Smartly dressed single guy? You're most likely to get a free upgrade, reveals Skyscanner

http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/54847/smartly-dressed-single-guy-you-re

Almost three quarters (72%) of cabin crew said they were more inclined to offer a free upgrade to a passenger who was flying alone. Other factors that increase the likelihood of escaping economy are being a frequent flyer and having an injury.



A smartly dressed, single guy in his thirties is the passenger most likely to get a free upgrade according to a survey of 700 cabin crew by leading global travel search site Skyscanner. The survey found that nearly two-thirds (61%) of cabin crew have given someone a free upgrade and it's single guys that are bagging the premium seats.

However, at the other end of the scale, forget it if you're flying as a hen party. The flyers voted least likely to get an upgrade are women in their late teens, wearing revealing clothing and travelling as part of a group.

For those who don't fit the bill, crew have outlined how passengers can up their chances of getting that elusive free upgrade. While a few manners will go far, frequent flyers and solo travellers are odds-on favourites to get bumped up to premium, when seats become available.

Read More: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/54847/smartly-dressed-single-guy-you-re

 

I think the whole idea of perpetuating that you can get a free upgrade if you dress nice and do this thing and the other is long overdue for retirement.

 

Yeah, I blame the fact that I change into comfortable clothes for my flights as the reason I don't get upgraded.

 

Haven't you heard? If you wear a three piece suit and wingtips and you're nice to the flight attendant you'll get a free upgrade to First Class.

OR... you're probably #32 in the upgrade list, behind the guy in sweats that flew 783 segments last year.

 

There seems to be so few available these days to start with. These stats probably refer to the unlikely case where the cabin door closes and there is an unsold seat still available in business or first.

I must agree though that the guy wearing a wife-beater with a spaghetti stain probably won't get the upgrade

 

I'm not even sure about under those circumstances. I was on UA 808 this Saturday and there was one empty seat and 25 people on the list. No matter how well dressed you are that seat is not going to anybody but the guy next up on the list (who happened to be sitting next to me on an E+ exit row, that bastard.

I suppose if there is nobody on the list -- on those routes that are not elite heavy or nobody waitlists or that are really short flights -- then maybe you'll get upgraded, if there's no uniformed people onboard, etc.

I've seen F and Business seats go empty at times, but that's becoming more and more rare nowadays with all the opportunities for upgrades.

 

Except on some international carriers, I was on an Ethiopian Airlines flight (non-stop) from Dulles to Addis Ababa last December. I paid $1100 for an upgrade b/c the thought of 10+ hours in coach was unbearable. There was probably 50 seats in Business and only ten of us up there. They didn't bring anyone up from coach...first time I had ever seen something like that.

 

...#32? if only i was that lucky..and i am usually in a suit and wingtips! all the routes i usually fly are super-elite heavy

 

The article makes it seem like the cabin crews are free to upgrade anyone they want. Most airlines are pretty strict on not allowing that- too much shena and bribery in the past. Upgrades are based on rules and algorithms.

 

Yeah that's what I thought too... of course the article is somewhat misleading. It's probably true, the flight attendants are "more likely" to upgrade someone based on their appearance or demeanor, if it was up to them. Whether they're able to or not is another story.

 

Worst Researched Article ever?

Cabin Crew don't do the upgrading!

 

Did his seat at least remain empty giving you poor man's first?

 

They can... they just don't generally choose who gets the upgrade.

 

Exactly.

 

I was actually squeezed in the middle seat and when he left me and the window guy had a gentlemen's agreement that we would lift the armrests and share the middle seat as "miscellaneous storage"

 

So all in all huge net gain for you!

 

I don't whole-heartedly agree with the article.

However, I have witnessed first hand a cabin crew member do an on-board upgrade.

I saw it happen to an attractive female on an AA flight in 2007 when mainline was on ORD-IND.

A male flight attendant upgraded an attractive young female passenger from rows behind me in Y to F, while this single male [with Plat status] sat in Y after the door closed but we were still on the ground.

Needless to say very unfair to the elites, like myself.

I shrugged it off since it was a really short flight.

 

How do you know the young attractive female wasn't an elite, too?

 

Unless you're Danny Devito.

 

You think?