8 Secret Hacks for a FLIGHT UPGRADE (Never Fly Economy Again!)

I once wore my military uniform just to get free checked bags.
And once plane was in the air, I was offered a seat in first class.
Thank you for my service.

I have flown first domestic

you need to do your homework before doing videos.

Question:
Can you bid for an upgrade on United Airlines?
Answer:
None of the U.S.-based “Big Three” airlines (American, Delta, and United) participates in bid-based upgrades.

None of these are tips.

This was great. I learned a lot. I once flew first class. REAL first class. Back in the day when you were served coffee from a silver service. It was other-worldly and definitely a bygone era.

I don’t like having to bid for an upgrade. When there are two people there is also no garuntee you will sit together. No thanks! I check day before to see if there is anything and then decide based on that. Again, I can’t be bothered bidding. I fly premium and business most often

I booked the fight under "Doctor"!! Works everytime??

Yeah PDX! Waiting for new videos since the beautiful remodel was completed.

BA ("The World's Most Favourite Airline"–at least back then) upgraded me to Business Class for free a couple of times at the ticket counter, but that was years ago (pre-9-11, when they'd often let me sit in the flight deck jumpseat) for part of the flight. It was so cool to ride up front (especially if you're a pilot). On a 747-100 (not many of those still flying), I stayed until the approach phase. The only time I got bumped to first was from ORD to DTW on a 727, so a larger seat for an hour and a free drink–woo hoo.

The vast majority of DTW-based flights are Delta, so we basically have to deal with whatever they have to offer. We can no longer handle Economy for long-hauls, so we go for Comfort+ and it's interesting that the upgrade to Premium Select (~Business or old school 1st, pre-Delta One) was a lot more during booking than when I just checked on Delta.com (but still more than we feel it's worth). Per your advice, we'll keep checking… Thanks.

I’ve experienced only bad, like plane changed and losing my prepaid seat selection. Never have I been offered anything in compensation I’ve always had to pursue on my own efforts to be compensated.

What does a credit get you?

ThisTrick would be impossible due e erybody will try to accomplish. Jaja

Aden to London back in the 70's an Indian gentleman had all of First Class for him and his family. The flight was to land at Jedha, the port of Mecca. Hence the flight was packed with Arabs going to Mecca. They had pots and pans, chickens, and the smell was terrible. He was kind enough to offer his spare seats to Europeans riding in 'the back'. My brother and sister got a seat I did not. Bollocks!

Spirit Airlines sucked and they are now out of business! Their baggage handlers would always go thru my suitcases in the Dallas Fort Worth (where I'm from) airport looking for stuff to steal and would cut off my lock to get into my checked in luggage! Glad they are out of business!

Bon débarras pour la chambre et le lit au fond.

I automatically get free seat upgrades on at least half my flights (I'm not going to say how because you can't legally do it the way I do unless you meet specific eligibility criteria, and trying to circumvent the specific system that applies in my situation is technically possible but is still perjury).

My first upgrade, however, was more than 6 years before I qualified for automatically free upgrades: I had a very complicated itinerary, so I had booked a one-way ticket and then a round trip ticket that departed from the one-way's destination airport on the same day as the one-way, with a 4 hour layover in between. I knew the difference between gate-checking a bag (picked up planeside/in the jetbridge – United uses a green tag for those) and checking a bag all the way through to the final destination at the gate (picking up at the baggage claim at final destination airport – United uses the standard long white tag), but apparently the gate agent did not know the difference, so when I asked to gate-check my carryon, explaining that I wanted to pick it back up at the gate when I got off, she put the long white tag on it (which made me suspicious – I knew those were generally reserved for checked bags) and checked it all the way through, which meant that, since I was flying on 2 separate tickets, I had to go all the way out of security and down to the baggage claim at MSP, wait for my bag to come, then go all the way back up, wait for an hour and a half in the line for the United desk, then go back through security and finally get to my gate (quite the hike when all told). When I explained to the person at the United front desk (after waiting for an hour and a half in line) what happened, she apologized for the DEN gate agent's actions and for the delay that it caused me – it was a VERY good thing I had a 4 hour layover – and gave me new boarding passes for my next 2 flights, so I thanked her and went on my way. I didn't think anything of the new boarding passes because all I really wanted to do was report what had happened so that the airline would do more training on what gate-checking a bag actually means – I figured she had simply moved me further forward in the plane. I had never flown United before, let alone internationally, so I didn't realize until I got to my seat on each flight that she had actually given me economy plus seats on both of my remaining flights that day (I had booked regular economy for the entire trip) – it made the overnight flight from ORD to FCO much more comfortable.

I fly A LOT, but I have had no offers of upgrades (other than paying what I deem is far too much for one) in over 20 years. In the 1980's, 90's, and even into the 2000's when I flew less often, I had numerous free upgrades to first and business class, usually just out of the blue.
I think things have changed in the industry. The up-side is, though, that I almost always have a pleasant flight in the most affordable economy section, even on my fairly frequent 9 hour international flights. The only time I have ever paid for an upgrade was right before a flight with what seemed like a relatively low fee (still in the hundreds and for only one leg of the flight), but the seat – it was very old and I think a bit broken – was the most uncomfortable I had ever sat in in a plane, and the person next to me was quite unpleasant and rude. It was one of my worst flights ever in terms of comfort, and having glass glasses and proper cutlery did not compensate. That was a waste of money.

I had completed the Memphis Marathon on the prior day and had very bad plantar fasciitis. I limped up to the counter an inquired if they had a seat with a little more leg room. The agent gave me a new ticket and I never really looked at it until we were starting to board the flight. When I did look at it I grew a big grin, first class!

I miss the good ol' days when I could upgrade to business class on Continental for 10,000 miles and $100. Once they merged with United nothing was ever the same.

I was upgraded to first class once. There was a terrible snow storm headed for the airport, so I arrived several hours early for my mid-morning flight. As soon as the ticket agent opened I got in line to check in (and check the status of my flight due to the impending weather). There was an earlier flight going to the same city (only alternate airport), so they put me on the early flight to get out ahead of the storm. Since I was willing to change the airport destination they gave me a first class upgrade on my round trip tickets.

I know of one "proven" technique that happened to me years ago.

I missed my original international flight by just about an hour. The plane hadn't boarded, but the check-in was closed.

(Who takes traffic jams into account, erh!).

BA was kind enough to offer me another flight to the same country, free of charge, flying 1 hour later, but routing through another city in the destination country.

My seat was at the very front with the baby-change bench.

The flight took off.

A few moments later, the stewardess asked me to follow her to another economy seat. The other 2 passengers in my row were also re-seated.

Then I saw a family of 3, parents and an infant, seated in the baby-change bench row.

They had been sitting in the back for the 12 hours of the first leg of the flight.

I didn't mind, at least I was on my way.

A few moments later, the stewardess asked the 3 of us who gave up their seats to follow her again, with our luggage.

Business class it is, for the next 7 hours.

Sometimes, good things happen to good people.

I never heard of the bidding thing.