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Angling for Upgrades
The Travel Critic · August 3, 1998

When frequent flier cards fail to work their charm, and when gate agents can't be sweet-talked into a better seat, Rob Shimmin has seen desperate passengers pull out a pen and take a final stab at the elusive upgrade.

The so-called "Russian approach"-presumably named after the post-Communist era travelers who pioneered it-involves a creative seat reassignment. "Simply scribble '1A' over your seat allocation and then plunk yourself confidently at the front of the aircraft," explains the Brussels-based consultant.

Questionable? Maybe. But in an age where getting upgraded is as difficult as finding an edible airline meal, there's not much travelers won't try.

Shimmin may be among the unacknowledged masters of his craft: He's landed in first-class on four of his last five flights, thanks to his persuasive skills.

Other favorite tactics employed by veteran road warriors include offering agents free product samples, flowers and sad (but largely fictional) stories intended to secure a larger room, a more luxurious rental car or a spiffier airline seat.

With flights routinely overbooked on many routes, car rental companies doing blockbuster business and hotel occupancy rates at record levels, people are resorting to desperate measures to secure these perks.

"We have a lot of Priority Club members-all of whom think they are God," complains Ismael Monroig, assistant general manager at the Holiday Inn Westside Corporate Center in Miami. "They come in and argue with us, trying to get upgraded to our suites. But we only have nine suites and 120 rooms."

Part of the problem is that only a few years ago, a hotel like the Holiday Inn would have gladly surrendered its suite to a guest just for the asking. The lodging industry had fallen on hard times, and frequent travelers knew that hotel staffs were pushovers when it came to getting bumped up to a bigger room. Now the tables are turned.

Same with cars. "The big car rental companies are definitely cutting costs in all areas, including promotions and giveaways," says Darrin Deany, a spokesman for Northbrook, Ill.-based corporate travel agency BTI Americas. In other words, forget about talking your way out of that box your agent booked for you. You're probably stuck with the subcompact.

That travelers are going to ludicrous lengths to get a better deal is amusing in itself, but to write off this latest upgrade mania to an undersupply of good seats or nice cars would be shortsighted.

Traveling is becoming more uncomfortable than ever-another reason why folks are hard up for upgrades. Doing more with less seems to be the operative philosophy in the travel business-more guests in less room, more driver in less car, more passenger in less airline seat. Is it any wonder travelers want to escape the crunch?

To think that there's some kind of magic upgrade formula like Shimmin's might be a mistake. Sometimes the ones who try the least tend to be the ones who succeed at getting upgraded.

Take the case of Robert Logan, who witnessed an angry passenger browbeat a gate agent on a recent layover in Houston. "The guy was being incredibly rude and obnoxious. He was ranting and raving. When it was my turn to get checked in, I told the agent, 'Nobody should have to put up with that.' I was very nice and cordial to her," says the director of business development for a Miami electric company.

The gate agent explained that she was on the 15th hour of a double shift and had been working since 4 a.m. Logan smiled, commiserated with her, got his seat assignment and walked to the gate. When he boarded the plane, he discovered his assignment was in first class.

"I think she upgraded me because I was nice to her, after the hell she went through with the last passenger," he says.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator and author of A Bridge to Nowhere: A Year in the Florida Keys. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.