Free upgrades... for the brazen
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 499
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From: Back on The Island.
Now now , Avman , I call it education , life experience , call it what you will . They now know if they work hard they too can have the nice things in life . Uurm ..... and your boys/girls/offspring ? 
Joined: Aug 2006
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
Posts: 264
Likes: 55
From: Hedge
Today on British Airways BA2226 ATL-LGW.
I was in Premium Economy, and after takeoff a few pax moved from Economy into Business. I think they must have been friends with the crew as nothing was said.
Bit annyong if you have shelled out on a business ticked only to see other people getting free upgrades due to being 'pally' with crew.
I was in Premium Economy, and after takeoff a few pax moved from Economy into Business. I think they must have been friends with the crew as nothing was said.
Bit annyong if you have shelled out on a business ticked only to see other people getting free upgrades due to being 'pally' with crew.
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 898
Likes: 0
From: here there and everywhere
Salusa, that shouldn't happen once the dorrs have been closed.
However that person might have been a staff passenger, you never know. It's one of the perks of the job, similar story if you work in Boots you get 40% off your purchases. If you know the owner of a restaurant you might get a free meal.
I can understand it can be annoying, but it's just how the world goes!! It's not somethign that happens only in the airline business!!
If an upgrade is agreed by the senior crew member is one thing, if somebody jumps classes trying to cheat the crew (and the airline), it's a totally different story!!
However that person might have been a staff passenger, you never know. It's one of the perks of the job, similar story if you work in Boots you get 40% off your purchases. If you know the owner of a restaurant you might get a free meal.
I can understand it can be annoying, but it's just how the world goes!! It's not somethign that happens only in the airline business!!
If an upgrade is agreed by the senior crew member is one thing, if somebody jumps classes trying to cheat the crew (and the airline), it's a totally different story!!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 548
Likes: 15
From: US
Free upgrade
I did it once but by pure chance. I was boarding an AA flight to POS and my client was in first. I stopped to chat with him and sat down to keep out of the aisle.
CC came by and offered us both a drink, which I took. Amazingly I seemed to have plonked in the only empty seat in first class. By the time boarding was finished I just stayed put and enjoyed the meal and the booze.
First time I ever flew in fist as well.
Sometimes you just get lucky.
20driver
CC came by and offered us both a drink, which I took. Amazingly I seemed to have plonked in the only empty seat in first class. By the time boarding was finished I just stayed put and enjoyed the meal and the booze.
First time I ever flew in fist as well.
Sometimes you just get lucky.
20driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
Posts: 264
Likes: 55
From: Hedge
Lady Lexxington
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,145
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From: The Manor House
Doesn't only happen on a/c. On the train today from Southampton upto Manchester we paid the upgrade into 1st, but at Birmingham at leat SIX passengers wandered into the carriage muttering about how they were going to sit up here anyway and it's not like they would be thown out.
Well done to the Virgin train crew for not checking any tickets past Southampton Parkway and blatantly ignoring those who hadn't bothered to pay, on their subsequent walk throughs.
Well done to the Virgin train crew for not checking any tickets past Southampton Parkway and blatantly ignoring those who hadn't bothered to pay, on their subsequent walk throughs.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Genolier, Switzerland
KLM Europe Select
Just flew them again, this time GVA/AMS/GVA with an F70 on the way there and a 737 on the way back. The service and food are indeed different between Select and Economy, though not much. You get food in a blue box that is quite pretty. I estimate that it costs almost as much as what is inside. Free papers. I could not say whether there is increased seat pitch towards the front, as you have on airlines with convertible seats.
The KLM description is here>
KLM Europe Select
Check in at our dedicated desks and head straight to the lounge – KLM Europe Select is our premium product for flights within Europe. You’ll enjoy fully flexible booking, advance seat reservation, extra baggage allowance, priority boarding and disembarking, and meal service on board. Plus, you’ll earn double Flying Blue Miles with every flight!
The KLM description is here>
KLM Europe Select
Check in at our dedicated desks and head straight to the lounge – KLM Europe Select is our premium product for flights within Europe. You’ll enjoy fully flexible booking, advance seat reservation, extra baggage allowance, priority boarding and disembarking, and meal service on board. Plus, you’ll earn double Flying Blue Miles with every flight!
Fixed+Rotary (aircraft, not washing lines)
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Peak District, Yorkshire, UK
FWIW
Flew Lufthansa Beijing->Frankfurt in First earlier this year. About 1 hour into the flight I noticed a chap in the cabin who hadn't been there previously. Turns out he was a close friend of one of the CC. Kept himself quiet though and spent most of the time in the galley area chatting with the CC.
More unusual was a chap sitting across from us. Had the meal and then perhaps 4 hours into the flight his wife and young child appear upstairs too. They sit, chat and again keep themselves to themselves. Enjoying the service.
Chap then goes downstairs (to biz?) with child and his wife remains upstairs and proceeds to get the later in-flight meal service. Afterwards she goes downstairs leaving the seat vacant. Finally he reappears in time for landing. I guess it's one way of both of them getting the first class treatment but only paying for 1 first + 1 biz fare!
The outbound flight was much quieter. Just me + wifey with the whole of the cabin to ourselves with 3 CC.
Flew Lufthansa Beijing->Frankfurt in First earlier this year. About 1 hour into the flight I noticed a chap in the cabin who hadn't been there previously. Turns out he was a close friend of one of the CC. Kept himself quiet though and spent most of the time in the galley area chatting with the CC.
More unusual was a chap sitting across from us. Had the meal and then perhaps 4 hours into the flight his wife and young child appear upstairs too. They sit, chat and again keep themselves to themselves. Enjoying the service.
Chap then goes downstairs (to biz?) with child and his wife remains upstairs and proceeds to get the later in-flight meal service. Afterwards she goes downstairs leaving the seat vacant. Finally he reappears in time for landing. I guess it's one way of both of them getting the first class treatment but only paying for 1 first + 1 biz fare!
The outbound flight was much quieter. Just me + wifey with the whole of the cabin to ourselves with 3 CC.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Canada
I flew to Hawaii once with my parents. My folks flew in first while I flew in 'hospitality' (my folks had to pay for my ticket, plus dad is 6'7). My father came back to visit me in steerage several times to stretch his legs. Since he is quite gregarious, he took it upon himself to distribute first class amenities to other passengers and later tried to initiate a sing-song. I'll bet there are several passengers out there who are still scarred by the experience.
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: uk
Slightly different tack - a couple of years back Mrs spiney was travelling LHR - HKG on BA World Traveller +... Plane was full-full. The guy sitting next to her (it wasn't me I hasten to add) was absolutely honking... don't think he'd washed for a week.. well ripe he was... Before departure my wife asked to be moved - anywhere. The CSD (Lady) questioned her motives saying WT+ and Economy were both full - until she smelled the guy... Mrs s was upgraded to Club.... Nice.
Aisle seat, please.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
From: here and there (mostly there)
Well done to the Virgin train crew for not checking any tickets past Southampton Parkway and blatantly ignoring those who hadn't bothered to pay, on their subsequent walk throughs.
But, she would - We wuz brought up properly!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Here, there, everywhere
Since he is quite gregarious, he took it upon himself to distribute first class amenities to other passengers and later tried to initiate a sing-song. I'll bet there are several passengers out there who are still scarred by the experience.
(I'm sure, of course, your father did not then procede to light a fire in the cabin; please don't assume I'm accusing him of being a vandal
)
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 428
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From: OXF
I frown on such things. I have been upgraded courtesy of the airline before, upgraded myself on miles, upgraded by paying a little extra at the airport and been upgraded after being rebooked onto different flights, but I have never been so brazen to sneak into a class I shouldn't be in.
I'd be mortified, and I'd be one of those raising it with the c/c. There are instances where I can understand it (sportsmen being injured and flying economy - and being moved to business for their comfort - no-one wants one of those to die of DVT related causes).
S.
I'd be mortified, and I'd be one of those raising it with the c/c. There are instances where I can understand it (sportsmen being injured and flying economy - and being moved to business for their comfort - no-one wants one of those to die of DVT related causes).
S.
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
Many years ago while travelling on a token price ticket I noticed the crew counting and recounting heads while referring to their list at an intermediate stop. I was fully prepared to be bumped off when I heard the conversation they were having. "Oh no, not him, he's nice, lets bump that pig of a drunken travel agent".
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 5,552
Likes: 25
From: ME
Flew out of CDG 2 couple of weeks ago on a B777, guy boards and selects seat in Business Class, put his bag above and placed his jacket neatly folded on the seat, he then wandered back into the economy cabin. I guessed that he was heading to the mosque......
Last 2 passengers to board came to that seat, started asking who owned the jacket, at this stage business was full, no one close to the seat claimed the jacket, then the original guy wanders back from Economy and took it......
I guess that his plan was to wait until the door closed and then quietly wander back to his "business seat"...... neat plan, but i guess that he didnt know that the crew have a list of passenger names/seats....
Mutt
Last 2 passengers to board came to that seat, started asking who owned the jacket, at this stage business was full, no one close to the seat claimed the jacket, then the original guy wanders back from Economy and took it......
I guess that his plan was to wait until the door closed and then quietly wander back to his "business seat"...... neat plan, but i guess that he didnt know that the crew have a list of passenger names/seats....
Mutt
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: London
Was travelling on a BA flight from LHR - NBO in WT+ a few yrs ago, boarded the plane and found a woman sitting in my seat. The cabin was 3/4's empty, so decided not to make a fuss and moved 2 or 3 seats back. Doors closed, plane was pushed back and then 1 of the CC came over and asked to see my Boarding Card, I showed it to him and explained why I wasn't in my assigned seat.
Turns out the woman was traveling in WT and had just taken the first seat that she passed, regardless of cabin! The CC left her for take-off and then firmly escorted her to her correct seat.
Turns out the woman was traveling in WT and had just taken the first seat that she passed, regardless of cabin! The CC left her for take-off and then firmly escorted her to her correct seat.
Joined: May 2004
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 965
Likes: 46
From: Ташкент
Flying on a SE Asian carrier I used to regularly "grease" the head honcho down back $50-100 for an upgrade on a 7 hour overnight flight (success rate 90%++).
In fact it never used to get that far, as the check-in staff could usually be greased for around the same amount (success rate 75%).
In fact I knew the staff at one airport so well due to this fact that when I returned later as a line Pilot to the said airport the look on their face was priceless.
In fact it never used to get that far, as the check-in staff could usually be greased for around the same amount (success rate 75%).
In fact I knew the staff at one airport so well due to this fact that when I returned later as a line Pilot to the said airport the look on their face was priceless.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Seoul, Korea
.... We have some "voluntary upgrade forms" which include taking details of the credit card to take payment for the upgrade. One way for a short flight is £100. It can be up to £500 on some long flights for WTP. When I notice people trying to jump class I present them with the form. They usually decline and go back to their seats.
Excellent, I must try that: do all airlines do it?
Just ask the purser?