Travel insiders’ expert tricks to get a FREE upgrade on your holiday – from how to get the best plane or train seats to the magic word to say to the hotel receptionist

In the old days, a broad smile, smart clothing, and a confident attitude might have gotten you an airline upgrade at check-in.

But times have changed and now the computer invariably says “no.”

So is there a way to avoid this when it comes to hotel rooms, trains, cruises, and, yes, flights?

Here, our experts reveal the best upgrade tactics. . . and good luck!

HOTELS

by the Daily Mail’s undercover hotel inspector

• Simply ask in an undemanding way if an upgrade is possible at the already agreed upon price. This has a good chance of working if it’s already 6pm or later, because the hotel is unlikely to sell the room at a higher price at that time.
• Rooms with a bathroom tend to be larger than those with a shower only. So emphasize that you have your heart set on a long, lovely soak in a tub and hope the receptionist is understanding. If so, an update is likely due.
• Honesty pays off, so if it’s a special occasion, speak up and ask if you could be offered an upgrade. Special occasions can be interpreted liberally.
• Tell the receptionist how much you’ve been looking forward to your stay and how much you’ve heard about the hotel. Then she gets into the conversation about how she would improve the olive in the Martini.
• If you are staying for the second, third or fourth time, please let the hotel know that you would like to experience a different room category, space permitting.
• If the hotel has a loyalty program, join it. You will be entitled to benefits including upgrades, free nights’ stays, and discounts on food and beverages.

CRUISE SHIPS

by Lesley Bellew, Daily Mail cruise correspondent

• Choose to sail out of season when the boat is unlikely to be full and there is more room for improvement. In Europe, this is usually from November to April (excluding Christmas); May and September in Alaska and from September to December in the Caribbean.
• Stay loyal to one cruise line and you’ll be more likely to get a free or reduced-price upgrade. Some cruise lines offer this automatically. If not, ask.
• Keep an eye out for promotions like Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ “Upgrade and Explore More” offer. Offers a two-category suite upgrade on 33 European sailings between July and November 2024 (book by April 30).
• Meet a travel agent’s cruise specialist who will be “in the know” of the latest deals.
• Book a guaranteed cabin in a certain category (so you’re guaranteed a cabin but aren’t assigned one until about a week before departure) so that if it’s full, you can get an upgrade.
• Be bold. Call your cruise line a couple of weeks before departure and ask about an upgrade.

Stay loyal to one cruise line and you’ll have a better chance of getting a free or reduced-price upgrade

FLIGHTS

By aviation expert Daniel Ross

• Be realistic: dressing in your Sunday best, flirting with cabin crew or announcing you’re on your honeymoon is highly unlikely to get you a free upgrade.
• Overbooked flights offer the best solution. And airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic almost always oversell their flights, especially on long-haul routes. When this happens, they often upgrade a cabin class to ‘elite status’ holders (see below) to free up more space in the oversold cabin. You should always ask (don’t be shy).
• To obtain “elite status,” you must join the airline’s frequent flyer club. For BA, this is their Executive Club (free to join at ba.com) and for Virgin Atlantic, join their Flying Club (free at virginatlantic.com). And remember, these schemes are connected to other airlines. BA’s Executive Club is part of the Oneworld Alliance which also includes American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and others, while Virgin’s Flying Club links with SkyTeam airlines such as Air France and Delta. Therefore, it is also possible to perform updates with them.
• Sign up for websites that indicate “rates with errors.” These are pricing errors made online by an airline or travel agency due to human error or incorrect currency conversions. These fares are typically up to 90 percent cheaper than the standard price and are available for only an hour or two before airlines detect them and remove them. Sign up to receive email alerts from kayak.com, hopper.com and secretflying.com.
• Register online as soon as possible. Airlines prioritize passengers based on their sequence number. The sooner you register, the lower your sequence number will be. For example, if there are 300 passengers on a flight to New York and you check in fifth, you are more likely to get an operational improvement than the 300th person.
• Earn frequent flyer points. Using airline miles is another way to get an upgrade. Most airlines, such as BA and Virgin, will allow you to upgrade a cabin using points.
• The premium economy cabin is the smallest on any plane and the one where you are most likely to get a free upgrade to business class.

AIRPORT LOUNGES

by Ben Smithson of The Points Guy

• Consider signing up for a credit card that provides lounge passes as part of its annual offer, such as American Express Platinum (which includes Priority Pass and travel insurance) or American Express Preferred Rewards Gold, which offers up to four lounge visits. Priority Pass VIP lounges.
• Stay loyal to one airline and its frequent flyer program, or to other airlines within your group (see ‘Flights’ section above), and you’ll accumulate loyalty points that can lead to free passes to airport lounges.

TRAINS

by Tom Chesshyre, train travel writer

• When UK trains are overcrowded, managers may announce that first class areas have been declassified. However, you may later be asked to “give up your seat to a passenger holding a valid first class ticket” under National Rail’s travel conditions if someone with a paid ticket turns up.
• If a train looks like it may be stuck, position yourself on the platform next to the standard car closest to first class. This will make it very likely that an unexpected “free” upgrade will occur should the first class declassification be announced.
• Remember that you are not allowed to travel in first class simply because standard class is full, even when there are people standing in the aisles. There has to be an official announcement.