This reminds me of a friend who used to fly in Biz from the US to Brazil quite often. He would prowl the back of coach for anyone lounging across the 4-seat middle section (on a less than packed flight), and he'd offer someone a swap - his biz seat for theirs. He just wanted the flat row of seats to sleep, before lie-flat seats started becoming more common. He never failed to find a taker.

Cutting through all the bs moralizing to answer the question posed, my opinion is $500 cash to a gate agent (who has operational upgrade powers) might yield an upgraded class of service 50% of the time. Aside from the embarrassment factor if denied, the security issue is crap.

Some other common bribes/tips (for the "this is stealing" crowd):

$50 to a host to get a nice talbe quickly at a busy restaurant
$50 to a hotel clerk asking for a nice room
$100 to the helicopter pilot to take an extra couple of spins around Sydney Harbour on a sightseeing flight
$20 to the valet to keep the car close
$100 to the appliance delivery guys to go ahead and attach the dishwasher hoses

Does it normally cost extra to sit at that nice table? To keep your car close? Yadda yadda yadda. Apples and oranges.

People come from all cultures and plus they keep changing the rules on us. In Vegas, first you were supposed to tip your host or at least buy him a gift and now it's a bribe to tip your host and a gift is probably in poor taste also but it's OK to tip the clerk at the desk to get an upgrade and by God if you don't tip everybody else you're rude. How do you win? I would not embarrass someone for trying to slip me cash. I would just slip it right back with a quiet face-saving comment. Believe me, no one is offering you money because they want to offend you. You are painfully aware of the airline's financial issues because you work there. I guarantee that if you stop Joe Average on the street, they don't got a clue nor would they quite see how upgrading someone to an otherwise empty first class seat is hurting anything. I guess I don't quite see it myself. A polite "it's against the rules for us to accept tips" is fine and I'll accept that answer. Since you are not a public official, it ain't a bribe. It's a tip -- and if you are not allowed to accept it, that's cool. But it was never meant as an insult or to cause you pain. I'm quite sure you are a professional and that you do a fine job without needing to be bribed. Sometimes people are imperfect and simply do not -- cannot -- know the proper rules for tipping in every situation.

bribes work like a charm on Аэрофлот!!!

that was their marketing campaign for a while...

If I offer $20,000 to a corporate buyer to secure a purchase order for my inferior overpriced product, that most certainly is a bribe. It does not have to involve an agent of the government.

Average Joe on the street also knows that one can get a first class seat by purchasing it - but maybe they hope they'll get it cheaper with a little cash to the right person. It isn't 'tipping' no matter how you spin it - and I guarantee the men (why is it always men? Never seen a woman try it...) who've tried to bribe their way into FC on my flights had no delusions about the innocence of their question.

I agree with Colin although I think his prices are too high for two reasons.

First, because he lives in an expensive city.

Second, based on an interview I heard on the radio with a guy who wrote a book about tipping. I actually bought the book. He says $20 and the right approach is all it usually takes. Right approach means being discrete and respectful for the hard work someone like a maitre d does. And doing things like being loyal to an establishment, explaining why its important (anniversary, etc.), having the right attitude (consider it a favor, not an entitlement).

He recommends for most things calling ahead and explaining that you'll "take care of him." And then when you show up, fold the bill into your hand and shake his hand with both of yours.

The books main points were
that there is a lot available if you ask for it,
most establishments want to take care of people who are willing to take care of their employees,
and it doesn't take nearly as much extra as you think to get more than the next guy.

That said, getting an upgrade like this was beyond the scope of the book. But the key is that you maximize your chances by asking in a well thought out, discrete, and respectful way.

Would you mind sharing the title of the book with us? Thanks. ^

You'd probably have better luck buying first class off one of the passengers in most non-third-world-corruption-bribery-or-special-favors-are-normal-and-accepted situations.

I was on a flight with Little Richard and he paid one of the first class passengers for their seat. (He was in a bulkhead in coach, his boduguard went to the front of the plane after the door closed, came back, Richard took out a BIG roll of cash and handed it to the bodygard, he moved up front and the first class passenger took his coach seat.)

On international flights you often have to show your passport with the boarding pass. If they don't match, you'll have a lot of explaining to do. Depending upon where you are in the world, you could be carted off to another room and miss your flight.

I've had my passport/boarding pass checked at the gate.. and then again right before entering the cabin, a second time.

One can also not easily move/swap while on the plane on many international flights. Many FA's monitor this like a hawk... particularly between cabin classes. ( Your mileage and experience may vary, as they say ) I remember one passenger moving from his seat to an empty row in the same cabin class... and the FA was on them, telling them that they HAVE to be in their assigned seat on take-off and landing. ( An exception is if the seat has problems and the FA then moves them.. and when they did that in two instances that I know of, the FA updated a clipboard sheet. ).

an associate claims he regularily slips a $50 to get up'd from coach to biz... says FA's are happy to recieve it...
but, given the feedback here, and on other FT threads, I think I might have to call BS on him...

How does your associate usually approach the issue with the Flight Attendant? Is it done before or after take off? Just curious what is the best way to bring it up/etc and offer the cash without coming off being rude. Would hate to ruin a 15 hour flight by pissing off the FAs just after take off.

Does anybody read the threads anymore?

Like I said earlier.....

How does that work with EasyJet or RyanAir?

Who cares where you sit as long as you are not "trying to steal" the next class of service?

I know that EasyJet, RyanAir do not offer F or J service, but you seem to think that it's against some "rules or regulations" to move about the cabin on international flights. Yet both of the above airlines fly internationally and have no assigned seating. So how does that work?

Risking their jobs for $50...right
FA's know that there are MANY people that would like their job.