Why you won’t ever get a free upgrade on a flight – here’s the cheapest way to experience first class

Getting a free upgrade to First Class is one of the best things that can happen to an Economy Class passenger.

Plenty of experts claim to be revealing how to do it easily – but it seems unlikely that will ever happen.

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One way to get a free upgrade might be considered if first class is left empty during a particularly quiet flight.

But that’s not the case – last year a flight from Newark to Tel Aviv was forced to turn around after economy class passengers tried to sleep in business class when the seats were empty.

Although they were empty – and it was a long-haul night flight – the crew said they had not paid for them and the plane had to return to land after two hours after they refused to return.

According to Traveller, “Airlines don’t upgrade Economy passengers just because they happen to have seats in Business or First.”

Laura Reynolds, a flight attendant at Virgin Atlantic, agreed that it didn’t work, telling the Daily Mail: “You’re going on a night flight and you have to say 15 people upper class in bed and then you’re going to get up for breakfast and you’re like, “Wow, we’ve got 17 now.”

“So two managed to get in and sleep the whole night without anyone noticing.

Elaine Graham, a former British Airways flight attendant, said: “It’s happened to all of us.

“I’ve even had someone who didn’t wait until the middle of the night and just lay up there and hoped nobody would notice.”

The only way to get this upgrade? By asking for it at check-in.

Traveler said, “You can sometimes purchase an upgrade at the check-in counter.

“It will likely cost less than the difference between the economy seat you paid for and a business class seat, but there are no sweet bargains here.”

A British Airways flight attendant confirmed this, saying previously: “It’s best to ask at the counter when you check in.”

When the plane is empty, you can still have a premium experience in Economy.

The flight crew doesn’t mind if you move the seats so you can make the most of a completely empty row.

This way you can lie down and make a bed without having to pay for it.

Many frequent travelers over the years have shared their tips on getting a free upgrade, from what to wear to what to say.

However, the most common way to get an upgrade requires you to be a frequent flyer with the airline — and it’s rarely free.

One man claimed he managed to sneak into business class in the middle of the night to get a full night’s sleep – although not everyone believed him.

And in 2018, a first-class passenger was kicked off a plane for trying to share his fancy drinks with some buddies in economy class.

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