Have you ever managed to smooth-talk your way into First Class? (Did you know the oxygen's supposed to be three times better there than economy!)

How did you manage it? I know a couple who were upgraded on a Virgin flight after they told the check-in desk they were on honeymoon (they actually were!). Tell us your top tips here.

Plus: check out How to Get Upgraded. Ed

My other half and 2 friends 'almost' blagged onto first class a few years back going to Florida.

Funnily enough we told them we were on honeymoon (we weren't but heard that line works sometimes) and were told that we would be upgraded if 'a certain group' failed to show as they had been told that 'the certain group' may not be able to make the flight.

About 20 mins before boarding, this 'group' arrived and so we were downgraded again ... however, it was quite nice to think we were travelling on the same plane as 'Chris Martin & Gwenyth Paltrow' ... never got the pics to prove it though

I hate to be depressing and all that but I have a disability and I very rarely ask for differential treatment, but it sure does not work with trying to upgrade when going to fly with airlines. The extra leg room would be wonderful.Must get back to Deal no Deal. Bye for now. Maybe I`ll win £10.000

never been upgraded to first but premier ecenomy (upstairs with use of the bar etc) as Virgin lost my case, couldn't find it for a few days into my holiday becuase it had actually arrived before me! Unfortunately now I can't travel to California any other way and have built up enough airmiles so I can travel first on the way home next time. I had better stay awake!

Urban myth!

I was traveling with two friends - we bought return flights to NYC with British Airways. Our tickets cost £200 each which is pretty cheap! On our return journey my friends last name got called out over the PA system. She went to the desk and came back to tell us that we were being upgraded to Business class!! It was wonderful, we could lay down and sleep, order anything we liked! Offered free champagne! Not bad for £200 eh!

The above story is nonsense - that sort of thing simple doesn't happen. There's nothing in it for the airline, and they run the risk of the upgraders mouthing off when upgraded hence annoying the full-fare paying passengers in the higher class. The bottomline is that the people who want to pay the least for their ticket are also the ones who most want the free upgrade.

Slight jumps in cabin class are available on international flights where the airline carrier has three or more travel classes. For example it is reasonably feasible to get an upgrade from economy to premium economy on both BA and Virgin if you are a frequent flyer, and similarly between Club World and FIRST on BA. However, I can't stress enough that this is really reserved for frequent flyers who bring regular business to the airline, not your once a year family vacation. Often people who regularly fly in Premium Economy on business will be upgraded from Economy when flying for pleasure.

The obvious and easy way to be upgraded is to offer to "bump" - ie accept a seat on a later flight if your flight is fully booked. If it's a regular service route (eg London to New York), then it just means waiting maybe 4 extra hours for your flight. Often if you bump you'll also get further incentives such as miles for a free flight (in your cabin of travel).

The difficult way to get upgraded is to be mistreated by the airline. For example if they lose your luggage on the outbound flight, or cancel your flight without telling you, and you turn up at the airport.

The other straight forward way to upgrade is to offer to pay for the upgrade. On transatlantic flights this can be as little as £150 on the day at the check-in desk, which will be far less than the full fare in that cabin. This works for you because you get a more comfortable seat, and the airline get another £150 from someone who was flying with them anyway. On very rare occasions offering to pay can actually get you the upgrade for free if you are a regular flyer.

The £150 I'm referring to is between economy and premium economy. The jump between premiumn economy, and business is closer to £600, and the jump between business and first is a further £600. (remembering that a restricted ticket in economy starts at £250, premium economy at £600, Business at £2000, and FIRST at around £3000)

However, the jump from economy to business (either Club World on BA, or UpperClass Suite on Virgin) simply doesn't happen. Please remember that these cabins are reserved for people (or companies) willing to pay silly amount of money for a comfortable experience on a flight that takes exactly the same amount of time for the economy paying passengers. The airline wants to maintain "exclusivity" in their most expensive cabins, so upgrading the lowest priced ticket holders isn't in their interest.

If my company wants to send me somewhere for business, then it's in their interests to make me comfortable and enjoyable to go, otherwise I'd stay at home. Hence if I go transatlantic on business (which I do regularly), then they fly me business. It means I can do work in the lounge before departure, then sleep in a fully-flat bed on the flight, so that I can return to work the next day fully refreshed. However, the perks of business class travel very quickly wear off, and you're left sat in a could-be-anywhere airport lounge wishing you could be at home with your feet up.

It simply isn't everything it's cracked up to be!

quote:

Originally posted by meerustar:
My other half and 2 friends 'almost' blagged onto first class a few years back going to Florida.

Funnily enough we told them we were on honeymoon (we weren't but heard that line works sometimes) and were told that we would be upgraded if 'a certain group' failed to show as they had been told that 'the certain group' may not be able to make the flight.

About 20 mins before boarding, this 'group' arrived and so we were downgraded again ... however, it was quite nice to think we were travelling on the same plane as 'Chris Martin & Gwenyth Paltrow' ... never got the pics to prove it though

I'm sorry, but, if I'm likely to encounter Chris and Gwenyth in Ist Class, I would downgrade myself to Economy Class!!