Travel – Eat – Sleep

We all want to travel first class but we also want to only pay for the cheapest economy ticket we can get our hands on, so how do we manage to do both? Here are a few ideas on being best placed to get the best deal and put yourself as having the best changed of getting upgraded.

Finding the best deal

To find the best deal you need to research your flights, you need to check a price comparison engine and then once you have found the best deal there then check another price comparison as these can often differ by a pound or two. Then once you are confident of getting the best deal go to the airline directly and see what they can offer you. Once you have got your best price for the flight, then use an online cashback company where you can often get  1%-2% of the booking price back through them. While you are doing that then make sure you are paying for the booking using a credit card that offers you cashback of 1% also – this is the best way of ensuring you have got the best possible deal on your flight.

Getting the best seat

So you have your booking and got it at a great price. Some people will say that you will not then be able to get upgraded but that is rubbish, you can still be upgraded if you follow these simple steps.

• Be smartly dressed – it does help as if the airline has overbooked economy and need to upgrade they will not put someone in shorts and t-shirt into a Business or First Class cabin.
• Your chances of being upgraded are much higher if you are travelling alone, so you may need to ditch your friend at check-in.
• When checking in don’t be afraid to ask to be considered for an operational upgrade if needed. Do not demand it, just be polite and ask if you might be considered if the need arise.
• You can still ask at check-in if there are any special offers for upgrading – pitch it to them that they won’t want the seat empty if they can get someone who is willing to pay something extra for it.

So you  have tried all the above and you are still at the departure gate now with your economy seat – what can you do about it? Well, you can just go up to the desk and just explain that you spoke to the check in lady and you were advised to ask at departures if there were any opportunities for an operational upgrade. Again be polite and do not demand. I have seen someone demand with the gate agent to be upgraded because the seats are too tight for them and they cant have anyone sit next to them. Then for the agent to find the passenger who was suppose to be sitting next to this person be contacted and told that they would be upgraded and the person who was demanding an upgrade was still sat down the back of economy but with no one sat next to them – it can back fire on you.

Other useful things to know

• Airlines value loyalty so it wont do any harm to join their frequent flyer scheme before you fly and to have this card to hand, and say you have just joined and are planning a lot of flying in the future and unfortunately your secretary booked the wrong seat for you.
• Check in early… first come first served, this is definitely true of upgrades.
• Be nice, you wont get anywhere by being demanding or nasty to airline staff.
• Don’t expect something for nothing – airlines need to operate at a profit and its going to take a lot for them to put someone who maybe paid £400 for a flight ticket and suddenly decide to put them next to someone who may have spend £4000 so remember that.

Alan Carter is a business writer for a London Sightseeing Tours company and is also a Stonehenge Tour guide.