The legend of free upgrades: dressing well doesn't help
Free upgrades are a dream, a little for everyone. Who doesn't hope to fly lying on a seat in [...]
The free upgrades Are a dream, a little for everyone. Who doesn't hope to fly lying down on a seat in Business Class, instead of squeezed between neighbors in Economy?
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Thus, in recent days, here is the site Travel + Leisure published an article entitled, "How to dress to increase your chances of getting an upgrade."
What to Wear to Increase Your Chances of a First Class Upgrade https://t.co/5QTuXiwypv
- Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) April 27, 2021
Useful advice? Not really. So much so that several other sites, beginning with One Mile At a Time, have refuted what was written.
Free upgrades: the hoaxes
"For an upgrade, it's all about how you dress. Smart but relaxed. It has to look like you are used to traveling. Don't go overboard with designer clothes. Clothes help: those on the verge of getting an upgrade might be turned down if not properly dressed": so writes Travel + Leisure, based on a 2008 article. At that time, the magazine had interviewed stewardesses and stewards asking them for some advice on How to dress for free upgrades. Or at least to try.
This is not the first time a site has tried to gain views by exploiting the keyword "upgrade gratuiti". Years ago, Bloomberg suggested that travelers take advantage of the concept of revenue management (revenue management). "Revenue management people's job is to make every flight profitable. Those in charge of it suggest what to say to the booking staff. Not everyone knows Revenue Management exists, and by mentioning it, you make it clear you know how things work and how upgrades are issued," Bloomberg suggested. "Ask if Revenue Management has already released some First Class seats for free upgrades. If they say no, ask to check or be put in touch with the Revenue Manager so you can ask them if and when they will grant upgrades and how many free seats are left. If you are polite and persuasive, the phone call will probably end with a free upgrade."
Is that the case? Not exactly. Precisely because the flight must be profitable, it makes no sense to give away a seat in First Class When that seat could be sold. And even if there should be empty seats left, with free upgrades the airline does not make money. Here, then, is where asking for upgrades most of the time doesn't work. Just as other bizarre suggestions one unearths on the Web, from gifts to the pilot to "attention-grabbing" clothes, do not work.
The importance of clothes (and what really matters)
But do clothes really count in order to get free upgrades? The answer is: no. Also because. there is no dress code, neither for Business nor for First Class. This is probably where the misunderstanding stems from. People who work for an airline can generally fly in Business or First once they have ascertained that there are vacant seats. And, often, companies require a dress code from their employees. Ordinary mortals, however, can dress a bit as they see fit.
![Reward travel, a guide for beginners [Updated 2022].](https://www.theflightclub.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Up-in-the-Air-1200x675.jpg)
Is getting free upgrades therefore a utopia? Not really. Each airline has its own rules, but there are general ones. In addition to paying (of course), to get a seat in First Class the best option is to enroll in the frequent flyer program of the airline you fly with most often.
A program, this one, which in most cases allows you to accumulate miles not only by flying but also by spending at the partner companies (typically hotels, insurance and car rental companies). Not to mention alliances, which allow you to earn miles by flying even on different (but allied) airlines. With the miles you earn, you can redeem award tickets in Business or First Class, and get benefits including, precisely, upgrades.
Then sign up for the newsletter of airlines and always check the mail after booking a flight. In case there are vacancies left, they may write to you to offer you an upgrade at a bargain price.
Keep in mind, too, that if you want to try to get a free upgrade, it is more likely to happen in the high season (when everyone travels for vacation and it is not difficult for Economy Class to go overbooked). And that, the more you spend, the more opportunities you have. It is much more likely to get an upgrade If you paid a full fare ticket, rather than a super-discounted ticket purchased through an offer or perhaps a pricing error.
