My 82 year old father was travelling recently on NW from CLE to SEA to visit us. He arrived at the airport in CLE and went to check in....he had a short pleasant exchange with the agent who obviously was not having a great day and at the end of the conversation she said in a routine rehearsed, probably insincere sounding manner " Thank you for flying NW, Mr. XXXXX. We appreciate your business...." My father, who can be quite funny and candid, said. " Oh, bullsh#t." They both laughed and she asked for his boarding pass back. His first thought was that she was upset at this 82 year old's language.... but as she was typing away she said " My partner and I agreed this morning that the first passenger to make us laugh we would upgrade... thank you for making our day. " He was tickled pink to be riding up front for the journey.....

okay next time I fly I will tickle the GA.

It has worked with me before (making the GA laugh, not by tickling them)

Ok, who's the first status members who's going to complain about someone else getting their upgrade?

I'll never forget a few years ago, before I knew what I was doing at an airport, I had a flight scheduled on TWA that was booked in First class on the return, but coach on the outbound (apparently, First was the only thing available when I was buying the ticket).

It was my first (and as it turns out, only) flight on TWA. I didn't particularly want to wait in the long coach line at check in, so since I was in First on part of my ticket, I went to the much shorter first class line and "just acted like I belonged there".

I don't know if I made the gate agent laugh or not, but she did actually call me on being in the wrong line. To which I responded, "oh, gee, I'm sorry. I didn't even look. I thought I was in first class both directions". She had to know that I was BSing her. But, she responded, "Well Mr. DevilBucsFlyer, I can comp you up to first class on our flight today". And being a MCO-SFO flight with a connection in St. Louis, it was a pretty long flight for a comp. Especially for someone not only with NO status, but with NO miles in my TWA Aviator account!

I don't fly NW, so I know he didn't get mine.

I always used to enjoy watching KLM upgrades in AMS. They seemed to have a knack of managing to use them to reward passengers showing up rude passengers. DYKWIAs would often find themselves shunned in favour of "well so am I, but I don't feel the need to flash it about" behind them.

This happened to me once. I was sat in an aisle seat near the front (the first row of Y, I think, but this was just a normal Y seat) on an old 737. A rather, umm, excited co-passenger started hassling me to swap seats to something like 29B, on the basis that he was Silver �lite, and terribly important, and needed that seat.

The FA very quietly asked me if I'd mind moving, basically just to shut this guy up, and let us leave on time. I agreed, for the sake of keeping the peace, and got my bag, and prepared to head back.

She turned to me and said, in a loud voice, "so, sir, if you'd like to come with me to Business Class..." The look on the 'terribly important' guy's face was utterly priceless.

Interesting info. along same lines:

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2003/0228.htm

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2003/0307.htm

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors...tpassenger.htm

Same thing happened before. 4 years ago, when I was travelling alone on HKG-SIN, the person asked me "would you like a escort" I cracked "are you kidding me, what's wrong with you?" Instantly I saw a Business Class boarding pass print out.

Not my own story, but a good friend told me this

Was flying DL and was stuck in ATL. Weather all day, and the flight he was on had an equipment change from a 767 to a 757 due to a mechnical earlier in the day. The 767 was also grosely over booked.

My friend was third in line at the gate counter.

There was a couple talking to the lone GA, screaming at her about something. This copule to put it nicely was.. um.... rather large. About 500lbs each.

Next up was a business man, demanding to be put on the next flight. He HAD to get to LAS ASAP. He was VERY important.

The GA was about to cry.

My friend went up to the counter and said I'll give you $20 to put those ppl (pointing at the fat coulple) and that guy (pointing at the business man) In the back row, and put the skinny guy in the middle seat between the two.

The GA's tears, turned to tears of laughter, and she put my friend in FC on a later flight. She did what he suggested too.

A few years ago, I was booked on a cheap Y fare on TW from SEA-STL on Christmas eve. I showed up at the airport in the morning and remember standing in a long line to check in with people in front of me being told the flight was oversold. I got on the phone and called the NW Silver line (gee, I thought I was super special at the time) and asked them if they could get me ANY flight from SEA to STL or MCI. Nope. The TWA agent heard all this while he was dealing with the screaming/threatening people in front of me.

When my turn came, the first thing I said was, "it doesn't look good today, huh?" Within five minutes, the agent had handed me a check for $400 and a boarding pass for an AS flight SEA-PHX then TWA PHX-STL, all in F, for later that day.

I always try to be nice to agents.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

^ And that, in summary, is the way things should be. No matter how stressy a day you've had, whether you've queued for 25 minutes at check-in, or whether you're trying to score an up*****, being nice to any member of airline staff is the way ahead - as well as being a matter of common courtesy. It costs nothing, and as some of the tales above perhaps illustrate, can benefit you occasionally too.

Sadly common courtesy and manners are something which a lot of people forget these days.

No matter how bad my day is I have NEVER taken it out on the airline staff. Be sincerely nice and it's amazing what happens

Yup, I agree absolutely. I think that is exactly why I am right now in a comfortable Sheraton, with meal vouchers, on a weather-caused cancellation. I did not yell or demand anything. I was nice as could be to the very-overworked agent and just asked what she could do for me, I wasn't worried about her most excellent airline getting me home.

Politeness definitely pays!

I almost always tell the check in staff and the boarding gate staff that if they have to off load anyone due to over booking they can glady off load me. Being a single traveller they really appericate that.

I hardly ever get off loaded as they normally look for someone who does not have checked in luggage. But most of the time they keep my boarding card and when i get it back its for Biz.

Try it... it works. Was upgraded 80% of my long distance flights last year using this technique. Off course being PE might help slightly

Gate agents really apperciate your willingness to take next flight instead of telling somone that they can not fly and then to get shouted at.

Actually then again last year i got bumped on to the next day's flight in Paris. Got a 5* hotel room for the night, free meals and around 250 pounds. Can't complain Got to see paris and got paid for it.