Originally Posted by
Firsttimetraveler
My partner and I will be travelling for the first time ever. We have read that airlines offer free upgrades to travellers. We would really like to be upgraded but have no idea how to go about doing this. Our flights are booked on Qatar. Any advice on this will be much appreciated! 😁
First, Welcome to FlyerTalk!
This is as good a forum as any to ask. I don't know anything about Qatar, but as EmailKid suggested in general free upgrades are rare.
In over 60 international flights in the last 8 years where I bought a coach ticket I've only received one "free" upgrade to business class, and 13 from coach to "extra legroom" coach. The upgrade to business was because the flight was oversold in coach and they needed to move people to business class to get everyone on the plane. I believe I received it partly because I had status with the airline, partly because I had a very expensive ticket bought at the last minute and partly because I was in the right place at the right time (at the ticket desk when they started looking for volunteers). Most of the upgrades to extra legroom were because I had elite status with the airline, though a few were because the airline needed to move people around.
Some people get free upgrade certificates (I've used about 20 of them for international business/first class), usually because they fly often enough with an airline to earn certain benefits, or sometimes to make up for some previous service problem, or on occasion as some reward. Sometimes they are transferrable, so if you have a friend with some you can ask them (my boss had given me a few back in the day) but they only work when the airline makes free upgrade space available, which has become rare. Never buy them because the airlines consider that fraud and will void them or worse if caught.
In summary, usually only frequent flyers get "free" upgrades as a benefit for their loyalty so if you know anyone that flies Qatar a lot ask if they can help. Infrequent flyers may get them if the airline needs to move people around on a full flight. In that case be the first to volunteer to change seats and see what they offer. There are stories of people getting free upgrades just because they asked nicely but that's a one-in-a-million sort of thing. It never hurts to ask but only you know if you're slick/shameless/charming enough to try pulling that off.