How do you get upgraded to first class? I've flown a lot, but it's never happened. If anyone has tips or tricks to land one of these plane seats where they serve champaign and give you extra blankets, please share. Thanks in advance for any ideas.
The days of getting upgraded to first class might be over. Best bet is to ask on a flight attendant or airline forum. Wearing a military uniform may give you the best chance but if you aren't military it's offensive and in some cases illegal. You could try wearing a nice suit, and be sure to have a copy of the Wall Street Journal with you, and possibly a laptop. Make sure to carry the Wall Street Journal under your arm, there's a specific way to fold it so that even tucked under your arm, everyone can see 'Wall Street Journal' (this sort of worked for a former professor of mine, but this was decades ago and he wasn't trying to get upgraded). But your chances are still slim. Flights tend to be overbooked even more these days. One possiblity, is book your flight a day or so in advance and hope they ask for volunteers to give up their seat for a voucher. When it starts getting tempting for most passengers stand up and say "Make it First Class and you got a deal!". But I don't know if that's how it works. In all the Dhar Mann videos, the easiest way to get upgraded to First Class is to sit next to an obnoxious, ableist, racist passenger, and let them complain that they can't sit next to you and demand a seat change from the flight attendants. Then after a brief discussion, the flight attendant will return and tell jerk passenger "Jerk passenger, there's an open seat in first class", and they'll be like "Finally!" and then the flight attendant will say "No, we are upgrading @deadrats to first class, no one should have to sit next to a passenger like you." But that's probably not realistic either. Actually none of Dhar Mann's videos are realistic.
First Class is a real long shot unless you started out in business. You can generally only go up one level, if there's a spare seat in first they're unlikely to give it to a) anyone, and b) one of the plebs in coach. Spoiler: Grey market stuff There are people who sell upgrades on places like ebay. The process is grey-market at best and if it doesn't work you've got no recourse because the sale is technically always for something like a postage stamp and they include their mileage number for you to present for an upgrade. If said number is declined, you've just paid a couple hundred for a 33cent stamp. Caveat strongly emptor, but look on ebay for airline upgrades. My father-in-law paid for upgrades for Mrs. A and I one time from economy to business (long-haul international) and it worked one way for me and both for her.
I’ve been upgraded twice once on a BA toNYC many years ago because the big boss at the time who was flying first requested that I be upgraded so I could travel with her ( she had a module to herself… nothing nefarious she just wanted to work and needed my input) and once on euro star ( a train I know) because I was having a relationship with a stewardess and she got me upgraded. back when I was in the service I never got upgraded in uniform, although I did get free coffee on a ferry once I’ve also blagged first class seat on trains a bunch of times by just walking in and sitting down.. if you look the part they don’t challenge you and if you pretend to be on a work call when the ticket inspector comes they rarely interrupt you … this of course doesn’t work on planes where every seat is booked
Trains are easy. But planes more or less impossible now. Getting upgraded on a plane from Cattle to Cattle Plus, or Cattle But With Extra Leg Space, now that is doable. 1. Always dress smartly. A lot of people dress down for flying. Be the one who isn't. Be charming without trying too hard. 2. Go check-in at the airport with the staff at the aeroplane co., not online in advance or on the machine in the airport. 3. Print your ticket details out and put them in an envelope with your name on it, like you are a big shot. 4. Be 6'4"+. Specifically: Ask what the details of your ticket are (after all, you have never seen it before, the office sorted it out for you). When they tell you its crammed into the middle of the worse row you say, "Oh, there isn't a seat with some more leg room is there? I've got these ridiculous long things, you see," self-deprecatingly pointing down at your wool suit trouser encased legs. I'm sure other bodily inconveniences besides being tall could work just as well. 5. Get offered a modest upgrade. Something similar works for getting complimentary champagne through-out the flight, only on the flight itself and with more friendly harmless flirting.
My wife flies frequently, on business and often international, so she usually gets automatically upgraded to first-class or whatever the title is. If I go with her, she sometimes swaps seats with me. The best perk is being allowed into the international lounge, with free food and drinks, and all sorts of things like showers, etc. So I can stand in the doorway, champagne in hand, and watch all the plebes trudge past or try to sit comfortably on hard plastic chairs. Then I go back inside, check out the appetizers and main courses, and almost hope my next flight is delayed. [Just joking after "So I stand . . . ." I'm well aware of my usual place in the pyramid of travel]
The only way out is to buy it or they will buy it for you, the chance that a person from a lower class will be transferred to first class is so minuscule that it does not even count.
