A former flight attendant who worked at Emirates Airlines for several years has confirmed one age-old hack to bag a free upgrade to business class does actually work (some of the time)
Fly in-style with this age-old hack that you probably thought wouldn’t work.
We’ve all caught a glimpse of business class while boarding, wishing our economy middle seat with broken tray table was actually a reclining pod with a glass of champagne at the ready. But, unless you’re willing to fork out thousands more for a flight, travelling business class is unfeasible for most of us.
However, a cheeky hack could see you and your other half enjoy the comfort and luxury of a free upgrade without having to break the bank (or save up air miles for half a century). So, let’s get you that trip of a lifetime… Kamila Jakubjakova is a former flight attendant that worked on the luxury Emirates airline for several years. In an interview with the Sun, the travel ace says despite the rumour it doesn’t work – couples that tell crew members it’s their honeymoon could be in for a chance of getting an upgrade.
Even if staff don’t offer you a full on transfer to a business seat, you could still get some special treatment for travelling on such a special day. “If I saw honeymooners, I would bring them some extra treats from business class – like, for example, a dessert or a glass of champagne, and try to make their flight more special, even if they’re flying economy,” Kamila said.
“So if somebody has a special occasion, make sure you tell the flight attendants.” The travel expert added that the same applies for those travelling on their birthday (especially if it’s a big milestone) or other occasions like a wedding anniversary. If you’re not celebrating on your travel day, but still like the sound of a seat that can turn itself into a double bed in the air – you still have options. Kamila says that turning up to the airport later than the recommended window of two hours for a short-haul flight or three hours for a Transatlantic journey, could have an unexpected benefit.
The ace says many airlines, especially over in the US, purposefully oversell tickets for economy with the understanding that some people will simply not show up. “So if the flight is overbooked, and everyone shows up, they’ll have to move economy passengers into business class, and maybe the last passengers who come to check in for the flight will be chosen, as they’re the extra ones,” she added.
Have you ever bagged a free upgrade? Let us know how you managed it in the comments section below
