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Category Archives: Upgrades

amtrakUpgrades

How To Bid For An Upgrade On Amtrak

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 3, 2022November 3, 2022 4 Comments

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...

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Gulf AirUpgrades

The Self-Upgrading Imbecile On My Gulf Air Flight…

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 18, 2022July 18, 2022 86 Comments
Self-Upgrading Gulf Air

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...

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Delta Air LinesUpgrades

Upgrade “Sale” At Delta Air Lines: Only 499,500 Miles For Business Class Upgrade…Each Way

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 24, 2022 38 Comments
Delta Mileage Upgrades

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...

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Upgrades

Mother Tries To Ditch Her Kids In Economy Class, Gate Agent Downgrades Her

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 4, 2022February 4, 2022 503 Comments
Ditching Children Economy Class

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,...

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United AirlinesUpgrades

Idiocy: Selling United Airlines Business Class Upgrades On eBay…

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 29, 2022January 30, 2022 61 Comments
Selling United Upgrades

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...

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TipsUpgrades

Miles, The Alternative To Sneaking Into Business Class

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 22, 2021November 22, 2021 13 Comments

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...

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Upgrades

Will American And United Match Delta’s Upgrade Devaluation?

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 5, 2021November 4, 2021 8 Comments
Delta Air Lines 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)...

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Upgrades

Want To Fly First Class? Your Clothes Don’t Matter

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 4, 2020December 4, 2020 30 Comments
Score Free First Class upgrade

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...

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United AirlinesUpgrades

Pilots At United Airlines Will Have Upgrade Priority Over MileagePlus Elites

Matthew Klint Posted onOctober 8, 2020October 9, 2020 41 Comments
United Pilots Upgrade

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...

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Upgrades

Cute: Now Even The Silvers Get Upgraded

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 17, 2020March 17, 2020 17 Comments
Silver Upgrades

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...

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LufthansaUpgrades

Lufthansa Aggressively Hawks Upgrades

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 5, 2020 26 Comments
Lufthansa Upgrade Bidding

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...

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HyattUnited AirlinesUpgrades

Spend Your Upgrades Early and Often

Kyle Stewart Posted onJanuary 5, 2020September 13, 2021 1 Comment
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome

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...

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Mileage PlusNewsUnited AirlinesUpgrades

United PlusPoints Bring Old Problems to New Situations

Kyle Stewart Posted onDecember 29, 2019September 13, 2021 14 Comments

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...

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Upgrades

Lovely Husband Always Takes The Last First Class Upgrade, Leaving Wife Behind

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 25, 2019November 25, 2019 25 Comments
Spousal Upgrade Fight

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...

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Mileage PlusNewsUnited AirlinesUpgrades

United’s Plus Points Makes MileagePlus Best In the US?

Kyle Stewart Posted onSeptember 29, 2019September 14, 2021 20 Comments
United A320 at gate

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...

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cathay pacificUpgrades

Upgrade Scam Leads To Ban On Cathay Pacific

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 26, 2019September 29, 2019 10 Comments
Cathay Pacific Upgrade Scam

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...

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United AirlinesUpgrades

Another Positive Upgrade Policy Change From United Airlines

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 25, 2019September 25, 2019 Leave a Comment
United PlusPoints Regional Upgrade Routes

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...

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United AirlinesUpgrades

United Introduces PlusPoints, A New Upgrade Currency

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 24, 2019September 24, 2019 35 Comments
United Airlines PlusPoints

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...

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KLMUpgrades

A 99EUR Lie-Flat Business Class Upgrade On KLM

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 2, 2019August 3, 2019 3 Comments
KLM Cheap Upgrade

I had many choices to fly from Bali to Singapore, but could not turn down the chance to sample KLM’s 777-300ER on an exotic Fifth Freedom route. It turned out to be a tremendous deal as well. I may...

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Upgrades

I Still Suffer From Upgrade Phobia…

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 2, 2019July 2, 2019 14 Comments
Upgrade Phobia

10 years later and my condition has not improved. I still suffer from upgrade phobia. When will I outgrow this? Unless I buy a business class ticket, every United flight is a careful cost/benefit analysis. Do I take the...

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