Kamila Jakubjakova shared advice for passengers planning their flights, including what to say to airline staff in order to stand the best chance of getting yourself an upgrade
An air hostess has shared her top tips and tricks to make flying more enjoyable as well as how you can even maybe bag yourself some nice mid-air freebies.
Kamila Jakubjakova shared advice for passengers planning their flights, including what to say to airline staff in order to stand the best chance of getting yourself an upgrade. With prices for luggage and legroom climbing in economy seats, a free upgrade could be the perfect way to kick off your trip. While a lot of this comes down to luck – and airlines overselling seats – Kamila shared one way you might improve your odds.
Kamila Jakubjakova worked at the luxury Emirates airline for years, and she has shared all the secrets she learned in the business. “If the economy class is overbooked, they will have to move some passengers to business class, by default,” she told the Sun. “That’s the only case when you can actually get a free upgrade. It’s pretty random how it’s chosen – but if somebody has a birthday, they might get it!”
As well as birthday’s Kamila said cabin crew often try to mark other special days for passengers with a treat. She says: “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.
So if you are flying to celebrate a special occasion, make sure you tell the flight attendants, she advised. A potentially more risky hack Kamila said might get you an upgrade is to arrive at the airport late. While seemingly counter-intuitive, this is because airlines frequently overbook flights as they don’t expect everyone to turn up. When this does happen they are often forced to upgrade passengers from economy, and more often than not this is latecomers who are not already seated, she explained. Of course this strategy comes with its own risks, you could miss your flight or even turn up your plane to find it overbooked and full, and be forced to take another flight.