Tricks to upgrade on board the flight
Air traveling is made more affordable these days with so many no-frills airlines competing against the service oriented airlines to get the bigger bite of the cake. While the cake is getting bigger with the economic recovery especially with the rapid growth in Asia, the introduction of new players in the aviations industry has made competitions more interesting and beneficial to the traveling consumers. This creates an environment of paying less and gets more. When one has to pay slightly more to travel, the expectations may hit the sky and some may demand to be upgraded after knowing there are seats available in Business or First Class. This phenomenon is more obvious on long-haul flights.
The tricks used by many travelers are:-
- Getting the seat next to the mother with infant. Complain that you cannot tolerate the baby’s crying. Refuse your seat allocation of the same class as you have specifically requested for that particular seat and will not budge unless being upgraded. Your demand is more effective prior to the flight departure as the airline has to meet the scheduled departure timing. During this sensitive period the flight crewmembers including the ground crew are time cautious and would not want any problem to cause the delay unless the problem is safety related. So, during this opportunistic time, one would think that he may get his way. The answer is …….Most cabin crewmember would have gone through this experience many times in their flying career and it would not hesitate to have such kind of customer taste the bitter pill when required. Usually another seat in the same class is offered to you when the cabin is not fully occupied as your claim may be genuine that you could not tolerate baby’s cry. Once your motive is confirmed that you pull the trick to be a problematic passenger to get yourself upgraded, the crew may have few options to execute, however lets look at the 2 commonly use options.
- The crew may off-load you from the flight as you have refused to be seated and buckled-up as a safety hazard. You may dispute that your demand is not safety related and your complaint is legitimate that warranted you to be upgraded. Whatever the reason may be, you are not deprived of a seat in the class that your ticket states.
- The crew may upgrade the mother and the infant and allow you to retain your originally assigned seat. In doing so, the crewmember is making the mother and the infant happy and comfortable and an experience that you would not want to repeat.
From the above scenario, it clearly shows that the trick would not work. So, one may want to try another.
- While in the holding lounge, look out for passengers who are holding the Business or First Class boarding pass. Board the plane along side with him to the cabin of his seating and confidently take any vacant seat. Walla ……! You have got yourself upgraded and it is so simple. Enjoy the facilities while you there and if the crew is blind, you may get away till you arrive your destination.
In the First Class, one would enjoy a fully reclined seat/bed in a private cabin, meal time as requested by you, a fully interactive in-flight entertainment with much wider screen and many more that I would leave it to the respective airlines to market their products. With all those pampering, one would certainly arrive refreshed at his destination. Now, do you think it is worth the embarrassment when caught to be a free loaded? You have the answer.
- Another way, call any of your pilot friend that works in the airline you are flying. Usually, the pilots get their way especially in the airlines of developing countries. Once they decide to upgrade you, the other crewmembers would not question and you are there to enjoy the facilities. One may say that this is an abuse of authority; however, these abuses are seldom reported. The commander of the flight is fully responsible to the safety & comfort of everyone in the plane. Ensuring that everyone gets a safe & comfortable flight does not include upgrading of a selected passenger as it creates discomfort to others on board. Other passengers that pay to enjoy such facilities would certainly feel cheated and your presence is like a sore-thumb sticking out in the cabin.
- When you are traveling in the group of 4, buy 2 tickets for First or Business Class and the other 2 Economy Class. During the flight, tell the operating crewmember that you and your family members are being separated and would like the crew to upgrade them from Economy Class. Being in First Class clearly indicates your status and that the crew could face a negative repercussion if your request is not entertained. I would say that this is the lowest level of tricks that one would use to get upgrading done and usually this kind of customer (VIP included) does not feel ashamed, thinking that their demand is justifiable as there are vacant seats available in First Class. This action is tantamount to paying for ala carte meal but demand to have buffet spread.
As we venture into ways to get a free upgrade, we have yet to find any effective trick that really works. Let’s venture further
- Before the day of the flight, visit your regular doctor to get him to issue you a medical letter stating your requirement in preventing the aggravation of your injury. Present this letter to the Senior/Chief Purser/In-flight Supervisor when boarding the plane. Your doctor’s letter would certainly get the attention of the crew as the airline would be held responsible to your safety & comfort. To protect themselves and the company from any legal litigation, the crew would require you to sign an indemnity form as you have highlighted your injury by the medical report. Failure to sign this form may get yourself off-loaded as you would be considered unfit to travel.
- Sneaking into First & Business Class cabin when everybody is asleep is the most commonly use trick. Once in that cabin of your choice, make yourself comfortable until the crew call for return to your originally assigned seat. Waking up from your “sleep” to respond to such call is not your intention. Continue to fake your deep sleep until smelling salt is placed under your nose to make you jump up from your seat during that quite moment of the flight.
Those stated above are some of the commonly use tactics and there are 101 ways to get you upgraded on board the flight as claimed by some writers. Treat these books as reading pleasure as the applications have yet to be successful. The airlines are aware and would have trained their staff in handling the situations and overcoming the problems in a very professional manner. I would suggest that you pay to enjoy the facilities and make everybody happy instead. My final word is ‘Nothing comes Free’.
