It is not as easy as it looks or sounds. Free airline upgrades is stricter than it used to be.
Yet, depending on the airline, destination and a set of circumstances, it is still possible to get that desired for upgrade.
During a recent flight back to Dubai, departure was delayed for nearly an hour after one of the passengers said he was not feeling well. This was just a few minutes before the take off.
The timing was not in his favour and the crew did not want to take a chance. After checking with the concerned authorities, the passenger was asked to leave the aircraft. The airline cannot put his life at risk, especially as it was to be a long flight.
“No, I am okay now”, the passenger said when asked to leave. Unfortunately, it was not his call. He had to disembark with the luggage.
“He was attempting to get an upgrade from economy,” said a crew member to my query. Whether it was truly such an attempt or not, I am not sure.
But I was surprised to read on the Net how many people actually lie to get an upgrade. I was more surprised on reading about tips to make such efforts fruitful when trying the out at the check-in desk.
First- and business-class seats are for the extremely well-off, and account for the lion's share of airline revenues.
“Billionaires won’t be asking for a free upgrade, so you’re going to have to be a businessman,” one website explains.
Wearing a suit, shiny black shoes, sensible hair and a clean-shaven face are likely to win favour.
Long hair, body piercings and visible tattoos are among the no-no list, another website had to say. Politeness can be quite helpful.
Travelling alone could also be taken into consideration for an upgrade.
Imagine a family travelling and one of them gets to have the upgrade.
I would expect the youngest member of the family to keep walking back and forth between the two cabins and driving the crew crazy ...
I called a friend at one of the airlines, and asked — only jokingly — “How can I get an upgrade? Claiming sick? When should I say it? After take off?”
This was the reply: “Try it — you will be laid down in the galley and they might call a doctor, if any is available on the flight.”
No outright lies accepted
Airlines, I was told, do offer upgrades, namely on busy routes and for members of loyalty programmes.
No outright lies are accepted. Pretending sickness could necessitate the calling of a doctor, but not a shift to a premium cabin.
While I do not want to sound like encouraging people to lie for a free upgrade, perhaps the timing of the ruse, duration of the flight and accompanying circumstances do play a role.
A passenger seeking to sleep on an overnight long-haul flight, after which he is expected to report to work, is not like a passenger who lies for an upgrade on a short flight during the day.
One of my friends before boarding a 16-hour flight urged the staff at the check-in desk for an upgrade.
Eventually, she was called to sit in business ... which she duly notified her friends on WhatsApp before take off.
Travelling on today’s aircraft, especially the premium cabins, are getting ever more comfort-oriented than earlier versions.
Seats in the premium cabins can be turned into fully reclining mode, when the mood strikes the passenger.
In these circumstances, why not offer up a “white lie” if it gets the weary traveller a chance to take in all that luxury?
There’s never any harm in trying, is there?
