How to get a Free Airline Upgrade on your Flight - Fly First

Author: D Smith


Everyone wants to buy the cheapest economy ticket and then turn
up at the airport hoping get bumped up and upgraded to business
class or even first class. Let's face it, who doesn't want more
comfort and legroom, luxurious service and full lounge access
which come as standard for first and business class passengers.
The current generation of flat seats in premium cabins of major
carriers make flying long-haul much more comfortable than ever
before.

Here are a few basic tips for maximising your likelihood of
getting that elusive upgrade and rubbing shoulder with the first
class jet-set.

1. Join the Elite. Become a member of your airline's
frequent flyer program. If you can reach 'elite status' then you
will greatly improve your chances of getting upgraded if there
is any availability on the day you fly. Please note, business
class is sometimes full and there will be no free upgrades
available at these times.

2.Don't Hub. Avoid flying from your carrier's main hub.
You will be competing against masses of frequent flyer members
so your chance of a free upgrade is minimal. In other words it
is more difficult to get upgraded with British Airways if flying
out of London Heathrow.

3.Think Small. Choose one of the smaller frequent flyer
programs with fewer members to reduce competition. The biggest
programs in Europe are those of Lufthansa, AirFrance-KLM and
British Airways with literally millions of members. US programs
are massive - the top 3, United, American and Delta probably
have well over 100 million members between them! A good option
is to join a quality Asian based carrier like Thai Airlines or
Cathay Pacific who have far fewer members.

4.Watch the Load. Book a flight that is likely to have a
full economy section. A few days before your flight, check the
availability of business and first class seats by doing a
pretend booking on your airline's website or use one of the
class availability tools on the web.

5.Choose your Aircraft and Destination Carefully. Choose
a destination that doesn't carry heavy business traffic. Also
try to fly on wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 with plenty
of available first class and business class seats.

6.Dress Smart. This is a cliché, but you should try to
dress well in 'smart casual' or business attire and carry decent
looking luggage. If you don't fit in with the flying elite the
airline may not upgrade you. Turn up with an economy ticket and
a backpack and you'll probably be sitting at the back!

7.Invest in your Travel Knowledge. If you are serious
about flying in business class but only have an economy budget
then you should invest in the Ultimate Airfares & Upgrades
Guide. This includes a simple and highly effective strategy to
gain immediate upgrade priority, shows you hidden criteria the
airlines use in selecting people for upgrades and gives you many
more insider tips and tricks in getting that elusive upgrade and
finding the very lowest possible airfares in any class.

About the author:
DS is a freelance aviation consultant. This is part 1 of a 2
part series on how to get a free airline upgrade on your flight.
Part 2 is only available in the free articles section of
http://www.airtravelgenius.com.

The best-selling Ultimate Airfares & Upgrades Guide is now
available at http://www.airtravelgenius.com.