The top 5 myths about getting upgraded

by Grant Martin on

Business class. The promised land in the front of the aircraft with wider seats, free drinks, meals and checked bags. Who wouldn’t want to take the opportunity for a free upgrade once in a while?

Yes, it is possible to purchase a coach ticket, work the system and get upgraded to the front of the airplane. Is it easy? No. Is there an inexpensive shortcut? Not really. Contrary to many empowering articles out there, upgrades are a tightly controlled, regimented benefit that are doled out to only a few deserving passengers.

Many of the oft repeated tricks to sneaking up front have expired with new technology, prolific resources on the web and plain old common sense. So we’ve compiled the top five myths about getting upgraded to save you time and embarrassment at the airport. Read on for the details.1. Dress to impress: We’re well past the days when passengers dressed up for the pleasure of flying on an airplane. Any ticket agent, gate agent or flight attendant knows that people from all walks of life fly in business class. There are days when the Fortune 500 CEO wears a hooded sweatshirt and buys a first class ticket and days when the neighborhood plumber has enough miles to upgrade. Either way, if you dress nice thinking that you’ll be selected for an upgrade, you’re probably just going to be uncomfortable in coach.

2. See an empty seat? Grab it. Flight attendants have manifests that show which passenger is sitting in which seat and whether or not they got upgraded (haven’t you ever seen Executive Decision?). So if you happen to find a seat up front that hasn’t been taken and are able to slip in, they’re going to notice during the preflight checks and you’re going to get the boot.

3. Ask the flight attendant for an upgrade. Flight attendants have no control over who gets upgraded when – there always might be one last business class passenger coming down the jet bridge right before departure, so they can’t give away a seat. After the boarding door is closed? Maybe if you’re discreet, but with everyone watching, the flight attendant will most definitely say no.

4. Ask the ticket agent to put a special code on your e-ticket. This just doesn’t happen. Any request for upgrades are managed by a different system that’s independent of your reservation. If they add anything to your ticket or boarding pass it’s going to be SSSS.

5. Be charming and polite. While airline employees will surely appreciate your kind behavior, any deviation from the set upgrade process shows favoritism and is something that the agent could get nailed for. Shouldn’t you always be charming and polite anyway?

It’s important to remember that behind paid upgrades, the entire engine behind getting moved up front is fueled by elite status, the preferential treatment that one earns after flying a certain high volume of miles — usually over 25k. If you’re close or you think that you’ll get close to that limit this year, you should check out Gadling’s Guide to Mileage Running.

So the fact of the matter is, 90% of upgrades are managed by a computer system that automatically upgrades those who pay for an upgrade and elite passengers that worked hard to earn them. The other 9.5% of upgrades are handled by gate agents at the airport who sweep up any elites or paid upgrades that fell through the cracks. That remaining 0.5%? That’s your window of opportunity. Better think of a creative approach.

Boeing 737 makes duck soup with ducks and lands safely

by Jamie Rhein on

Not all planes that hit flocks of birds end up making crash landings. When a Boeing 737 flew through a flock of ducks near Fairbanks, Alaska on Thursday, it did make an emergency landing to make sure that there wasn’t any major damage to the aircraft other than the crack in the outer windshield. The only other damage was a dent in the engine cowling.

The description of the ducks bouncing off the jet reminded me a bit of the pheasants (and the black bird , and the chipmunk AND raccoon) that bounced off our car last summer when we drove along the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota on our Great American Road trip. Quite alarming and unusual. We’ve been on this road before with never a problem.

It’s not that unusual for planes to hit birds in Alaska. According to the article in the Anchorage Daily News most of the time, the birds just bounce off the airplane and nothing happens. In our case, one of the pheasants was stuck in the grill of our car, something my husband discovered when we stopped to get gas.

In the case of a plane going through flocks of ducks, I wonder if anyone on board has ever yelled, “Duck!”

*Thanks to Gadling reader, Matt for the heads up on this story.

DHS biometric program begins in Atlanta and Detroit

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Non-U.S. citizens flying from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport will now have to leave their fingerprints as they leave the country. The objective, of course, is to prevent the use of forged or otherwise fraudulent documents, curb identity theft and apprehend “criminals and immigration violators.”

“Collecting biometrics allows us to determine faster and more accurately whether non-U.S. citizens have departed the United States on time or remained in the country illegally,” said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. “The pilot programs in Atlanta and Detroit will help us determine and develop standard procedures for use at airports across the country to expedite legitimate travel and enhance our nation’s security.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers will be taking the fingerprints at the boarding gate in Detroit, with Transportation Security Administration officers doing the honors at the gate in Atlanta. The program is expected to run through early July at these two airports. If the test run goes well, it will be implemented across the United States within the next year.

Kids and long airport layovers

by Brenda Yun on

I was wandering the wide halls of Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal B early this morning when I spotted for the first time an enormously tall dinosaur skeleton. The parents of a young toddler tried to occupy their daughter by shooting photos of her standing next to the dinosaur’s feet.

It was 5:45 in the morning, and this young family were by far the most chipper travelers I’d seen. This got me thinking: what other fun things are there to do with kids at airports during long layovers? Who said long layovers had to be boring?

If you’re stopping through one of these airports, bring your kids to one of these fun spots.

  • Chicago O’Hare: There is a “Kids on the Fly” exhibit in Terminal 2 that features a mini-helicopter, cargo plan, and luggage station. Over in Terminal 5, you can visit the “Play it Safe” exhibit dedicated to teaching children about safety. Let’s not forget the four-story, 72-foot-long brachiosaurus skeleton on the upper level of Terminal 1 (jast as you pass through security in the B Concourse).
  • Seattle-Tacoma: There is a 1,400 square-foot play area filled with aviation-themed foam toys, including a baggage cart that can prepare little ones with adult flying.
  • San Francisco: Take a nine-minute ride on the AirTrain Red Line to the Aviation Library and Museum, where children can play in the Kids’ Spot and enjoy interactive weather-related exhibits.
  • Singapore Changi: Kids can take a dip in the Bali-themed rooftop pool.
  • Munich: The ball pit and giant LEGOs at Kinderland are a huge draw for kids. The advantage for parents: your child can be left there free of charge and watched by airport staff.

Delta plane diverts after food poisoning scare

by Scott Carmichael on

A Delta flight on its way to Atlanta had to make an unscheduled stop at Orlando International Airport to offload three passengers suffering from food poisoning.

The plane had departed Ecuador, but the condition of the three passengers was serious enough to warrant an early stop to get some medical attention. Two of the passengers were transported to a local hospital, the third refused any help.

The passengers did not become ill from any of the food served on the plane and it is not immediately clear whether they were traveling together.

None of the other passengers on the flight became ill, but I’m sure they were not too thrilled by the 3 hour delay. The Delta Airlines site shows the course of events, and clearly shows the delay and diversion.

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