Think You Can't Afford Business Class? Think Again. ? Travel For ...

By Lisa Mercer

Candidates for Economy Class Syndrome...

Remember your last flight to Japan ? the one that had you stuck in one of those dreaded middle seats? Of course you do. Who could forget the woman in the window seat, with her gift of perpetual gab? Unfortunately, her chatter did nothing to disturb the snoring of the enormous man who occupied the aisle seat.

Adding insult to injury, your flight was a connection, and a tight one at that. Since you were stuck in economy class ? no food for you! You watched in envy as the business class travelers enjoyed their pre-flight drinks, and their inflight snacks.

When you finally arrived at your destination, the cramping in your legs told you that you were suffering classic symptoms of Economy Class Syndrome. ?Never again!? you may have said to yourself. ?Next time I travel internationally, I?m traveling business class!? Then you looked at the prices, and you added Sticker Shock to your Economy Class Syndrome.

Fortunately, this dilemma has solutions. Using your frequent flyer miles is the easiest and cheapest way to get an upgrade. But unfortunately, as Kim pointed at in her post ?Seven Misconceptions About Frequent Flier Miles,? most people are seriously misinformed about the enrollment benefits of these programs. So listen up:

Even if you don?t travel frequently enough to earn a round-trip ticket, you can use your miles to earn an upgrade to business class.

And under certain circumstances, just being a member of the program might earn you an upgrade, provided you play your cards right.

Ahhh... much better in Business Class.

Overbooked Flights

Occasionally, coach is overbooked but there are empty seats in business or first class with which the airline will decide to do one of two things:

1. Sell Upgrades: Depending on where you are going, these can cost anywhere from $50 to $300, but the price is still cheaper than if you bought a business or first-class ticket. Here?s something else to consider: First and business class passengers usually do not pay baggage fees, so the cost of upgrading might actually save you money.
2. Offer Free Upgrades to Select Passengers: This is where membership has its privileges. If you are a member of the airline?s frequent flier program, especially if you have elite status, the airline might move you up to business or first class. This usually involves arriving early and putting your name on a waiting list. On rare occasions, random passengers might even receive upgrades even if they are not elite members of the airline?s program.

Dress For Succes

Both former flight attendant Carolyn Paddock, owner of? InflightInsider.com, and flight attendant / MSNBC travel writer James Wysong agree that if you are dressed nicely in business casual attire, you are more likely to receive an upgrade than someone in yoga pants and a backpack.

Letting the gate agent know that this is a special occasion, such as a honeymoon, a 50^th wedding anniversary, or a 60^th? birthday might help, but I?ve seen this backfire when the couple in question offered this information with a sense of entitlement. Don?t act entitled!

Solo travelers are more likely to get an upgrade than those traveling with friends. And ? no offense to parents ? but if you are traveling with kids, dream on. Sorry.

Respect the Power of the Gate Agent

If you do travel frequently with a specific airline, a little kindness toward the gate agent goes a long way, says John DiScala, who owns the travel website JohnnyJet.com. I?ve seen my husband work wonders with his charm, simply by remembering the names of agents he?s used on previous trips and engaging in friendly conversation. Many people have an antagonistic attitude toward gate agents so it?s a breath of fresh air to them when someone is actually nice.

Consider these tips the next time you?re faced with impending Economy Class Syndrome!

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What about you? Do you have more tips on how to get upgraded without spending a fortune? Please let us know in the Comments section!

Source: http://www.travelforboomers.com/2012/08/09/think-you-cant-afford-business-class-think-again/

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