The First Class Upgrade

“Good evening Mr. Stenberg, can I take your jacket and offer you a glass of Champagne before take-off?”

It’s not always that I get to fly in first class, but when I do it is such a sharp contrast to the awkward and crowded start to an economy flight. While I have my bubbly drink, a hot towel, and a newspaper to read, the majority of the plane is bumbling around trying to find their seats, and praying that the guy in the middle is either non-existent, or at very least, of decent personal hygiene.

Over the past few years I have been fortunate enough to fly in First/Executive class quite a bit for a relatively normal person my age. Because my job has involved a fair amount of travel I have been fortunate enough to receive upgrades through Air Canada’s frequent flyer program, which definitely makes the process a little more predictable, but I have also been upgraded numerous times on other airlines for no reason.

Unfortunately I can’t give you a hands down foolproof route to first class upgrade, but I can share with you my experiences and some tips I’ve gained from others in hopes that they may help you upgrade in some of your future travels.

Here are some ways I have upgraded in the past — listed from least money required to most money. For more information on some of the frequent flyer programs mentioned in this article please see The Frequent Traveller’s Toolbox.

Dress Decent
This is step one before any of the below mentioned. Other people have told me this, and it is true, but not in the way you might think. My first time flying in first class I new about the upgrade in advance so I went out and bought a bunch of new clothes to look the part. When I got on the plane I was surprised that not everybody in that cabin looked like they were spending the weekend in the Hamptons. I quickly untied my new sweater from around my shoulders and tucked it under the seat. Most of the people in First class dress decently, but don’t necessarily dress-up. There are always a few suits and such, but most people seem to dress comfortably. T-shirts and jeans are fine, just wear nice ones. I usually wear a pair of newer fitted jeans and a plain black long-sleeve shirt (think Steve Jobs not Bill Gates). It’s never too much or too little, and I am comfortable being in those clothes. I can always spot the upgrade or first class splurge passengers because they look like something that Gossip Girl threw-up for Sunday brunch.

Be Nice to the Flight Attendants
This should be obvious. Being nice, patient, and polite to the staff can go a long way. Ultimately if you are going to upgrade they are going to give you the nod. Be good to them, but stop short of making direct contact with their rear-end. They won’t like that.

Get on the Plane Near the End of Boarding
I don’t particularly like this one as I always have maximum of carry-on baggage and it can be a pain to find a spot for it once the plane is full. However, this one time I was going from Vancouver to Las Vegas and got on the plane near the end. Somebody was in my seat. The flight attendant asked me to go to the back and wait while she figured out the situation, so I did. I was super patient and understanding. Somebody had taken my seat to give up their seat, and someone had taken their seat for the same reason. The whole thing became so confusing that it was easier to upgrade me to first class than deal with the mess. It likely wouldn’t have happened had I not been as respectful and patient.

Confidence and Humility
First of all, airline travel is stressful for everyone. Make sure you are well researched, well prepared, and generally have your sh*t together. Get organized the night before, and get to the airport at a reasonable time. Your calmness will spread to others!

By researching in advance on the airline’s website you will understand the procedure and look like less of a goof when you deal with the airline staff. Most people are lowered to idiot status in airports, don’t be one of them. By knowing what you are doing you will exude a certain confidence — just be sure not to go overboard and become an arrogant know-it-all.

Personally, I am always well prepared at the airport, I know exactly what I am doing, and I am never rude to the staff. I can’t prove that it was exactly this, but I believe I have been upgraded several times based on this approach. Sometimes I will even ask something like: “I know this might sound a bit crazy, but are there any upgrades available on this flight?” Sometimes they are full, sometimes they come back with a price, and other times they return with a “you know what, let me see what I can do.”

Frequent Flyer Miles
There are two ways that these can be useful, and unlike becoming part of an airline top-tier club, the miles used in this case can be earned by flying, through retail partners, and by credit card purchases.

The first way is by using points to book flights. Booking a first class flight with miles is a cheap way into first class. You still need to pay the taxes and surcharges, but those are the same whether you fly in Economy or First class. I booked a trip to Europe last year about one month in advance and received a great deal with my points. It was going to cost me 60,000 Aeroplan miles to go Penticton-Vancouver-London return, and about $700 in fees. Seven hundred dollars didn’t seem like a “free” flight to me so I looked into first class. To my surprise it only cost me 85,000 points and $700 to do the same flight in first class. About 2 weeks before my trip I needed to change my flight and was pissed that I would have to call in to do it. I get on the phone with an agent and couldn’t be more surprised. The agent was the best thing that happened to my vacation. He rearranged my flights and made all sorts of great suggestions that got me even more value for my points. I would highly recommend calling in from the get go, rather than booking online when it comes to points. There are so many weird loopholes and rules that it helps to deal with someone that really knows the system. Also, I have investigated many reward fares and talked to many people about this and although I was lucky enough to get a great deal, the best bet is to actually book well in advance — like as far as possible (which is almost one year). If a change is required later you can adjust dates and things for a nominal fee without spending more points.

The second way that points can get you an upgrade is to use them to purchase an upgrade at the ticket counter using your frequent flyer miles. Air Canada does not allow this as far as I know, but I have seen many people do this on United Airlines. The miles are used in place of cash to make up the difference.

Frequent Flyer Program
This may not be the most attainable for the recreational traveller, as it involves quite a bit of travel (read spending money), but it is by far the easiest route to an upgrade, and if you are flying frequently in one year it is well worth flying with the same carrier or one of their partner airlines. I fly frequently with Air Canada, and after a certain number of miles each year on Air Canada, or Star Alliance partner airlines, am automatically upgraded to their Top-Tier Status. Roughly 4 trips a year to Europe or Asia from Vancouver, or 10 trips year to Toronto from Vancouver will get you enough status miles to join the club.

I fit somewhere in the middle of this tier system between the sort-of frequent flyers, and the super frequent flyers, and I have found the program to be most beneficial to me. Access to Air Canada and Star Alliance airport lounges provides me with a quiet relaxing place to have a coffee or drink, do some work, or have a nap. It is definitely a nice break from trying to find a seat at the crowded airport bar, or trying to find an electrical outlet to plug-in your quickly fading laptop.

The Air Canada program also awards a certain number of upgrade certificates per year. A small quantity of them are the “golden ticket” and can be used on the cheapest fares to any destination in the world. The others provide upgrades on North America bound flights, or trans-continental flights, but only on a more expensive fare class. Often the shorter haul flights (Vancouver to LA) are easy to use this type of upgrade on as the difference in fare category pricing is reasonable, whereas Vancouver to Toronto or further can be a little more difficult.

I find using a business travel agent to book these flights can be very advantageous and worth the fee as they have the ability to see how many upgradeable fares are remaining and whether or not there is a waitlist. It is possible to preview seat availability on the Air Canada website too, but you cannot actually request an upgrade or find out if it has been approved until the booking process is completed. This can be a real downer if you are paying a higher fare in hopes of an upgrade.