Flight Attendant Debunks Myths About Upgrades
There’s no doubt that getting a free upgrade to the posh end of a plane is one of the holy grails of air travel. And so the advice from Jay Roberts – who has worked as senior cabin crew for Emirates and runs the popular Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge network – about the myths around upgrades and the secrets to getting them is sacred.
Read on for his fascinating insider advice about being moved to the ‘good side of the curtain’.
Can flight attendants upgrade people at their discretion?
Jay tells MailOnline Travel exclusively: ‘Upgrades are not candy. Airline staff rarely have them to give, and if they do, they don’t just give them out to anyone.
‘The notion of a beautiful young air hostess coming to tap you on the shoulder and sneak you to a better seat up the front is a dream from a bygone golden era when airlines were bankrolled by their governments, tickets were handwritten, and computers couldn’t track every move staff made. Times have changed, airlines are mostly privately owned and less generous, and profits are their primary goal.
‘As a result, airlines closely watch their most expensive product: seats in premium cabins. If there is a TikTok video of a young flight attendant exploiting their uniform for likes, telling you something different, that’s clickbait, and you fall for it. Even those that work for an airline for the perks of cheap or free flights are finding it harder to sit up front. Upgrades used to be a prime reward for airline staff, but even those are getting rarer as airlines get more creative in using upgrades to generate more money.’
What’s the best way to get an upgrade?
Jay says: ‘The best way to get an upgrade is to pay for it or earn it. Airlines use unsold first or business-class seats as scraps given away like tasty treats to frequent fliers to reward them for their allegiance to the airline or its alliance.
‘Pick the airline or airline alliance that suits you best, and fly with them the most. Once you gain elite status, you will be the one they pick to upgrade when the time comes for it. You can also use miles earned through airline points and miles to upgrade. Credit card points are also a great way to snag free seats up the front.
‘Some airlines even hold auctions or deeply discount the seats if they have yet to sell close to the day of departure to prevent the sweet seats from going empty or being used as a free upgrade for a frequent or staff traveller.’
Is it possible to charm your way to an upgrade on the day?
Jay says: ‘One thing is for sure, don’t count on your good looks, sexy fashion sense, or charm to weasel your way into the hearts of the cabin crew and get you on the good side of the curtain. According to a poll on A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge, the largest social media network for airline professionals, nearly all flight attendants confirmed they could only give free upgrades in extreme circumstances. It comes with a mound of paperwork to deter the use of upgrades for service recovery when issues arise on board the aircraft.’
‘In the rare circumstances of a regular passenger without a frequent flyer elite status getting a free upgrade due to the flight being oversold, the employee responsible for handing over the golden ticket is the gate agent. Even more, reason to be nice to ground staff as they hold the power of choosing who gets picked if the economy is oversold and they need to upgrade a few lucky ones.’
‘When I worked as ground staff for a major US airline, and I was given the authority to provide a free upgrade, and I had no employees or elite passengers waiting, my pick would be elderly passengers, someone dressed nicely, or if I saw someone being a kind human in the gate area.’
He added: ‘Most cabin crew and gate agents from major airlines worldwide confirmed that if they are caught giving free upgrades, it’s seen as theft, and the employee could face disciplinary action if they took the chance and made the cabin swap without swiping a credit card.’
