1. 忠誠 (總是飛同一家航空)
2. 跟他賭一把 (故意訂快沒機位的機票)
3. 妥善利用里程 (每家航空利用里程升級的方式都不一樣)
4. 不會太晚 (機上小額升級)
5. 飛最早的班機或最晚的班機 (空服員心情、疲勞度決定你的升級)
6. 要有禮貌 (他們也是人啊~~別像有些國家的人....)
7. 衣著 (想免費升級頭等艙，可別穿短褲、拖鞋啊 >.<)
8. 確認EMAIL (可能最後一刻會有好康郵件喔)
9. 說故事 (或許可能變成航空公司廣告呢)
10. 避免跟常出差的人競爭 (人家里程多啊...)
11. 坐嬰兒附近 (嬰兒若是很吵你可能有機會喔)
12. 自告奮勇 (當機位有問題，先自告奮勇讓空服員好處理，這可是幫了大忙)
13. 注意空位 (先不要坐下，或許有機會)
14. 早到的鳥兒有蟲吃 (如果有行李確認區，早點到嘿)
15. 槓桿 (讓空服員認為你有經驗，當然會有比較好待遇囉)
16. 小禮物 (賄絡 (誤...) ...)
不總是可行，但有時候會是最好的狀況。
1. Loyalty has its rewards
Rule number one above all others is that you need to be part of an airline’s most elite of classes. And there are gold levels upon ruby levels upon incivility stars of platinum nobility to be had on your way to the top. Of course how you get to be part of an airline’s elite depends on your carrier and each seem to have their own tortuous tracks to doing that.
Karen May, spokeswoman for United Airlines admits, “It’s complicated! Even we have to review everything.” That said, at its most basic, know this: becoming elite is about accruing miles, though more airlines are considering the bottom line of how much cash you’ve sent through their coffers.
So while you’re making your way up the ladder, remember: the more you fly an airline, the more likely they’ll return your business with the favour of an upgrade.
“The Golden Rule wins,” says airline expert Ramsey Qubein, who once went undercover as a gate agent for Delta. And yes, your mileage status is part of your passenger profile, so they know exactly how devoted you’ve been.”
2. Gamble
Book flights that look close to selling out on airlines that tend to overbook and get to the gate early. “I do this all the time when I fly to Asia,” says travel expert and TV personality Jimmy Im. If you’ve got status, they will have no choice but to move you to first or business in order to accommodate everyone else.”
You can also gamble by not picking a seat. Airlines will just slot passengers in and if no one’s chosen the emergency or extra legroom seats, you might get lucky. Though, you also might end up suffering in the centre seat.
3. Be the master of your miles
What’s it worth? Spending a huge chunk of miles on a plane ticket that costs hundreds of dollars, or using them to snag a business seat on a long-haul flight? Your call.
Still, every airline and alliance seems to have their own rules about the who, what, when, where, and why miles can and can’t be used to make this upgrade happen. So do your research before making a move.
4. It’s never too late
After you’ve boarded, if that coach seat is just too disagreeable to deal with, there still may be time. Especially if you’re on Virgin America, which gives flyers the option of paying for an upgrade though their in-flight entertainment system. Besides, it never hurts to ask. Nicely, that is.
5. Fly first or last
Turns out, airport crew tend to be morning people. “Crack-of-dawn flights aren’t as crowded and airport crew are often more relaxed,” says Melisse Hinkle, travel expert and editor of CheapFlights.com.
She says the lax atmosphere might make them more willing to hand out an upgrade. Conversely, by the late night, crews are usually dealing with overflow flights after a day of delays and cancellations. Which means they just want to make sure everyone flies out and “they will shuffle seats to make sure that happens,” she advises.
6. Be polite
Gate agents are people, just like you, except they’re dealing with stressed-out flyers all day long.
“They’re doing a million things on really old computers,” Qubein says. And putting on a friendly face can go a long way toward convincing them to go to bat for you. This begins with simple graciousness. And if you fly the same route a lot, develop a relationship with the crew. “Even if you don’t end up in first class, they might take note and change your seat if you’ve accidentally placed yourself next to the noisy gallery or in a non-reclining chair,” says Cheapflight.com editor Melisse Hinkle.
Oh, and don’t hover or demand. Agents hate that.
7. Dress for success
While experts agree that looking the part of a genuine business person doesn’t help as much as it used to, airlines still would rather not offend those paying full price with people wearing sweatpants.
So keep it classy to help your cause. Dress the part. Airlines want the first and business class to feel that way — and they might allow you to be part of it, if you look great.
8. Look at your email
Some airlines will send out messages alerting their elite members of upgrade availability.
Aer Lingus takes it one step beyond: You can request an email, and enter an amount you’re willing to pay; if the luck of the Irish is on your side, you might just find yourself experiencing an upgraded ride for not a lot of money.
9. Share your story
If you’ve been bumped, had a security hassle, or even have a horror story about getting to the airport, share it, and maybe you will get slotted into a better last-minute seat. Likewise, a honeymoon or big anniversary trip is worth a mention in case you have a romantic gate agent who wants to give you a present — just don’t fake it.
And you can’t make this one up: fly on your birthday. Even if it’s a small token, the right agent might be in the mood to send you off with a little gift.
10. Avoid business travellers
Business travellers will nearly always best casual vacationers in the battle to win an upgrade simply because they’ve got that quadruple-platinum-tears-of-the-gods elite status you didn’t even know existed.
So, according to Warren Chang, vice president of Fly.com, getting an upgrade is easier when there are fewer business travellers on the plane. This amounts to flying midday, midweek, and on weekends.
11. Sit near a baby
Not that you can help it, but if you end up sitting next to unruly children or bawling babies, the cabin staff has been known to take pity. (But warning: asking for a different seat might mean getting bumped.)
At the very least, it could mean a free drink or two.
12. Volunteer
On overbooked flights, it might behoove you to take the offer to switch flights.
Not only does this usually amount to a credit of some kind, but according to Qubein, gate agents will be more inclined to give you preferred service since you’ve already done them a favour.
13. Stay focused
Don’t pick a seat (at first): It’s also important to do your homework and keep checking on the available seats.
“Even if you’ve checked in online, make sure to revisit your seat assignment when you arrive. If someone has gotten an upgrade to a better class, you might be able to jump up a few rows or move out of a middle seat. Or maybe snag a low-cost last-minute upgrade at the check-in kiosk,” says Hinkle.
And oddly enough, not having a seat assignment can sometimes be what gets you into a better seat. Airline staff are just slotting in passengers where they can and will sometimes open up extra legroom and exit row seats to accommodate.
14. Early bird gets the worm
If there’s a line to check luggage then there’s almost certainly a line to get any upgrades, so get there as early as possible.
On some airlines, you can also put in a request for an upgrade immediately after purchasing your ticket. First come is often first served.
15. Leverage the lounge
“There are agents in airport lounges who can pull strings, so make friends there,” says Hinkle, “They know they have experienced customers in front of them who are likely to be loyal if treated well.”
16. Give a gift
I’ve gotten priority access, lounge access, and been bumped up to roomier seats simply by giving the ticketing agent a good bottle of wine or a box of chocolates that, uh, gosh darn … just didn’t fit in my luggage.
It doesn’t always work, but sometimes is better than never.
來源: news.com.au / new york post
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