Upgrade Travel Tips

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 468
Comment this article

Cheap travel options, such as cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages often are critical in making travel affordable. However, snagging upgrades while traveling can make that trip all the more enjoyable.

The following are suggestions from Travel & Leisure on how to get upgraded on your next flight, hotel room, and when renting a car:

• When possible try to fly on an airline and sign up for its frequent flyer program that is not headquartered in your city. In such cases there are fewer elite passengers competing for an upgrade.

• Check into your hotel late in the day since you are more likely to be given an upgrade if it appears that otherwise a better room will remain empty.

• Reserve a room at a new hotel since staff at such hotels are often more likely to want to impress new guests and spread positive worth of mouth.

• Stay at a large hotel since they tend to have more rooms considered as upgrades.

• Give a hotel a reason for requesting an upgrade such as you are there for a special occasion (i.e., an anniversary). Also make a point ...
... of mentioning that you are a member of the hotel’s loyalty program so long as that is the case.

• Inquire when checking in at a hotel about partnerships it may have with organizations such as American Automobile Association and American Association of Retired Persons. Ask about any other affiliations that might work in your favor.

• Do not be reluctant to simply ask about upgrades, particularly regarding car rentals. Rental agencies often have more economy car rental reservations than cars and are happy to hand out upgrades.

• Before arriving at a hotel write a note to the hotel manager letting the person know how excited you are about your upcoming stay and why it is important to you. Sometimes sharing your enthusiasm about the hotel via your Twitter and/or Facebook accounts helps.

• Being nice when requesting an upgrade is key, particularly when flying. Seat upgrades are sometimes discretionary so it is smart to get a gate agent or flight attendant on your side.

• If you are willing to use miles for an upgrade, ExpertFlyer’s Flight Alert service tracks specific flights and lets users know when an award seat becomes available in your category – an aisle, window, or even a premium seat.
www.cheapfares.com