It’s time for my annual “you can’t get an upgrade by dressing nice or flirting with the flight attendant” post. No, that simply will not work. The best upgrade advice remains to be loyal to your airline or at...
Why Did United Premier Silver Get Upgrade Ahead Of Premier Platinum?
The whole “dress up nice” or “flirt” to get an upgrade scheme is a fool’s errand, but being seated in an oversold cabin greatly increases your odds of a “free” upgrade to the next higher cabin. But why did...
How To Bid For An Upgrade On Amtrak
Amtrak offers upgrade bidding that I successfully used to upgrade from business class to first class on Acela for less than half the retail price of a first class ticket. Perhaps even more lucrative, you can also bid for...
The Self-Upgrading Imbecile On My Gulf Air Flight…
Some people just don’t know when to stop, like the imbecile who would not take no for an answer as he tried to self-upgrade to business class on my Gulf Air flight to Bahrain. A Portrait Of Stupidity: Self-Upgrading...
Upgrade “Sale” At Delta Air Lines: Only 499,500 Miles For Business Class Upgrade…Each Way
It’s really quite absurd how the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program has gone from bad to downright horrible when it comes to aspirational travel. Want to use your miles to upgrade? Be prepared to pony up…to the tune of...
Mother Tries To Ditch Her Kids In Economy Class, Gate Agent Downgrades Her
I witnessed something that made me laugh the other day, but it merits a bit of discussion. When are children old enough to be “ditched” in economy class? Ditching Children In Economy Class The airline or flight wasn’t important,...
Idiocy: Selling United Airlines Business Class Upgrades On eBay…
A word of wisdom: don’t sell your United Airlines PlusPoints (upgrades). Don’t buy them either. It’s one of the quickest ways to ensure your MileagePlus account will be shut down and your status and miles forfeited. One chef may...
Miles, The Alternative To Sneaking Into Business Class
My post on a woman sneaking up to business class on my Singapore Airlines flight caused quite a stir, with many indignant about me calling her out. But she could have avoided the embarrassment of being marched back to...
Will American And United Match Delta’s Upgrade Devaluation?
Delta Air Lines devalued its global upgrade certificates yesterday, now only allowing a confirmed one-cabin upgrade. Will American Airlines and United Airlines shortly follow? Delta Air Lines Devalues Confirmed Upgrades Via Global Upgrade Certifcates Delta Global Upgrade Certificates (GUCs)...
Want To Fly First Class? Your Clothes Don’t Matter
Travel + Leisure is a magazine that I enjoy. But its latest tip on how to score a “free” first class upgrade is nothing short of absurd. Another Misleading How To Get A Free First Class Upgrade Article The...
Pilots At United Airlines Will Have Upgrade Priority Over MileagePlus Elites
Buried in a deal between United Airlines and its pilots to avoid furloughs is a new threat to elite upgrades: deadheading pilots will soon outrank even top-tier frequent flyers on the upgrade waitlist. United Pilots Ink Deal To Avoid...
Cute: Now Even The Silvers Get Upgraded
With demand for air travel cratering, even low-tier elites are receiving complimentary upgrades on many U.S. domestic routes. It was so cute to watch the joy of a young couple who were upgraded on my recent flight from Washington...
Lufthansa Aggressively Hawks Upgrades
Lufthansa has fully embraced the upgrade monetization game with its upgrade bidding system and more aggressive fixed-price upgrade offers. A client is traveling from Paris to Frankfurt this week. We just booked an “Economy Classic” ticket for her, the...
Spend Your Upgrades Early and Often
Hotels, airlines and even car rental companies give us benefits that are good all year, but sometimes we treat them too preciously. This is the year to spend your upgrades early and often! If you are considering booking travel or signing...
United PlusPoints Bring Old Problems to New Situations
United’s new PlusPoints has some benefits to travellers adding flexibility. However, old problems with United’s Global and Regional Premier Upgrades carry over to new situations. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click...
Lovely Husband Always Takes The Last First Class Upgrade, Leaving Wife Behind
What happens when you are traveling with your spouse and only one of you gets upgraded? Who gets the first class seat? What if one spouse insists on an “all or nothing” upgrade approach? Those are the questions posed...
United’s Plus Points Makes MileagePlus Best In the US?
United Airlines has changed their Regional Premier and Global Premier upgrade system, replacing them with Plus Points instead. And now it’s not just 1K flyers that benefit. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click...
Upgrade Scam Leads To Ban On Cathay Pacific
Fraud is never a good idea and certainly never worth an upgrade to business class. One woman had to learn the hard way. Jacqueline Ng is a self-described “social influencer”. She told Christopher Elliot that she emailed Cathay Pacific...
Another Positive Upgrade Policy Change From United Airlines
Overlooked in the big announcement yesterday from United introducing PlusPoints was a re-classification of four routes, which will effectively halve the cost of an upgrade on them. Starting on December 4th, United will move from a system of Global...
United Introduces PlusPoints, A New Upgrade Currency
United Airlines is jettisoning regional and premier upgrades for a new points currency called PlusPoints. Believe it or not, the news is actually quite positive. On December 04, all your regional or global premier upgrades will vanish from your...
