These days, flying economy is a lesson in lowered standards.
If your norm is the fetal position in seat 22B—praying the person in front of you takes his hand off the recline lever—it’s easy to lust over scoring the elusive get-out-of-jail-free upgrade. Travel perks, though, are harder than ever to come by.
“It’s increasingly rare that an ordinary coach traveler gets the pleasant surprise of someone saying, ‘I’ve actually got a seat for you up front,’” says New York 1 cable TV news host Pat Kiernan.
Kiernan, who regularly flies from New York to Canada, says it’s virtually impossible to get a bump up to business because airlines are working hard to sell those premium seats up to the moment that the plane doors close. And when there are seats left open, they’re given to elite-level frequent flyers.
So what can an ordinary traveler do to improve their upgrade forecast? If you can’t marry an airline employee—and even that has limited perks—the first thing to do is to think of your travel experience holistically. Airline upgrades may be the most popular bonus, but your chances of getting a hotel or car rental promotion are much greater.
And when you consider your perks in terms of the time you’ll spend enjoying them, it makes more sense to focus your efforts on scoring a corner suite or luxury sedan rather than a business-class seat that you’ll relish only for a few hours.
Taking the road (or flight) less traveled will also go a long way in your quest for a free upgrade. “Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the days for the best deals,” says Bestfares.com founder Tom Parsons. “Basically, whenever the business guys aren’t flying is a good time for everyone else.” Parsons says travelers aren’t only more likely to get promotions on off-peak flights, they’re also more likely to see deeply discounted business- or first-class tickets. And remember that most airlines offer upgrades for purchase—sometimes at a steal—24 hours before takeoff.
If you’re just not willing to shell out any green, you can try and play the airlines at their own game. Kiernan says he’s scored several “mini upgrades”—from economy to premium economy—the last few times he’s flown. “It’s not nearly as big a win as a move up to business class,” he concedes, “but if you opt not to preselect a seat in regular economy, eventually they’ll have to cough up the ‘premium’ seats for free.” It’s a gamble, though—one that might land you right back in 22B.
1. Become a frequent flyer.
With profits razor thin, airlines tend to reward their most frequent travelers with upgrades, so racking up as many miles as possible is your best chance at scoring a better seat. Recent legislation has hampered one’s ability to accumulate free miles by opening dozens of credit cards, but many carriers will award you with anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 miles for opening an account with their affiliated bank.
Once you’ve got some serious miles under your belt, consider redeeming them for first-class tickets instead of coach. The cheapest tier of mileage tickets tends to sell out quickly because everybody wants them. But often airlines have discounts on business-class or even first-class tickets that go for just slightly more than coach tickets.
2. Brand loyalty matters at hotels and car rental agencies too.
While some road warriors argue the best strategy is to stay at a new property each time you travel so they’ll try to woo you with perks, most hotels tend to reward their most frequent guests and members of their reward programs. Again, it behooves you to choose a brand and stick with it. Many of the same tricks apply on the ground as they do in the air, including racking up points on a hotel-affiliated credit card. Speaking of loyalty, be sure to mention any affiliations you might have. Many car rental agencies have deals with groups like AARP or AAA, and your membership card could be just what it takes to unlock a sweeter ride.
3. Cheap tickets aren’t always the best.
While it’s hard to suppress the desire to score a deal, in many cases buying the cheapest ticket will all but guarantee you’ll be boarding with zone six, regardless of the upgrade opportunities available. This advice is especially important if you are an infrequent traveler or relatively new to the mileage game. In that case, consider buying a full-price ticket directly from an airline. If upgrades become available, these are the tickets that agents look to first.
In other cases, it’s best to detour around coach altogether.Bestfares.com founder Tom Parsons says that, more often than you’d think, first-class tickets are just outright cheaper than coach, especially if you’re traveling with baggage. “You’ve got to remember that first-class passengers get to check three bags for free,” says Parsons, “which can be quite a deal if you’re connecting to a cruise—or would like to bring an extra bag of shoes.”
There is also a special class of tickets known as Y-UP (or Q-UP) fares, which are deeply discounted first-class seats. In some cases, they are as cheap as regular coach seats. It can be tough to track down these mystery tickets without going through a travel agent, but you may be able to find them online if you include “business class” and “first class” in your search criteria and look for results that start with YUPP.
4. But cheap rental cars are.
Considering business- and first-class tickets may be a good strategy in the air, but on the road the cheapest option is usually the smartest strategy. Car companies tend to run out of economy cars quickly, which greatly improves your chances of scoring an upgrade. Keep this in mind as you’re put through the inevitable upgrade spiel at the counter. Even when there are no economy cars to rent you’ll be asked to purchase an upgrade. But if you resist, you may be rewarded with a free one.
5. Do your research.
The upgrade game is not for amateurs. Expect some healthy competition for perks as long as legroom in economy continues to dwindle. Give yourself a leg up by scouring the web for deals. Airlines often post special fares—prices that don’t appear in ticket search engines—on their websites and in email alerts. Scanning frequent-flyer forums like FlyerTalk.com or InsideFlyer.com can also give you insight into savings opportunities and new strategies to try. When booking hotels online, spend a few minutes ticking off yes to extra pillows, or a room with a view—hotels often reward guests who’ve taken time to fill out a survey with an upgrade if one is available.
6. Consider your departure time and route.
If you have flexibility, consider flying when most business travelers are not, as road warriors tend to dominate the mileage game and eat up all the rewards tickets. That means thinking strategically about your departure. A mid-afternoon departure or leaving on a Saturday, for example, might put you in better standing to get a free upgrade. Same goes for rental cars. If you can, rent at the end of the week when business travelers still have all the economy cars checked out.
Domestic ticket prices aren’t the only ones affected by business travel. Parsons advises people to travel to Europe over Thanksgiving, for example, when most people are home for the holidays, or in July when most Europeans are away for summer vacations.
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