Questions tagged [upgrades]

Questions about receiving a higher tier of service than originally contracted, such as flying in a more premium cabin or receiving a higher category of room at a hotel.

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14 answers
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What techniques, tricks or otherwise have you used to get upgrades on flights?

I've travelled a lot. Living in New Zealand or the UK means anywhere is likely a flight, but I've always flown economy. Twice between LA and Auckland I managed to get the exit row after talking ...
Mark Mayo's user avatar
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49 votes
7 answers
12k views

How do I know whether an airline seat upgrade at gate was free?

I just flew via Air Canada from USA to Toronto directly. Before boarding, I asked at the gate if any upgraded seats are available. In response, the representative simply gave me a business class seat ...
smaslennikov's user avatar
30 votes
4 answers
13k views

Airline won't let me pay to upgrade due to purchasing original economy ticket via low-fares site - what's the logic in this?

Tomorrow I fly long-haul on a TAM (theoretically now LATAM) flight. To my surprise eventually after chasing and chasing them on the cost of an upgrade to business I was told that it wasn't possible ...
AdamJones's user avatar
  • 419
28 votes
5 answers
6k views

I bought an economy ticket and was issued first class ticket

I bought a round-trip (6 flights) in economy. A couple of hours later, when the confirmed itinerary was sent to my e-mail, I noticed that 2 out of the 6 flights were first class! I freaked out ...
Ana's user avatar
  • 289
18 votes
2 answers
2k views

Strategy to improve seats on a flight?

I'm not talking about getting a business class upgrade. I'm talking about where you're in Economy, you look at your ticket and you realise you're in the back row, middle seat for a 15 hour flight. ...
Mark Mayo's user avatar
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17 votes
5 answers
4k views

Are there airlines that offer upgrades on-board?

You can always request an upgrade to a higher class before you board, you can use your miles or pay and get your ticket upgraded to business/premium class then you will be issued a new boarding pass. ...
Nean Der Thal's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
9k views

What tips or tricks can you use to get "upgraded"/better hotel rooms?

(Inspired by this question on flight upgrades), Most non-budget hotels have various categories of rooms - perhaps larger rooms, "Executive" rooms, suites, and so on. What tips or tricks can you use ...
Andrew Ferrier's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
396 views

Can I upgrade only a portion of my ticket with miles on Singapore Air (SQ)?

If I book a trip such as JFK-SIN-MLE (New York -> Singapore -> Maldives) RT (round trip), would it be possible to use miles to just upgrade the JFK-SIN portion of the trip? Or even simpler, if I have ...
Michael Pryor's user avatar
11 votes
8 answers
16k views

Can I ask for free upgrade at checkin or at gate?

I've read many articles about it, but I would like to have a direct feedback from someone who did that. Is that possible (and successful) to ask for a free upgrade at the checkin desk? Or is that ...
Val's user avatar
  • 3,578
10 votes
3 answers
8k views

If I buy a super off-peak ticket, can I travel on a off-peak train and pay the difference?

So I always try and buy the cheapest, off peak ticket - i.e super-off-peak. Sitting here at my desk on a long Thursday, I really want to get that earlier train which is "normal" off peak - but alas, ...
Gamora's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
10k views

What are "500 Mile Upgrades"?

On my American Airlines AAdvantage account, I see a lot of references to "500 Mile Upgrades". I don't quite understand how these work. Can someone explain what these are for (and what does the "500 ...
user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
2k views

What tips or tricks can you use to get an upgraded/better hire car?

(In a similar vein to this question on hotel room upgrades and this question on flight upgrades...) Most regular car rentals agencies have various categories of car - Budget/Economy, Compact, Midsize,...
Andrew Ferrier's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
27k views

Can I see the American Airlines upgrade list on their website?

American Airlines provide an upgrade list on their mobile apps, so you can see what position you are in for an upgrade. However, strangely, there doesn't seem to be any way to see this through your ...
Andrew Ferrier's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
157 views

Can I upgrade my SNCF intercitie de nuit ticket once purchased? [closed]

I’ve recently booked 2 x London St Pancras - Briançon. This journey involves a change to the night train in Paris. I’ve booked a 6 berth couchette because when I tried to upgrade to a 4 berth it was ...
Clement's user avatar
  • 61
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

Last Moment Upgrade to Business class, is it possible?

I was wondering if anyone has got a last moment upgrade with Etihad Airways to business class. My outbound flight from Canada to Abu Dhabi is with Etihad, I have booked economy since on that ...
ejlamin's user avatar
  • 157
5 votes
4 answers
12k views

Can you get complementary upgrades when you check-in online or through a booth at the airport?

It the past I have been offered an upgrade while checking in at the airlines desk. These days checking in online, or at one of the automatic booths at the airport can be quite convenient. I am ...
user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

Are there any ways to get American Airlines systemwide upgrades, apart from having Executive Platinum status?

I used to have American Airlines Executive Platinum status, which entitles one to eight systemwide upgrades each year. These are extremely valuable and were easily the best benefit (essentially they ...
Andrew Ferrier's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
735 views

Websites to calculate probability of upgrade for flight

Are there websites that will try to calculate the probability of an upgrade for a particular flight and date? I suppose the occupancy rate of business and economy class and other factors would help ...
curious_cat's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is there something useful I can 'spend' my American Airlines 500-mile upgrades on, except domestic travel?

I travel on American Airlines a lot, but most of my trips are international (I'm not a US resident), so I earn more AAdvantage 500-mile upgrades than I can ever use (they aren't valid except for US ...
Andrew Ferrier's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
987 views

Can I determine upgrade eligibility if I know the fare class?

I have frequent flyer status with Turkish Airlines which gives me Star Alliance Gold status. Using Kayak to search for flights, I want to know, prior to purchasing a ticket, that I am able to upgrade ...
karancan's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
4k views

Bidding for upgrades?

I am booked to fly with TAP air Portugal soon. I got an e-mail about bidding for upgrading to executive class. As I do not really care what class I fly in and it is a relatively short flight at 3 ...
Willeke's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
788 views

Checking in very early, how does that help in free or heavily-discounted upgrades?

I was reading What techniques, tricks or otherwise have you used to get upgrades on flights? and saw this comment - Excellent advice. Once by checking in VERY early I got a downgrade. But it was ...
shirish's user avatar
  • 3,575
3 votes
1 answer
244 views

Is bidding for business class upgrade better than paying upfront at check-in?

Would anyone know if bidding for a business class upgrade would be better in terms of saving more money than paying for an upgrade at the check-in desk?
ejlamin's user avatar
  • 157
3 votes
1 answer
4k views

Under what circumstances are hotel room upgrades given out? [closed]

Related: What tips or tricks can you use to get "upgraded"/better hotel rooms? In the above, related, link user jpatokal wrote: First of all, it's important to understand that there ...
Mou某's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
128 views

Why are no upgrades with miles available on United?

I plan to buy 2 economy tickets from Newark to Edinburgh on United and then use miles to upgrade them to BUS. But every single date I check has "no award upgrades available". I am more than six ...
KYJudy's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
231 views

Do tickets in coach typically get sold in the order of lowest/cheapest fare code first?

I feel like I'm like most people when shopping for a flight. I go to a website that compares prices for my trip and I make a choice based on some combination of lowest price, best times, and preferred ...
drs's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
1 answer
182 views

Can one upgrade to a next class using American award miles on other One world airlines?

I have 67,607 award miles on AA and I am planning to purchase an economy ticket on Qatar Airways for my upcoming travel. Can I use my award miles to buy an upgrade to the Q Suite (Business class) on ...
ShellZero's user avatar
  • 292
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

How to upgrade my Icelandair ticket?

I just purchased an Economy class ticket at Icelandair.com. I'd like to upgrade to Saga Premium. What are my options for upgrading?
Mikael Dúi Bolinder's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
807 views

Etihad Airways: business class upgrade ignored; no refund yet

I had economy class tickets to travel from Dallas-Fort Worth to Abu Dhabi and then on to my destination by Etihad Airways for August 18, 2017. At the gate in Dallas-Fort Worth I purchased upgrades to ...
CrankyShaft's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
232 views

What's the cost of upgrading cabins at Tallink Silja during cruise?

During cruise trips with Tallink Silja I've many times wanted to upgrade my cabin to a larger one, one without engine noise and sometimes a suite. What's the price when doing it during a cruise? ...
Mikael Dúi Bolinder's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
260 views

How can you maximise your chance of an upgrade on a long haul flight? [duplicate]

I’ve seen various questions on TSE about ruses to ‘’sneak’ into a higher grade cabin than the one paid for. I’m interested to know what the chances are of being upgraded legitimately (i.e. by the ...
Traveller's user avatar
  • 33.1k
2 votes
1 answer
572 views

Volunteer to be bumped on Delta for upgrade when checking in online

When one checks in online, Delta now asks how much money in travel vouchers it would take to get you to voluntarily give up your seat and be bumped to another flight. Suppose what I'd really like isn'...
Daniel's user avatar
  • 575
2 votes
0 answers
209 views

Is an upgrade to Etihad's business class worth 1500 CAD? [closed]

I am flying on Etihad from Toronto to India. I have booked a round trip for business class but due to less availability, I was only booked for business on my return flight and economy on my outgoing ...
ejlamin's user avatar
  • 157
1 vote
2 answers
160 views

What are 'LMU' and certificates?

I was reading What techniques, tricks or otherwise have you used to get upgrades on flights? and specifically reading https://travel.stackexchange.com/a/928/43215 where Kate talks about 'LMU' and ...
shirish's user avatar
  • 3,575
1 vote
1 answer
513 views

Using American Airline Miles

I'm trying to book a flight for my mom to Shanghai by using my AA miles but I'm not sure if I should use Anytime Miles or MileSAver Miles. If I booked her Anytime miles would the possibility of ...
user37118's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
118 views

Fees when requesting an upgrade

I booked my parents premium economy seats with KLM as the prices were really expensive 5 months ago for business. Now I have seen the prices drop and I contacted the airline to see if I could change ...
Smiffster 20's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
354 views

Can I upgrade to business on one leg only?

I have booked the CHEAPEST economy (the most restrictive) ticket from Manila to NY on ANA with a stopover in Tokyo. However, I want to try business class only on one leg (as the whole trip in business ...
Jake's user avatar
  • 19
1 vote
0 answers
95 views

Upgraded at counter - not receiving Krisflyer miles?

I upgraded one of my legs on a flight from economy class to business class at the counter for Singapore Airlines (and paid ~$1200 USD for that). I'm trying to go back to claim missing miles, but they ...
sad_upgrader's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

Can you move to a seat that is unsold?

From recent newspaper article where it says If you couldn’t book the seat you wanted, keep your phone open on the seat map app as you board. If a blocked seat that you wanted opens up, just take it. “...
Trevor Boyd Smith's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
124 views

Upgrading to a first class [closed]

I was given a two economy tickets for a trip. Is it possible to exchange the two economy tickets for one first class ticket?
Christina's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
215 views

Can I upgrade my Turkish Airlines ticket to business class?

I've purchased a ticket on Turkish Airlines from the US to Asia and would like to upgrade the transcontinental leg to business class. When I log into the Turkish Airlines website I'm only offered to ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 83.4k
0 votes
0 answers
105 views

Virgin Atlantic Upgrade to Upper Class at Check-in - no seats open in seat map

I am interested in upgrading to upper class on my flight from LAX-LHR on Virgin Atlantic. I can see on forums online and on Virgin's website that they allow purchasing upgrades at check-in. I am ...
okipokimm's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
67 views

How are the ranks of the first class fares with Alaska Airlines used?

I see in this Alaska Airlines Fare Chart (mirror) that the first class fares have ranks with Alaska Airlines. From my understanding, ranks for the coach fares are used to prioritize which passengers ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar