Forget dressing smartly or trying to charm flight attendants. Those tactics for getting upgraded on flights are myths.
Instead, heed the advice here from frequent fliers who reveal tips that actually work for securing upgraded air travel.
Our experts are Gilbert Ott, Founder of travel site godsavethepoints.com; Zach Griff, senior reporter at The Points Guy; and JT Genter, Editor-In-Chief of the AwardWallet blog.
Read on and you’ll learn why checking in at the last second can yield a better seat — but only on certain airlines. And why booking premium economy is one of the best ways of getting bumped up to business class.
Booking tips for a seat at the pointy end
If you can afford to book a premium economy seat, you’ve also landed yourself a good chance of being bumped up to business class, says Gilbert.
He tells The Independent: “It’s the smallest cabin on the plane and the one the airline wants to ‘upsell’ economy passengers into the most.
“They love to oversell this cabin with upgrades, effectively selling a seat on the plane twice to someone. And since it’s such a small cabin, here you’re most likely to receive a complimentary bump to business or first class.”
If budget airlines are more your price point, Zach recommends checking in at the very last second.
He explains: “If you’re flying on one of the ultra-low-cost budget airlines such as Spirit or Ryanair, I typically recommend checking in at the last second.
“They often fill their planes back-to-front and reserve the most premium seats until the last minute to see if they can convince people to upgrade to them.
“If they end up going unsold, it’s possible they might assign them to the last people checking in.”
Does the same trick work for more expensive airlines?
It can, says Zach, but he warns that “those carriers often fill their better seats with elite members”.
Stay loyal
Enroling in an airline loyalty program and staying loyal significantly increases your chances of a better seat.
JT explains: “The best way to get an upgrade to business or first class is to be loyal to that airline.
“Generally,…
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