'I'm a flight attendant and we give free upgrades depending when you ask'

27 February 2023 , 12:33

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Ask the attendant very nicely (Image: Hero Images)

A flight attendant has shared the best time to ask for a free upgrade when flying.

In recent years air travel has become more and more affordable in the West, with many Ryanair and easyJet flights on sale for the price of a light city centre lunch.

At the same time ultra-luxury air travel has been getting fancier.

Among those pushing the envelope is Singapore Airlines, which has a first class suite comparable to an on-land hotel room.

Give that forking out for mini-living rooms in the sky is beyond the finances of most of us, charming your way to a better seat is the best way to go.

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Getting a free upgrade is not easy (Getty Images)

Bobby Laurie, a travel expert and former American Airlines flight attendant, told Travel + Leisure the best time to ask for a little luxury treatment is as you're getting on the aircraft.

He said: “You should ask the lead flight attendant or the flight attendant at the boarding door.

“You should ask prior to door closure, but don’t be surprised if they don’t move you until after you’re in the air if they’re going to grant your request.”

Members of the cabin crew need to make sure that everyone's on the plane and in their seat before moving anyone up a class.

If there’s spare seats in first or business class, then passengers will have a better opportunity to make the move from economy - but it may cost you.

Susan Fogwell, a former flight attendant, also told Travel + Leisure that free upgrades are rare and passengers will usually have to pay.

She said: “If a flight attendant moved a passenger from one class to another, the flight attendant would not have a job for long [due to the price difference]."

It's not the first time cabin crew have shared tips on bagging the holy grail of travel.

Flight attendant Miguel Muñoz previously revealed that there are outfits which are sure to keep you firmly in economy.

There's a chance you'll be charged for the upgrade (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Miguel said: "I would say dirty clothes 100%. Sometimes passengers come on board looking scruffy, smelly, with stains on their T-shirts, etc.

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"You can tell when they come straight from the beach and they haven't changed. I've even seen passengers boarding the plane in flip-flops and sandy feet!

"It's obviously not nice to have passengers like these and I would never upgrade them to the first class if I could.

"I also wouldn't upgrade smelly people or drunk passengers, or passengers who give me the impression that they are going to cause trouble."

Milo Boyd