Upgrade tricks?

[Terry]

Being a travel agent for 15 years and trying to ask nicely never worked. Even though my clients used it and it worked all the time for them. Even had my family dress up in dresses and suits to Cancun and only to walk off the plane in a total sweat with husband complaining all the way.

It's a tight market these days.

The only time I got upgraded was when a friend (who was a top dog at the local FAA) stopped by our house as we were headed to FLA for my Dad's funeral and he wouldn't give the TWA flight priority to take off until they upgraded us to 1st class. Pretty amazing!

[jimg20]

The problem with upgrades these days, on Delta in particular, is that the upgrade process is fully automated. The computer determines a passenger's priority on the upgrade list. It even determines if a passenger should be allowed to get on the list.

Since I am a platimum passenger, they put me on the list automatically. There are a variety of criteria that get one higher on the list. They include when the passenger checked in, their elite status, how much they paid for their ticket, etc.

There was a time when a $20 would get a person upgraded. That was when we carried upgrade stickers. Those days are long gone.

JIM

[PA Girl]

Go towards the back and look for a row of three. Book isle & window and hope no one sits between. Three seats to spread out is heaven. I'd take that any day over first class. PLUS in STT they unload the plane from the back also!!

We were in the back of the plane each direction to TCI this summer and it was nice. When you have a child, you move slow no matter what.

The rest of the plane was full and we had two rows to our selves. The attendents were back there with us and they spoiled our son with treats.

[liamsaunt]

The only thing I've been able to come up with to consistently make things nicer (without spending extra) is to show up a little early and ask nicely to be reseated in the exit row. There's a lot more leg room in exit row--not that I need it, but John likes it. We've never been turned down, and we usually end up with the third seat open between us. We must look like we know how to efficiently operate an inflatable ramp. Or else we smell like garlic.

[Xislandgirl]

We have never had a problem on American. I would go to the gate and ask and they would ask for my FF number and we would get seats if that had them. So it makes it hard to know that I will most likely not get a FC seat.

I guess I will just hope for the best, there are a ton of seats open right. It never hurts to ask.