1. Travel at quiet times
A well-travelled Growth Manager at Skyscanner reckons: ‘You’ve got a better chance of getting a free flight upgrade by booking a flight on a bank holiday and other times of the year when business travellers are less likely to fly, as fewer seats tend to be booked up.’
2. Invest a little to get a lot
Sometimes, you have to invest to get a return. If you’re searching for how to get upgraded to business class, springing for add-on services like premium seats and additional luggage can work in your favour when airlines choose who to give a flight upgrade to. Another Skyscanner frequent flyer says: ‘My wife and I got upgraded by BA when we moved to UK from the US. Not sure why, but we think the massive baggage fees we paid helped.’
3. Be loyal to your airline
Another piece of wisdom on how to get a flight upgrade: Simply join the airline’s loyalty programme. Even if it’s at the lowest level, you’ll get rewarded before those not in the programme. Just make sure to get a loyalty card for each programme you join!
4. Be early for your flight
Your flight may only have one or two upgrade spots available, so if you’re really eager to get upgraded to business class, you can try maximising your chances of securing one by checking in at the airport ten hours before the scheduled departure. If it backfires, you’ll have quite a bit of time to kill at Starbucks, but it worked for a Skyscanner Product Manager: ‘My wife and I were flying to the Dominican Republic. We got to Glasgow Airport far too early, but at least there was no queue. The check-in person 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. So, we happily accepted.’
5. Check in later (but not too late)
There are various answers to the question of how to get bumped to business class, and this one is a bit of a gamble. While we don’t actively recommend arriving late for your flight, if you happen to do so without reserving your seat and the plane is overbooked, you might just be able to snag a free flight upgrade. Another Product Manager at Skyscanner said: ‘It works well at busy times, but it’s a dangerous game! If you’re too late, you might miss the check-in time, or they might have already sorted their overbooking problems by giving upgrades to the passengers ahead.’ Not a strategy for the faint of heart!
Love flying by the seat of your pants? Check out our top tips for bagging a last-minute holiday.
6. Check your emails
The frequent flyer above also recounts that Air France emailed him a couple of times on the day of departure, offering a cheap (but not free) flight upgrade. ‘I’ve twice missed this because I didn’t check my emails close enough to departure. One of these times, I had even called the airline to ask if they had any deals, and they said no! So, keep checking your emails even up to a couple of hours before you fly.’
7. Be nice
Kindness pays. Pay it forward and you could be in first class or upgraded to business class in the blink of an eye. A long-time Skyscanner employee recounts his lucky American flight upgrade: ‘Flying to the US a few years ago, I boarded the plane late (as usual), and there was an older chap sitting down in my seat. The stewardess (who I’d chatted to on the way in) was nearby and heard the guy saying he just wanted to sit next to his wife. I told her I didn’t mind sitting in his seat (it was the row behind, I think), and off she went, only to return five minutes later. She asked me to follow her… all the way up to business class!’
8. Dress to impress
And no, we don’t mean turning up at Dublin Airport as the Blues Brothers. Leave the tracksuit at home and dress up a little — either full-on formal or business casual should do the trick. Having gained a business class upgrade to South Africa while travelling with her boyfriend while they happened to be in their best threads, a Talent Acquisition Coordinator at Skyscanner suggests ‘looking good, wearing your Sunday best and smiling’ for a better shot at that coveted flight upgrade. It couldn’t hurt!
9. Try your luck
Don’t be afraid to simply ask for a free flight upgrade — just be polite, respectful and kind. Of course they can always say no, but what have you got to lose? If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
Need more tips to get your holiday off to a good start?
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