Flight attendant reveals who they’ll never offer free upgrades to
Topics: Travel, Life Hacks, Plane Etiquette
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: LADBible/jun xu/Getty Images
Topics: Travel, Life Hacks, Plane Etiquette
Getting upgraded on a flight is a mystery that baffles many of us, especially as we know it can happen – but how?
There are plenty of online theories out there on ways to get upgraded, whether it’s arriving on board with a gift for the flight crew, pretending to be on your honeymoon, or simply being bold enough to ask.
But according to one flight attendant, it’s not really that simple.
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Mandy Smith, who used to work as cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic, spoke to LADbible about her career in the skies, covering everything from whether or not turbulence is dangerous to that infamous ‘mile-high club’.
She said there’s one thing that crops up a lot when people ask her about, and that’s that age-old question about getting a cheeky upgrade.
“If I could tell you how many times I've been asked this, it’s hilarious,” Smith said in a video as part of LADbible’s Honesty Box series.
She went on to give her tips about what you can do to increase your chances, while also revealing there’s one group of people that will ‘never’ land a first class upgrade.
“Dress well, and dress for the cabin that you want to be in,” Smith continued.
“And don’t have children, because they will never upgrade children, ever.
“And be polite, and be nice, don’t shout at anyone because negative behaviour is not rewarded.”
Explaining why kids are a no-go for upgrades, she said: “They would never put a child in upper class or in premium economy because then the children usually disturb the other passengers.
“So that’s why you would never get upgraded with children, and if there were any spare seats they would usually go first to the people on standby.
“I know that sounds really strange because you would give free seats to your staff rather than your passengers, but they really like people to pay for what they’re getting.
“So they try not to upgrade people for free if they can – sorry!”
Bummer.