Mikemo, your comment has got to be one of the CRAZIEST things I've read on here. Maybe even whackier than MK2 raving on the "what to wear" posts! LOL

Are you implying that only larger people get upgraded? That is absolutely absurd. In fact, I would think it would be the opposite, as the airlines are notoriously mean spirited about larger people... trying to make them buy 2 seats instead of 1.

~k

<i>&quot;when I've paid considerably more for this I would feel insulted if economy passengers, who have paid far less are offered the same cabin and services.&quot;</i>

But this happens all the time on flights - even in coach. You never know what the person next to you paid for his/her seat. I've gotten some great fares and know that others seated next to me have paid a lot more for their tickets. And conversely, I have also paid astonomical fares when I've had to fly on short notice. I know perfectly well that someone sitting next to me probably paid 1/3 of what I paid for the same seat.

Granted, everyone hopes for a free upgrade, but I think on international flights, the airlines only give away free upgrades when they absolutely <i>have</i> to.

Last summer got upgraded on Delta to Business Elite when I asked for seats next to each other on our flight. Apparently, from the time I made my reservations till the time we flew there was a change in plane configuration. When I discovered my wife and I were given seats across the aisle from each other the gate agent put us together in Business Elite from Seattle to Atlanta. Wonderful. On the way back from Zurich to Atlanta, I asked the ticket agent if I could be moved forward from row 21 because I had a short connection time in Atlanta. Bingo! We got upgraded to Business Elite. It's the only way to fly. Never hurts to ask. I don't think our dress had anything to do with the upgrade. Depends on the ticket or gate agent. Tried to ask for an upgrade on my Atlanta to Seattle leg and the gate agent was aghast that I even had the nerve to ask for a free upgrade. Oh well, I tried!

I agree that times have changed. I used to get upgraded almost all the time flying AA back from London or Tokyo to SF. I always asked, politely and with a smile, if an upgrade might be possible. No one ever reacted badly. But I never had any luck on domestic upgrades, and eventually the overseas upgrades dried up. I do think the airlines are a lot stingier about giving them out unless you've had a problem and they want to make it up to you.

Kayb dear what rubbish are you talking?

People who pay for economy (or &quot;coach&quot;) will all have paid considerably less than any premium cabin, it never ever happens that flying First costs more than economy!

No such thing as plebs!!!just people who are careful with their money!
I travel economy because business class is nearly 3 times the amount for Sydney to London.
My husband flies Business class and always enjoys BA. He flew home with Qantas from LA and looked like he'd been in economy....dreadful.
Need to add that we don't travel together...one parent stays at home the other goes off for a trip.Only 2 more years before we can both go together!
Thanks for all your great input...I'll now dress very well for our flight to Rome. Probably should post a new message on &quot;what do I wear....&quot;
I'll ask very politely if my son and I can have an upgrade....
then I'll ask can we have an exit seat....
then I'll ask can we have the last 2 seats on either side of the plane....
then I'll say thank you for putting me in the middle of the plane....

In reading the above it seems BA is the most generous with upgrades. My husband and I were upgraded by BA on a London to Boston flight. It was on our flight information when we arrived at the airport. We are World Traveler members, but new. The agent had no knowledge about why.

The airlines have gotten much stricter on upgrades. My fiance is a silver elite member for NW and he flys to Germany a few times each year for business. With his Silver Elite status he gets free upgrades when available domestically...he has never gotten the upgrades internationally - even when there is room in Business class or first class.

I also travel for work and am a member of several FF programs. The only upgrade I ever got was on a Delta flight to the Bahamas when I was using a free FF ticket. They upgraded me to first class but left my fiance in the back in coach - when I told them I didn't care about the upgrade that we wanted to sit together - they told me the flight was oversold and that was why I got the upgrade and that there were NO seats available in coach or First Class. My fiance had just joined the Delta FF program and he did not have any miles on Delta yet.

We are travelling to Italy in September to get married over there...I will have a wedding dress in hand and we are using FREE FF coach tickets for our trip. I will mention our occasion upon check in. If they don't upgrade us and there is room in this situation (especially again since my fiance is Silver elite and I also fly NW all the time as a FF) then I suppose you really can't get an international upgrade!!!

Cross your fingers!!!

Go to the Flyertalk.com forum.

The members there use a number of strategies. They get their mileage count way up by doing carefully constructed mileage runs (flights with little purpose except to accrue miles). They know the availability of the seats on all the flights they take. They know exactly what advantages their airline status (garnered from all of those trips) should give them.

Hi Kimerley,

I'll second the recommendation that you try FlyerTalk.com for insider tips.

Unless you are upgrading with points or a courtesy upgrade coupon, or have VIP status, or have a friend who works at the airline and can get your file &quot;flagged&quot; for an upgrade (pending seats available), it really does come down to circumstances and attitude. I once gave up an aisle seat to someone who &quot;required&quot; it... and was rewarded with a window seat in business class. I was on a wait list once (had enough points to upgrade but there weren't enough seats) and while I was at the gate enquiring re: availability two businessmen literally pushed in front of me, waved their upgrade coupons in the gate agent's face, and DEMANDED their upgrade. The agent smiled sweetly, asked them to move back behind me, gave me an upgrade, and told them the last seat had just been assigend and they'd have to sit in coach.

Re: &quot;business class material&quot;, please don't get too caught up in the comments here about &quot;dressing the part&quot;. While a certain level of personal grooming should be observed no matter WHERE you are in public (as I'm sure you already know), it's frankly nobody's business how you choose to dress on any particular flight. Remember, only wannabes are so insecure that they feel they must dress up to prove something to others. Nothing screams &quot;middle management&quot; like a two-cent fool in a two thousand dollar suit. The truly successful dress for themselves. :)

This is rather wrong what some of you are saying. They will give you first class going to Europe. I got upgraded for no reason at all when I traveled to Paris, France. I was even flying stand-by and when we boarded and there was extra seats in coach. My father makes us dress nicely when we fly just because he thiks its more apporiate. They said if we want they don't care if we go in first class. There was 4 of us at the time and the 4 seats in first class were scattered about. The lady that let us sit in first class even made the other people move so we could sit at least 2 and 2 together. If I would ever fly international again first class is the only way to fly.

Ah, but you see itsallgood, that was a ploy on the part of the airline. Hook 'em young and you've got a business class ticket buyer for life.

taggie...

First of all I am not young... just because I was flying with my father doesn't mean I am young and &quot;hook them young&quot; I dont think so. This was an international flight I got upgraded for, even if &quot;hook them young&quot; was true they wouldnt do that for an international flight...espically for stand-by flyers, and did u forget that they even moved first-class people for us when they paid and i didnt.

OK... so what are you saying?
&quot;They will give you first class going to Europe.&quot;
What - everyone who goes to Europe, every time, gets an upgrade???

Upgrades are given occasionally, often depending on the whim of gate personnel. There are many, many people on here who travel to Europe multiple times in a year and might - MIGHT - get an upgrade once or twice.

Maybe you just look so fabulous that they thought business class was the only place worthy of your presence.

I have over a million seat miles on AA and have never been upgraded. My brother, a retired gate agent, gets upgraded frequently, even if flying non-rev. It's a 'buddy system'.

I have to laugh at the idea that you can't fly first class in a baseball cap or jeans. Have people who said that ever looked in first class? Who do you think is up there -- actors, rock stars, etc. Do you have a clue how those people dress for flights? Do you think they wear dressy dresses and/or suit and tie? LOL

But I will agree that you are unlikely to be &quot;bumped&quot; to first class if you are dressed like those people. On the other hand, I agree that it is unlikely to be upgraded these days unless there was a major mistake in your booking or unless you are an elite status member of a FF program.

While flying AA from Paris to Miami recently in Business Class (there is no First Class on that flight), I was surprised that several seats were empty, but I overheard several people at the desk asking to be upgraded -- and one who was even an elite member, yet didn't have an upgrade certificate.

I've gotten upgraded on one-hour flights, once from Vancouver to Calgary, and recently from London to Paris. Sadly I haven't been bumped on any intercontinental flights. Being upgraded on a one-hour flight is an interesting novelty, but not terribly exciting.

In the first instance on Air Canada, I was standing by for an earlier flight, and they just put me in business class (guess it was easiest).

In the second instance on BMI, they asked us at check-in if we would be willing to be bumped in return for compensation and a seat on a later flight. We agreed. We ended up not getting bumped to another flight, but being placed on business class on that same flight.

The best way to get upgraded is to learn the legitimate tricks from FlyerTalk, but I don't have enough miles or status for that to be helpful. So for people like me, try to stand by if you can (this might work best with United, as I think that airline has the most lenient standby policy) or hope to get asked to be bumped.

In neither case was I dressed anymore fashionably than I am ordinarily - probably business casual at best.

I never use miles for anything but upgrades. If you get a credit card that generates miles and use it for everything and anything, paying it off every month, and travel using the same carrier, you get upgrades eventually. That said, dressing nicely helps, and it can just be dockers, a collared shirt and a nice blazer. Being nice to the agent helps, especially early in the morning, and finally I was amused when my buddy, who works for an airline rolled her eyes at this question. Even low tier flyers get upgraded in an oversale situation, if the flight is light, upgrades don't happen. Still, she said a little kindness goes a long way, if a flight attendant has a problem of any kind, and seats open in first class can solve it, he/she will pick the person who's been helpful/nice or brought good stuff! The lady with the makeup has something there. Food isn't a good choice apparently, they won't eat it. Too many wackos out there. So try bringing a present, you never know!

All I need is a female ticket agent, and my natural animal magnetism gets me an upgrade to first class every time.

My first trip to Paris when we checked in we were really nice to the agent but unfortunately he could not upgrade us free. When I got to the gate I asked if we could upgrade using miles. They started boarding the plane and then they called our names. They gave us the tickets without using our miles. We kept saying that we would use miles but he just waved us away and said enjoy ourselves. My sisters first time flying business class and has been spoiled since.