This is what I've observed as well. The better hotels (Wynncore, Bellagio) have developed the room upgrade process just like the airlines -- they categorize even the "standard" rooms by view, higher/lower floor, corner room, etc. and will offer different categories as upgrades available for purchase. Although I suppose it's still possible to tip your way into an upgrade, I stopped trying it maybe 10 years ago after a few experiences offering the money and having the clerk tell me "I'm sorry, I'd like to help but I can't." As some here might say it's become "WUBU" -- Want Upgrade, Buy Upgrade. ;)

Timbits are the appropriate gate-agent bribery currency. :D

At my airline if they accepted & done it they'd be fired. Doubt anyone will to risk their job for twenty bucks.

I've seen someone on an intercontinental flight give the gate agent a bag of candy... literally a 99 cent bag of Euroshopper hard candies that you get at the supermarket, and get upgraded to business (2 persons).

.... they were an airline employee however so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

"Slipping a gate agent $20" is descriptive enough for the socially conscious upright citizens to understand the intent. Why not say: Hand the agent $20 and ask for an upgrade to first class?

highly doubt it... and upgrade to F is a much bigger deal than a room upgrade in vegas or any hotel for that matter... and the GA would get fired on the spot if discovered, which is likely to happen if GA's do it regularly b/c there is a fixed system in place with regard to who gets the upgrades, and the GA has to explain why they overrode the system if they decide to do so

But only on . . .
 

$200 might work, but only on Saudia.

$20 lol good one
Yeah sir I'll jump right on this fantastic offer lol

A few years back I saw a GA pretty clearly taking pay for upgrades on Delta LAS-SLC for a large family group and I reported it. As an Elite according to their own screen I was at the top of the list for the upgrade with a large number of seats showing open in first which suddenly vanished so of course I reported it, as I felt I had been cheated. I do not know if the GA pocketed the money or if she was selling the upgrades for Delta without first seating the Elites -- I actually thought the latter -- but either way I never saw that GA again in my frequent travels through LAS. I got an email saying she would be "retrained." I'm not saying that idiots don't exist but you have to find an idiot who thinks $20 in hand is worth losing their job or getting written up and losing future raises or promotions. Can't be too many of those who still have paid employment with an airline...

Why would TSA get involved? This has nothing to do with security. :confused:

Then again, neither does TSA.

$20 as a bribe? Did you say twenty? lol it is 2014 not 1960

finally something funny

Haven't you heard? The $20 trick doesn't work anymore. What does work is dressing nicely and telling the GA that it's your birthday. ;)

Ah thanks for clarifying. I was still trying the "it's my honeymoon" line. I thought it was because I was alone that it wasn't working, but it was because I was supposed to say birthday! :D

Slipping a gate agent $20 to op-up you to First?
 

When I worked in a hotel I never gave people better rooms if they tipped me. My sole requirement was them being nice to the bellman and polite to the front desk. If you were, I would give them the best room I could get. Tipping never really affected my decision. Especially because some of the tippers were the jerks too.