Flight attendant’s honest tip will give you ‘genuine chance’ of being upgraded

For most of us, travelling in first class, or even business class, is a bucket list dream.

We struggle to afford economy seats these days, let alone anything higher – but that has never stopped us trying to blag an upgrade at the airport. 

But if you’ve been batting your eyelashes at cabin crew and showering them in compliments in the hopes they’ll give you special treatment, your effort has likely been for nothing.

A Virgin Atlantic flight attendant has debunked some of the most common ‘hacks’ for trying to get an upgrade and shared the best way to actually go about securing a better seat.

The flight attendant, who works on long-haul trips, shared their top tips anonymously with travel insurance specialist, InsureandGo, and they claimed there are several things they’d seen passengers do in a bid to get into first class that ‘rarely work’, including dressing to impress. 

‘A rumour we hear all the time is that if you dress really smart, you’ll get upgraded,’ the flight attendant says. ‘It’s a fun idea, but honestly, it’s pretty outdated. Upgrades these days are not down to whether you’re wearing a blazer.’

They continue to share that giving cabin crew a box of chocolates, flowers, coffee, or any other kind of gift also won’t be ‘your golden ticket’ into a different cabin, but there is a chance it could get you a different type of freebie.

‘Bringing treats for the crew is always such a kind surprise, and it genuinely brightens our day, but it won’t lead to free upgrades,’ they claim.

‘That said, when someone shows a little extra kindness, we naturally want to pass that warmth back in small, thoughtful ways. It might mean offering an extra snack, a top-up of a drink, a meal from another cabin if there’s one spare, or even serving tea or coffee in a china mug instead of the usual paper in economy.

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‘We love making someone’s trip feel special, and if we can make it a memorable experience, we always try to.’

Celebrating a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary, also isn’t likely to get you bumped up to first class. 

‘This rarely happens. However, on very rare occasions, the crew onboard can make exceptions for genuinely special circumstances.’

So how can you actually get an upgrade on your flight?

According to the flight attendant, upgrades are generally based on ‘availability, loyalty status, and operational needs’. 

The best way to get an upgrade is still simply to pay for it, as the expert claims those willing to pay have a ‘genuine chance’ of moving to a better cabin – all you have to do is ask.

‘If you’d like to upgrade once you’re on board, you can simply ask any member of the cabin crew. We’ll check the availability and the cost, and if you’re happy with the price, we can take payment and move you as soon as possible,’ they said.

‘Upgrading on board is often one of the cheapest options.’

Frequent flyers are also more likely to get an upgrade, so the more you travel, the more likely you are to nab some special treatment.

‘We really do look after our top-tier members. If there are spare seats and the situation allows, we’ll always try to get our gold-card passengers into their preferred spot.’

And finally, passengers with an injury might also be able to secure an upgrade, for the sake of their comfort.

‘If a passenger is clearly in pain or struggling, ground staff sometimes let us know so we can try to move them somewhere more comfortable,’ the expert adds.

However, they stress: ‘This isn’t an upgrade for luxury – it’s purely about safety and wellbeing.’

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