So I am looking at flying from EWR or PHL or BWI or IAD to London any airport on my birthday in March, its a Thursday. Is there any chance I could get a carrier to upgrade me at the gate...after all I should get my birthday sunday. If so which carrier to you give the best shot. I don't have elite status and would rather take the miles on CO.

Good luck! Its rare since a lot of upgrades go to the
elites first.

But dont expect anything.. and make your decission based on
the miles that you will earn.

NWA upgraded me on my honeymoon. Never hurts to ask!

Expect a funny look and laughs...but hey you never know

Then again at PHL...they might be real nasty too

Odds are it's a long shot, but what do you have to lose? ^

... especially if loads are light where everyone who should have been upgraded received an upgrade.

Would it possibly help if you were a former employee of at least another airline?

I've flown on my birthday at least a half-dozen times and have never been upgraded, despite looking friendly and otherwise "upgradeable." of course, I always print BPs from the kiosks, so maybe it's just the machinery that doesn't care about me.

I've stood behind people at check-in counters who were trying to score free upgrades due to birthdays, pregnancies, and job offers. The pregnancy couple scored the upgrade, the others did not.

I must say, I find it appalling that a 10-week old fetus gets upgraded before a (then) UA 1p!!

the only airline that gives me something for my birthday is WN.
I get a card by mail I've asked them for upgrades..... but
never got one from WN.

I'm crossing my fingers for an upgrade for my fiance and me on our honeymoon trip from LAX-LHR. Hopefully Air NZ is kind!

Cheers,

Adran

Good luck! I've heard chances are better for such cases.

That, and free drinks if you're flying with them on your birthday, and the FAs know about it .

Only birthday acknowledgement I ever received was on an Aloha flight from HNL to KOA. The FA announced it over the PA, without any prompting from me or my travel companions.

my daughter flew on her 6th birthday and LY gave her a pen. ok, they couldn't give her free drinks, but really!

I was flying AA from DFW to MCI on my 23rd birthday and mentioned to the Gate agent jokingly that I should get an upgrade because it was my birthday. She laughed and said she would if she could but I wasnt even elite at that point and she just wished me a happy birthday and took the next passenger.

So I board and take my coach seat and right after the forward doors are closed, the first class FA comes to my seat and only says "let me see your drivers license". Then she see's that it really is my birthday and says come with me and leads me to a first class bulk head seat. It was great! She was extra nice to me the entire flight! Apparently she had been standing near the gate when i talked to the agent and had overheard that it was my BD.