Would You Ditch Your Travel Partner for an Upgrade?
Ariana Arghandewal March 14, 2019
Traveling with others is challenging enough (in my experience), but imagine the following scenario: Before your flight, you find out you’ve been upgraded to business class. Only you. Your travel partner looks at you with confusion and a sense of expectation. What do you do? Do you decline the upgrade or ditch your travel partner and head up front? The proper thing to do depends on a few factors, including who your travel partner is.
As much as I dislike economy class, I would never take an upgrade if I was traveling with someone else. Most people don’t get to sit up front and if I’m flying economy with another person, chances are they’re one of those people. Why rub it in their face by ditching them for an upgraded seat? On those instances when I’m traveling with family and economy seats are limited, I’ll let everyone else sit up front and will gladly slum it in coach. If I’ve learned anything during a 16-hour flight in economy class it’s how to survive the experience.
There is one exception to this rule. If I’m planning a trip using miles and someone else decides to tag along (who isn’t an immediate family member), I don’t feel bad letting them book their ticket in coach. I’ve been involved in the travel hacking racket for almost eight years. I put effort into earning points for an upgraded travel experience and always make myself available to others for information. If someone isn’t willing to do that work and then pouts when they have to sit in coach while I fly in business class, that’s their cross to bear.
I think the decision is trickier for spouses or significant others. Do you take a seat upgrade and leave your spouse in economy class? Do you give them the upgrade? Or do you both sit in coach? I think if your travel partner has a worse seat than you and you don’t mind flying in coach, it would be a nice gesture to give them the upgrade. Some would say a gentleman would do the same thing. And there are those who would take offense to that statement. After all, “There are no feminists when the ship hits the iceberg.” To some, flying economy class would be akin to being on a sinking ocean liner. Do the right thing and let the ladies take the last lifeboat (i.e. the upgrade).
While I would personally opt out of an upgrade instead of ditching a travel partner, my only exception would be if I was traveling with a parent. I would take the upgrade and let them have my seat. It’s not absolutely necessary for us to be in the same cabin anyway and they’ll enjoy the business class cabin more than my company.
Would you ditch your travel partner for an upgrade? On the flip side, what if your travel companion took an upgrade – would you be okay with it?
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I am 6' 3"; H-e-doublehockeysticks-yes!!
Hell yeah, I’d take the upgrade. The travelling companion is already riding on my coat-tails of my travel benefits. So, yes, I’ve earned the upgrade based on the merits of my frequent flier status…. but ultimately, I’d give the seat to the companion if I want to get a proper night’s sleep and rid myself of the moral conscience.
This comes up not infrequently with me and my family (spouse and 8 year old) over the past 6 or so years. We all have elite status but I’ve got the highest status as result of business travel and would be highest on priority upgrade list. It’s understood between my family that if only a single seat is available spouse will get it. If two available spouse and kid. As result when booking seats in a single row for family intentionally put me in middle seat at booking or aisle seat accross from family (aisle and window). That way when upgraded I can accept the upgrade but have spouse go up and I sit in her seat with the kid. No need to go through any complex stuff to my spouse is upgraded before other elites on the list.
If I'm with colleagues or one of the Offspring, it's "see you at the other end!". If I'm with the Memsahib, we will usually have a brief argument over who gets the upgrade. Over the years it's probably been 50/50. Only time we have refused an upgrade was when we were travelling with both Offspring when they were young and it was just unfair to leave one parent to deal with both. Two funny related stories. Many years ago I paid to upgrade to F on a flight to BKK on CX without telling the Memsahib, and booked the two seats together in the middle of the plane, as a special surprise. She was very happy, but then asked, slightly sheepishly, if I would mind if we didn't sit together because she wanted to enjoy the luxury in peace and quiet and do her own thing, so we ended up sitting as far apart as we could! On another flight many years later I was booked in F on BA (the only redemption seat available) and she and the Offspring were in J, and the purser offered to upgrade her on the flight, and was a little surprised when I said "oh yes, that would be lovely, just don't sit her next to me, she doesn't like that!".
For a shipwreck? Yes, the last life boat for females and children for the sake of human race. For an upgrade? Why? Defining a "gentleman" is as a sexist as defining a "fair lady."