Iberia free upgrade
I will confess.
I have pulled this a few times although most of my travel is domestic and therefore classless I did have a great return trip from La Corruna courtesy of Iberia.
Having literally stepped of a yacht after 10 days as sea I caught a taxi straight to the airport with no idea how I was to get back to London for meetings the following day.
I managed tp get the last economy seat on a flight to Madrid with an onward connection to LHR. On boarding I found I was to be sandwiched between Mrs Attila the hun and her toothless Husband. Pausing at the curtains that designate business/first from the cheap seats on the A320 I was ushered into the second row by a steward who didn't bother to check my lowly status. I didn't feel the need to disabuse him of this error and enjoyed a champagne fuelled trip to Madrid.
On the next leg of my journey I simply waited until I was last to board. Smiled at the stewardess parked my arse in a an empty seat at the front. Confidence is everything - I must have looked like tramp ( or an eccentric millionaire) but Igot the full treatment during the flight and ended up getting on very well with a Paris Hilton lookalike on the otherside of the aisle. I can only guess that they were expecting someone who didn't show.
Had I been challenged I would plead ignorance - in English. And apologise profusely.
I have frequently asked on board and before boarding if there are seats free but never had any success that way - understandable really.
Was this theft? No. I paid for my flight. The seat was empty, the meal was provided on the assumption it was to be consumed and would have gone into Cabin Crew if I hadn't been there and, as for the wine, if that made any difference to their bottom line I will eat my lifejacket! Oh, and another thing - it must have improved the flight experience for Mr & Mrs Attila.
Last edited by Munnyspinner; 23rd Mar 2009 at 21:09.