Sitting in a higher class w/o paying
Nov 23, 2014, 4:27 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hampshire (LHR)
Programs: BA GOLD, Tufty Club, Virgin Silver, HH Diamond, Marriott Silver, ICH Platinum Ambassador. MAS Gold
Posts: 446
Now I know this could be could construed as a slightly controversial thread as it is effectively stealing but I just wondered if this has ever happened or whether anyone's ever considered it?
It only crossed my mind a couple weeks back LHR-IAD, 5pm flight. I was sitting in my usual 2nd to front row seat in WTP, disappointed at not getting an OP/UP to CW (had them previous 5 trips so couldn't really complain). As I sat, and as I always take an aisle seat, I peered enviously at the lucky few folks who would be enjoying their flight far more I would for the next 8 hours or so.
At that point, I can't deny it. The devilish thought entered my head. I boarded about 80% into boarding and I just wondered whether if I went up and sat in one of the many empty CW seats would anyone notice? Now of course I didn't and I'm not saying I ever will but surely this thought has crossed the minds of others as well. You'd have to time your movements perfectly but I came to the conclusion it might just be possible. Having said that, I have very little idea about how much information the cabin crew have about specific loads, whether they check it often etc.
-Would you get caught?
-What would happen if you did? My thought was just to play a seemingly confused tourist who had sat in the wrong seat and then sort of sheepishly exclaim, 'oh I see' and move down to my original seat again.
I'm flying back to LHR tomorrow and this time I did manage to prebook an upgrade to CW so that thought luckily won't enter my head.
It only crossed my mind a couple weeks back LHR-IAD, 5pm flight. I was sitting in my usual 2nd to front row seat in WTP, disappointed at not getting an OP/UP to CW (had them previous 5 trips so couldn't really complain). As I sat, and as I always take an aisle seat, I peered enviously at the lucky few folks who would be enjoying their flight far more I would for the next 8 hours or so.
At that point, I can't deny it. The devilish thought entered my head. I boarded about 80% into boarding and I just wondered whether if I went up and sat in one of the many empty CW seats would anyone notice? Now of course I didn't and I'm not saying I ever will but surely this thought has crossed the minds of others as well. You'd have to time your movements perfectly but I came to the conclusion it might just be possible. Having said that, I have very little idea about how much information the cabin crew have about specific loads, whether they check it often etc.
-Would you get caught?
-What would happen if you did? My thought was just to play a seemingly confused tourist who had sat in the wrong seat and then sort of sheepishly exclaim, 'oh I see' and move down to my original seat again.
I'm flying back to LHR tomorrow and this time I did manage to prebook an upgrade to CW so that thought luckily won't enter my head.
You would be hair brush whipped for sure
Nov 23, 2014, 4:31 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lewes
Programs: HiltonH. Gold Starwood Gold BA BLUES! Mucci.
Posts: 4,833
Seen this happen twice on night flights back from the Gulf... Grotty 2.30 am flights...
On a very quiet flight on a 70 seat 777 (old cw cradle seats) the last six or so rows were unused.
Two gentlemen decided that they would be more comfortable in the last row of CW instead of WT. The crew quickly moved them. On another instance, a gentleman decided to self upgrade after the nightcap service to one of the (by then) flat beds.
I have also seen someone challenged in CW, again on the night flight back from AUH, crew asked him if he could return to his assigned seat, so he did... Back to FIRST......
On a very quiet flight on a 70 seat 777 (old cw cradle seats) the last six or so rows were unused.
Two gentlemen decided that they would be more comfortable in the last row of CW instead of WT. The crew quickly moved them. On another instance, a gentleman decided to self upgrade after the nightcap service to one of the (by then) flat beds.
I have also seen someone challenged in CW, again on the night flight back from AUH, crew asked him if he could return to his assigned seat, so he did... Back to FIRST......
Nov 23, 2014, 5:10 pm
#18
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MAN/BHX
Programs: ABBA
Posts: 6,027
My last flight to TLV was on the day flight for a tale of a self upgrader:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23483845-post614.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23483845-post614.html
Nov 23, 2014, 6:16 pm
#19
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,832
Nov 23, 2014, 6:22 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX (elite) and a few others (non-elite)
Posts: 687
The most outrageous instance of this I have ever seen was some years ago, back in the days when I used to fly F long-haul. I turned up to ee my seat occupied by a lady in her sixties or thereabouts, glugging the pre-departure champagne as though it was going out of fashion. As we all do at moments like this, I wonder if I have made a mistake, and am checking the seat row number and my boarding pass even though I knew the cabin layout perfectly well and exactly which seat I had booked. Turned out she should have been in WT and "had made a mistake" and "genuinely thought it was [her] seat". Yeah, right...
I was quite shocked that it could happen - not least because F pax were supposed to be escorted to their seats.
Ah well. No harm done to me, exept that I missed out on my amuse-bouche because she had scoffed the lot!
I was quite shocked that it could happen - not least because F pax were supposed to be escorted to their seats.
Ah well. No harm done to me, exept that I missed out on my amuse-bouche because she had scoffed the lot!
Nov 23, 2014, 6:26 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Witnessed this on my last AA flt PEK ORD.
Lady boarded 10 mins before door closing. ( I was in 2 J, ) she looked like a professional who is used to flying. stashed her bags in the bin. Around 6 B.
A pax soon boarded , turned out to be 6 B. She huffed and moved her bags to 1 J. Stashed the bags, sat, belted in. FA approached asked for the BP.
More huffing.
FA pointed to Y section and asked her to move. She did, no eye contact with anyone, mumbling like she thought her upgrade had come thru.
Wonder how often people get away with this.
Lady boarded 10 mins before door closing. ( I was in 2 J, ) she looked like a professional who is used to flying. stashed her bags in the bin. Around 6 B.
A pax soon boarded , turned out to be 6 B. She huffed and moved her bags to 1 J. Stashed the bags, sat, belted in. FA approached asked for the BP.
More huffing.
FA pointed to Y section and asked her to move. She did, no eye contact with anyone, mumbling like she thought her upgrade had come thru.
Wonder how often people get away with this.
Nov 23, 2014, 11:52 pm
#22
Moderator, Emirates
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Where My Heart Is
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Platinum, KQ Asante Gold, Shebamiles Blue, Emirates Blue
Posts: 3,386
I once experienced a self upgrader many years ago on a LOS-LGW flight.
My colleague & I were sat in 60AB (old cradle seats) when this rather portly Nigerian chap came along to our seats and said to my colleague that he was sitting in his seat
. Asked to see his boarding pass and sure enough on it said 60B. The only thing being his 60B was scribbled on whereas ours were printed BP's.
This gentleman was asked to wait while my colleague toddled off to get the purser who in turn called the CSD up with the manifest. CSD arrived and asked to see the gentleman's BP and courteously said after a quick glance, "please follow me sir"......
Colleague and I received a visit from the CSD shortly after take off and informed us that said gentleman was shown to his correct seat in WT (days before WTP). Turned out said gentleman had not been upgraded but has chanced his arm by scribbling his favourite seat on his BP between the gate and aircraft. In those days (and don't know if still like it) the premium cabins were always rammed and saw quite a few downgrades on a daily basis.
Safe & Happy travels
S
My colleague & I were sat in 60AB (old cradle seats) when this rather portly Nigerian chap came along to our seats and said to my colleague that he was sitting in his seat
. Asked to see his boarding pass and sure enough on it said 60B. The only thing being his 60B was scribbled on whereas ours were printed BP's.This gentleman was asked to wait while my colleague toddled off to get the purser who in turn called the CSD up with the manifest. CSD arrived and asked to see the gentleman's BP and courteously said after a quick glance, "please follow me sir"......
Colleague and I received a visit from the CSD shortly after take off and informed us that said gentleman was shown to his correct seat in WT (days before WTP). Turned out said gentleman had not been upgraded but has chanced his arm by scribbling his favourite seat on his BP between the gate and aircraft. In those days (and don't know if still like it) the premium cabins were always rammed and saw quite a few downgrades on a daily basis.
Safe & Happy travels
S
Nov 24, 2014, 12:05 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Germany
Programs: LH FTL, BA Bronze
Posts: 831
I do admit to frequently self-upgrades on KLM's UK-Amsterdam routes in my student days in the 2000s. If anything it was a confidence-boosting game as the extra sandwich wasn't really worth getting into trouble for. I tried a dozen times and was only sent back twice. My theory was that the crew could not be asked.(I was always sharply dressed, well-behanved and in good spirit.)
Haven't done it since.
Haven't done it since.
Nov 24, 2014, 12:14 pm
#24
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,948
Nov 24, 2014, 12:22 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Programs: Mucci, FB Gold, Skywards, MK Kestrel Flyer, BA Gold, M&M FF, UU Capricorne, ACCOR Gold
Posts: 676
I witnessed this some years ago on a flight from Dakar to Capetown on Delta.
I was booked in Business and got on the flight in Dakar only to find an older lady in my seat. The flight attendant came to sort things out and asked the lady to accompany him back behind the curtain.... Apparently (he later told me) she'd been in the seat all the way from Atlanta (the flight's origin) and nobody had noticed...
I was booked in Business and got on the flight in Dakar only to find an older lady in my seat. The flight attendant came to sort things out and asked the lady to accompany him back behind the curtain.... Apparently (he later told me) she'd been in the seat all the way from Atlanta (the flight's origin) and nobody had noticed...
Nov 24, 2014, 12:46 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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hehe ... I suspect our Gate Upgrade ruined a trip for the people that were sitting in our CW seats when we boarded. Quite sad to see them evicted and sent ...somewhere.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...y-tr-plan.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...y-tr-plan.html
Nov 24, 2014, 1:12 pm
#28
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Nov 24, 2014, 2:25 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,775
Of course the crew know how many heads are in each cabin. Catering is purchased to the exact number of "F" and "J" occupants so one of the first jobs the senior crew members do is check they have sufficient catering.
When they realise there is an extra head in the cabin, it's not hard to look at the passenger manifest and see which "empty" seat has an occupant and to challenge them to look at their boarding pass.
I'm sure there have been instances where someone has "got away with it", equally if it was discovered close to the end of the flight, then British Airways' Fraud Department may well decide to pursue the passenger for the fare difference.
When they realise there is an extra head in the cabin, it's not hard to look at the passenger manifest and see which "empty" seat has an occupant and to challenge them to look at their boarding pass.
I'm sure there have been instances where someone has "got away with it", equally if it was discovered close to the end of the flight, then British Airways' Fraud Department may well decide to pursue the passenger for the fare difference.