Ever "tipped" yourself to an upgrade at reception?
Jan 21, 2007 | 8:47 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, A3 Gold, BD..oh, wait..
Posts: 4,045
Ever "tipped" yourself to an upgrade at reception?
So, I've heard stories of the "$20 trick" (sliding a 20 over with the credit card when checking in) being used at hotel receptions in order to try blag an upgrade.
Now, perhaps I'm just very innocent, but that thought would never have even crossed my mind
! Has anyone on FT ever done it? Has it worked?
Now, perhaps I'm just very innocent, but that thought would never have even crossed my mind
! Has anyone on FT ever done it? Has it worked?
Jan 21, 2007 | 9:01 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Palm Coast, FL (DAB) USA
Posts: 242
So, I've heard stories of the "$20 trick" (sliding a 20 over with the credit card when checking in) being used at hotel receptions in order to try blag an upgrade.
Now, perhaps I'm just very innocent, but that thought would never have even crossed my mind ! Has anyone on FT ever done it? Has it worked?
Now, perhaps I'm just very innocent, but that thought would never have even crossed my mind
! Has anyone on FT ever done it? Has it worked?http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419338
It doesn't seem to work as well elsewhere IMHO
Jan 21, 2007 | 10:13 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MSY
Programs: NW Gold and now Delta Gold
Posts: 3,072
I think it often works in people's minds. I will give two examples of hotels where I was told online that the trick worked. The first one was in Sintra, Portugal. I forgot all about trying the trick until I already had the room key, so I could not think of any graceful way to ask for an upgrade at that point, so I shrugged my shoulders, and went on up -- to find I had received exactly the same penthouse suite described by others who HAD asked for the upgrade while slipping over the 20 euro. So I think a lot of people who thought they got the upgrade because of the tip just got the upgrade because the suite was available and this property likes to keep the better rooms filled, maybe to impress the customer. It worked by the way -- when I needed to book another hotel night in Lisbon, I immediately went to this chain.
Something similar happened on my recent trip to Honolulu, several people said that they slipped $20 to the clerk to get a kitchenette room, and some of them grumbled that the kitchenette wasn't anything more than fridge/coffeemaker/microwave, sink, dishes and utensils, anyway, so they didn't feel it was worth it. So I didn't ask for the upgrade or offer any tip. Well, guess what. I got the kitchenette anyway, and I was a very happy camper. The view was not like in Sintra -- what view is? -- but I did have a nice overlook of the pool/hot tub and the rainbows in western Honolulu. So I dunno. It probably gets you something some times, but other times you are probably just paying extra for what you would have gotten anyway.
If I could tip someone more gracefully without feeling like a dweeb, I might be inclined to experiment more often, just out of curiosity.
Something similar happened on my recent trip to Honolulu, several people said that they slipped $20 to the clerk to get a kitchenette room, and some of them grumbled that the kitchenette wasn't anything more than fridge/coffeemaker/microwave, sink, dishes and utensils, anyway, so they didn't feel it was worth it. So I didn't ask for the upgrade or offer any tip. Well, guess what. I got the kitchenette anyway, and I was a very happy camper. The view was not like in Sintra -- what view is? -- but I did have a nice overlook of the pool/hot tub and the rainbows in western Honolulu. So I dunno. It probably gets you something some times, but other times you are probably just paying extra for what you would have gotten anyway.
If I could tip someone more gracefully without feeling like a dweeb, I might be inclined to experiment more often, just out of curiosity.