The Guerilla Guide to getting UPGRADED
I’ll start with some back ground information that is going to help you achieve the forward cabin movement you are looking for. There are few points to remember, when you are preparing for the task at hand.
The check-in agent is most probably been there a few hours, more often than not, on an early start shift, so as presentable as they might be, they are hiding some level of tiredness. They are not the highest paid people on earth, and those who work in airports who are reliant on their salary, frequently do double shifts which can be anything up to 16hours, so as you can imagine, this affects your chances.
They have heard it all before – even the new relatively uninitiated, will already be as hard as nails when it comes to passengers asking for things.
It is very rare they are the one’s who’ll elevate you in cabin – this either done by the back office or the dispatchers at the boarding gates.
What your aim is, at the check-in desk is to get a comment on your booking SFU (suitable for upgrade) – I’ll come to methods on this in a while.
Preliminary back ground research is to try and go to a booking agents and have them check loads etc on the flights you are looking at – if you can get a rapport with one, they soon start telling you which flights are over booked etc & in which cabins. This is useful as these flights guarantee some movement in bookings. Also if you book on these and then they do an off load auction at the gate it can be profitable. Again I’ll come back to this.
DO NOT BOOK AT ANY AGENCY – ALWAYS BOOK ON-LINE, IT’S FAR MORE ECONOMICAL.
Get the information of your flights, then start booking on-line. This doesn’t honestly affect your SFU chances, but it does save you money.
On the day of travel, look as casually smart as you can. I know when flying longhaul, comfort is paramount but looks are also a key as they aren’t going to sit a jeans & t shirt person next to a faired business of first passenger, no matter who you are.
Never use self check in either, this upgrade will only happen when you establish a rapport with a human, not a computer. When approaching the desks, try and go for one you have a good feeling too, give away things are a friendly approachable smile, relaxed attitude, if possible watch someone else being checked in by them before you. Be polite & friendly & also have a very self assured attitude about you as they spot & react to this very well.
If you are travelling on an over booked flight, this is where you get the SFU comment. Their system will constantly remind them they are looking for potential upgrades. Once they have moved their frequent fliers and alike, they then need to move a few more and this is where the SFU goes to your booking. When asked questions, friendly polite comments are good, with a little subservient behaviour, you’ll begin to get them warming to you.
Jokes about anything to do with flying etc are a complete no no, as I said, these people have heard it all before. If they get the impression you travel a lot, which can be useful to you, they might just give you the comment.
Other general topics that can be mentioned are by choice, but if you choose to do them, don’t go over the top, keep it as real as possible. Negativity to making the trip is a good one, “my editor insisted on me doing this article, would have rather stayed home” etc, if you get the drift here, if they think you are a journalist doing a travel piece you’ll be home & dry – this also works when checking in to your destination hotel by the way, they will quite literally do all they can to ensure a good stay & you’ll be in a premiere room, even if you booked the cheapest option possible.
Im a staff writer for a national paper, I know how this all works J
The compassionate one can also be a good one to do. This can be done before travelling. Once the booking is made, you call up the help line and quote your pnr reference and mention you are the brother/relative of the person travelling & just wanted a note made they are travelling to a very close ones funeral, dying bedside, and please just look after them. This will show up when the flights are edited the night before travel, and if they are upgrading at that point, compassionates always get a movement.
Along these lines, you can try the more positive ones, such as ………
Don’t feign personal illness, they’ll question your ability to travel & equally, never request an exit seat on grounds of health as this will guarantee no success, they are only allowed to put A1 healthy people there.
This is the main point where you are going to achieve the upgrade as everything else then becomes beyond your control. It’s the office and eventually the dispatcher who will make the necessary changes while you wait to board.
I the case you don’t get upgraded but the flight is over sold & they have a very low no-show, they do start to try and bribe people to travel either on a later flight, a rival carriers or sometimes, on the next service the following day. If you have flexibility in travel and you volunteer, this is where you get lucky. Say yes to everything they offer, usually a travel voucher for your next flight booking, American carriers are most generous here, where $500 is quite normal, but always say you’ll do it if they upgrade you on the flight you actually travel on. If the flight is the following day, implore the distance you’ve had to travel to be there & get an over night stay at an airport hotel. You can ask for refreshment vouchers for dinner etc but that is a rare offer, but don’t accept the
Off loading unless they guarantee an upgrade for the next day flight.
You can also aim for popular destinations, to achieve this method, but then you need a very friendly travel agent who tells you the booking levels when you go for the initial research chat at trailfinders, flight bookers etc etc. Don’t use Thomascook or anyone who deals in their own package holidays as that is all they are going to sell you or talk to you about & you’ll not get your information. Equally, you wont get the figures you are looking for if you try to do this over the phone, it is very much an in person achievement.
There aren’t really many more things you can do unless you have airline employee friends or know a cabin crew person & book on their flight etc.
It seriously does come down to limited time first impressions and your behaviour and dress on the day. Don’t over do anything, dress like royalty, ladies keep hats to a boxed piece of luggage as you’ll just look out of place and chaps, equally a three piece is a little too much and best kept to the cases.
Don’t overtly flirt with the staff, and boys try not to fixate on cleavage either, the check-in staff when not checking in, spend a huge amount of time watching people and they are very cute when it comes to body language and implications. Harmless fun can go along way, but keep it as clean as you can. Gay check in staff are always pliable, but behave if you choose this option, harmless fun can work and if you are a male travelling eye contact & flirting can achieve your results in a harmless.
Last thing, just remember these people are only human, you may not think so at the time but try and imagine what it is like to do their job, with the shifts, bad pay and very often, quite rude people who travel a lot & are overtly arrogant. Stand out for the right reasons & if you approach the whole task in the mind frame of the staff who work their, you’ll be in the strongest position to achieve the upgrade.
Good Luck.
Just a by note – I have never travelled economy and have travelled very extensively.
