The Surprising Ways To Get Your Flight Tickets Upgraded (without paying full price).
Is it just us or does it feel like the tray on the back of the chair in front of you is getting an inch closer to your face everytime you fly?
I used to feel like I didn’t have much space for my legs, now I feel like my knees are beginning to hate me for crushing them against the chair in front everytime I fly.
The problem is flight tickets are incredibly expensive at times, especially if you want to be in business or first class. That’s why the vast majority of us stick to economy class. Sacrificing our precious leg room for our even more precious bank account.
Well know maybe we can help you save your pennies, and your legs!
Cheap tickets and upgrades are usually available, but you need to know the tips and tricks.
Skyscanner is a very popular flight comparison website and they’ve been doing some penny saving for customers for quite some time. Now airline insiders have revealed some interesting methods to get yourself a flight upgrade.
For starters, intentionally travelling at quiet times can help. Less demand means more supply.
According to a growth manager at Skyscanner, Lynn Unick said you’ve got a better chance of an upgrade, if you fly on a bank holiday or other times of the year when business class passengers are less likely to fly.
Sometimes paying for extras can help you get a foot in the door. A frequent Skyscanner customer said:
My wife and I got upgraded when we moved here from the US on BA. Not sure why, but we think spending $1600 on baggage fees helped.”
Another means of getting a free upgrade, is to frequently fly with the same airline and leverage your loyalty into upgrades.
It’s advisable to use a loyalty program wherever possible. Use the lowest level and when it’s time to ask for that upgrade you’ve already got an ace up your sleeve.
Statistically… earlier flights have a much higher chance of providing a free upgrade. The earlier the better.
international money
Also arriving early for your flight to check-in so you can be the first in line to ask for an upgrade.
David Low who’s a product manager said: “My wife and I were flying to the Dominican Republic. We’d got to Glasgow airport far too early but at least there was no queue.”
“The check-in lady told us that they had two spare seats in first class, and since we were the first to arrive, we could have them for free.”
Another good rule of thumb is to check for updates on the status of your flight could provide opportunities for upgrades. You will not find an email with an offer for a free business class ticket, but heavily discounted upgrades do become available quite frequently.
These emails are usually shortly before the flight when they are certain of which business class seats will not be taken at full price.
Skyscanner also shockingly suggested that losing your cool and complaining could sometimes bagg an upgrade! Fantastic for those who are not confident flyers, you can get your nerves out and upgrade your seat.
One frequent flier said he was left in an airport when his flight was overbooked. He then got on the next plane only to see a repeat and miss his connecting flight due to it being overbooked. After complaining he was given a first class cabin in Singapore Airlines flight.
Skyscanner even recommends just boldly asking. It’s not an odds on favorite, but there is actually more of a chance providing you catch the right staff on the right day of a completely free upgrade!
