How to blag a flight upgrade

It's the dream of every traveller, especially those about to suffer the psychological trauma of a cramped, stuffy long-haul flight in the less than salubrious confines of economy. However much you try to suppress it, it's hard not to fantasise about what opulent delights might await those hallowed few who turn left on boarding. Well, if the myths are to be believed, it might just be possible, should you play your cards right and in all probability get extremely lucky, to blag the holy grail of flying – an upgrade.

Don't get too excited; whilst the possibility shouldn't be dismissed entirely as an impossible dream, there are a host of factors that could stand in your way. Take note of the following tips though and who knows, it's just possible you could find yourself stretching out with a glass of champagne, enjoying a complementary massage whilst a flight attendant plumps your Egyptian cotton pillow ready for a restful night's sleep:

• The first goal is to get your boarding pass stamped with SFU – Suitable For Upgrade. One of the key factors here is looking like you'll fit in. So don't turn up looking like you're on your way to the gym. The best policy is to dress for business, so for men smart trousers, shoes and a formal shirt are a good bet. A few luxury accoutrements like quality luggage wouldn't hurt either.

• You're also more likely to succeed if you're travelling alone - turn up with a gaggle of screaming kids and you may as well not bother trying. Make sure you look as though you could be quietly ushered into business or first class without too much hassle or disruption.

• Make a bit of effort with the check-in staff. Just asking straight up if there's any chance of an upgrade probably won't cut the mustard, so charm them and find a slightly more subtle way of asking – a bit of humour might help your chances too.

• Of course, all this will be wasted if business and first class are actually full.

• Airlines are far more likely to reward members of a frequent flier club. If seats come up then obviously first option is likely to be given to passengers with a loyalty card to elevate them above the rest of the economy rabble. So even if you're not a particularly frequent flier why not sign up – it's free. And if all this blagging rests heavy on your conscience, should you actually rack up some hefty air miles it's quite possible you'll earn a perfectly legitimate upgrade anyway.

• Try to book flights that might be oversubscribed, so go for busy periods like school breaks and Saturdays. Airlines will often do this anticipating that a few people won't turn up. If this happens and you're prepared to be bumped to a later flight then you can expect some form of compensation… Of course, should this plan back fire you'll be stuck back in economy on a particularly packed flight. Better luck next time!

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