How to Upgrade from a Coach Airline Ticket to a First Class Seat

I always secretly hope when I fly to figure out some way to be bumped to first class. Here are the most common ways to selected to be bumped from coach to first class that are not as obnoxious or embarrassing as whining and begging. Since most airline and flight personnel have heard every excuse in the book, trying to bully them into giving you a better seat is not really an option. Often customer service personnel may give into a demanding customer just to make the annoying customer go away, but a flight personnel customer service person is different - they are going to be looking at you sitting there regardless of whether they give in to you or not for the remainder of the flight, so your standard negotiating tactics might not apply when attempting to get bumped to first class. There are some other variables, specifically what kind of traveler you are and when you board.

When attempting to get bumped to first class regardless of your circumstances, be as polite as possible when dealing with the desk clerk, and when possible attempt to deal directly with the lead flight attendant who will make the final decision about who ends up in first class. Address them by name and make polite conversation without talking their ear off. Do not talk when they are busy concentrating, which annoys everybody. If none of these situations or tactics works, there is always the option of nicely asking if there are any available seats in first class. It is better to do this after they have had a moment to observe that you are first class seat material and they won't regret it.

Do not be noisy or talkative or have lots of special demands. First class passengers have paid big bucks to have their peace and quiet, so if you appear as if you or anyone in your party are loud or disruptive (whether it is you or someone with you) will keep you seated in coach. Babies may get attention for being cute in the first few minutes of seating, but any flight personnel knows that even the most well behaved appearing baby or toddler is bound to cry at some point in the flight, and first class passengers do not want to hear other peoples' crying babies. Do not travel with children or anyone else likely to annoy the first class passengers. If you are sick and are coughing and sneezing, you will not be bumped to first class. Do not over-do the cologne and no matter how long you have been traveling, try to smell as presentable as possible by stopping off in the restroom to wash up and brush your teeth if possible. It is not a matter of looking well off to get into first class, but rather looking like someone who will not annoy or disrupt other passengers. Those with excess body odor or after shave do not get bumped to first class. Those with noisy or disruptive carry-on luggage will not be bumped to first class

One of the best ways to be bumped to first class is to be newlyweds. If you are, speak to the desk agent and anybody else who will listen to you to get free upgrade perks. And the earlier you are the better - early newlyweds get bumped to first class; late arrival newlyweds generally get a nice freebie or two. As a general rule for newlyweds, mention that you are newlyweds everywhere you go on your honeymoon, and you will get maximum honeymoon freebies and upgrades. It is especially important to be early if you are heading for a common honeymoon destination like Paris or Hawaii where the flight is likely to have multiple couples and not all of them can be bumped to first class. A golden or silver anniversary might work if the couple seems particularly charming, but likely not. While what is a special circumstance to you might not seem so special to them, it is always worth mentioning your special circumstance or event (i.e. you are traveling to see your child's graduation from medical school) and see if that gets you anything.

The second most likely way is if someone needs to be bumped on an overbooked flight, give up your seat predicated on getting first class seats on your next flight.

So if you are not a newlywed or on an overbooked flight, you have to resort to other tactics to get bumped from coach to a first class seat. Try boarding last, if you missed your row being boarded, it is likely that someone is already in your seat and they need to find you a different one, hopefully in first class. A risky tactic is to try to sit next to a smelly or loud passengers when you are seated in coach, and then asked to be moved based on being allergic to their perfume - likely the only place left to seat you is first class. The risk is that there are no other seats and you spend the flight next to the smelly, loud passenger.

If there are multiple people in your party and not enough first class seats available, decide who will get upgraded so as not to take excessive time. Any delay in your decision could result in someone else coming forward and taking your first class seats.