Is it worth asking your airline for an upgrade at check-in?

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This was published 9 years ago

Is it worth asking your airline for an upgrade at check-in?

Is it worth asking for a seat upgrade at the check-in desk?

By Michael Gebicki
Updated
Business class on a Qantas A380. You can ask, but shall you receive?

Business class on a Qantas A380. You can ask, but shall you receive?

EVERYONE ASKS... IS IT WORTH ASKING FOR AN UPGRADE AT THE CHECK-IN DESK?

It never hurts to ask, but be prepared for a "no". Chances are you will only ever find yourself among the gilded flock if economy class is chockers and there are vacant seats in premium economy or business, and if you really deserve to be there. Airlines apply a strict pecking order to upgrades.

If you've gone for an el cheapo ticket, you're at the back of a long queue. First in line will be those passengers who have paid the full economy fare and who have demonstrated unswerving loyalty to the carrier, borne out by their status credits and the number of points in their frequent-flyer account.

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By itself, dressing well cuts no ice, although if you're a marginal case and displaying extravagant body piercings or signs of a heavy night out, that's likely to scuttle your chances.

You need to look as if you might belong among the champagne-quaffers at the front end.

You can also pay, and discount carriers in particular are quite amenable to the idea of earning a couple of hundred dollars for an unsold premium seat rather than having it remain empty.

The price won't be rock bottom, but you'll pay a lot less than if you were to buy it in advance. If all else fails, you can always request an exit-row seat, those extra few centimetres are solid gold.

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