Every passenger dreams of being whisked away from the economy cabin to a life of luxury in first class. Now a travel expert has revealed exactly how you could make that dream a reality.
While each flight and airline is different, there is a general consensus that doing certain things are more likely to prompt an air host to work their magic for you. Helping to get to grips with exactly what the onboard team are looking out for, expert flight attendants have revealed their biggest secrets for a holiday made even better, thanks to a premium trip on board.
It goes without saying that a key element to getting a free upgrade is being on a quieter flight, as there have to be open seats ready for the taking. When booking your own seat last-minute, closer to the time of the flight, you can see exactly how many seats are taken and gauge how busy your flight will be.
A TikTok travel creator, Shelby Church, advises booking your flight on the quieter travel days, which are typically Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday, Travel + Leisure reports. As well as this, she suggestss you should avoid the mid-morning departures, explaining, “I never hear people talking about this method, but it works pretty well.”
A former flight attendant, Kat Kamalani, also a TikTok creator, told Travel + Leisure that you shouldn’t wait until you get on the plane to ask for an upgrade; the best time to pop the question is at the gate. She said: “Once on board, there isn’t anything we can do as a flight attendant,” although this could just apply to her ex-employer airline.
The travel guru explained that gate agents tend to have a list at hand of frequent fliers on that flight who are eligible for upgrades. Although it could be your lucky day if nobody is on that day’s list.
All in all, an elite status will tend to land you the free upgrade behind the magical curtain of first class. The truth of it is, frequent fliers will always be the priority on empty first-class or business-class seats. Other perks of this can include lounge access, waived luggage fees and early boarding if you’ve built up a substantial log of air miles with one brand.
Kamalani advises passengers to be polite to flight attendants if they want to test their luck for a free upgrade.
She said: “If you just come on board and stick to yourself, you’re a great passenger.
“Even more if you are happy or kind to us. We get a lot of grumpy people that travel and take it out on flight attendants.”
Adding to this rhetoric, flight attendant and author Lia Ocampo explained how remembering and using attendants’ names is a big win in her books and is a clear sign of mutual respect.
If the seat gods are in your favour, the sudden change will most likely always be at the start of the flight; this includes when people are asked to move to help with the weight balance of the plane. Ocampo says. “The flight crew will then ask flight attendants to move passengers from the back to the first class or middle of the cabin.
“Then, we decide who we want to move to upgrade.”
The attendant makes it clear that those who are accommodating and happy to move are generally the first to be considered for a last-minute seat upgrade.
According to the experts, those with a baby onboard could have a better chance of securing an upgrade, and if touching base with attendants before the flight, you can discuss a comfier or bulkier seat. If you’re pregnant or particularly tall, you may also be a top contender for a more comfortable seat.
Ocampo suggests passengers should inform gate agents if they’re travelling for a special occasion; if dropped into a friendly conversation, this could go a long way.
She added, “Manage your expectations,” but added, “You never know.”