Hi everyone,
After reading everything posted above about upgrades, I thought I would add one more thing that will help you be taken seriously when inquiring about upgrades at check-in.
As an AC agent, I find that the one thing that annoys me the most (and this happens numerous times on a daily basis, so please excuse me if I sound bitter or without a sense of humor here) is when while I'm checking in passengers, someone in the party will say jokingly (but in all seriousness), "Oh, and go ahead and feel free to just move us up into first class". And then winks at me conspiratorially.
I don't know if I can explain just how irritating this is, but it puts the agent in a bind. If I force a laugh, it is perceived as sarcastic, but if I ask how the customer would like to pay for it, he feels insulted. (A passenger actually complained to my supervisor about this, which made no sense whatsoever. It's a perfectly legitimate question.)
We're not allowed to give out complimentary upgrades unless there is a request from AC Management or if we're dealing with a over-sold aircraft. And even then, passengers who we'll move up to Executive Class first are those SE/E who are wait listed with U/G certs. If there are no U/G certs wait listed, then we'll start complimentary upgrading SE & E passengers based on their priority.
I hope this helps all of you. Best thing I can say is that when inquiring about an upgrade, be serious (don't wink! haha!) and don't make it appear as though you're looking for a freebie (even though you are!).
