How to Get Your First Class Upgrade 

by The Sky Steward

If you travel often, you know the value of receiving VIP treatment to make the experience much more bearable and hopefully enjoyable. Over time, merely the thought of being in coach, on yet another flight, begins to cause a painful physical reaction.

So how do people get those first class upgrades? Here are a few ways to position yourself as one of the chosen few:

1. Elite Status: Do you become envious when the gate agent invites those customers with elite status to board ahead of the crowds onto a plane full of empty, luggage hungry overhead compartments? Gaining elite status is based on flying lots of miles, flight segments, or at higher fares. Watch your preferred airline’s website for specials that make gaining elite status easier. Once you have the status, you will be able to request upgrades when you book your trips online and it will be processed automatically.

2. Become an Over-Sale: If you are flexible, then volunteer to be bumped on full flights under the condition that you receive first class on the flight in which you are rescheduled.

3. Check the Airline Website: One or two days before your flight, check the airline’s website for fares on the flights you are scheduled to be on. Look at all of the fares available on your flight. The airlines sometimes lower the fares in the premium cabins substantially at this point. If it looks affordable enough, call the airline up and ask them to upgrade you for the difference. Sometimes it is not very much.

4. “The Upgrade Bag”: This little trick is not only a very kind thing to do…it ends up making you lots of new airline friends. Create a goody bag for the gate agents and the flight attendants full of gourmet, store bought treats. There are more details about this on the featured video section of my site.

I hope you enjoy your next flight!

Visit www.dearskysteward.com for lots of travel talk

Article Source: How to Get Your First Class Upgrade