursday, 8 April 2004 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)

eleven years pass...

I had to "upgrade" my PREVIOUSLY CONFIRMED seat for today for $47, because it became NONGUARANTEED when the flight was overbooked, and I couldn't run the risk of losing out at the gate. FUCKING UNITED AIRLINES RIPOFF WHORES.

― the increasing costive borborygmi (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 24 June 2015 14:50 (ten years ago)

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