How to upgrade: business at economy class prices

Wearing an impeccable outfit, holding out a membership card, getting friendly smiles from the ground staff. Not bad, but not always effective. To increase your chances of getting an upgrade, you should have done it earlier. Much earlier. For example, by asking about the economy class occupancy rate when you booked.

A former airline executive who is now a press officer in the tourism sector, Isabelle explains: "Airlines have their eyes riveted on profitability. Planes have to leave as full as possible on all their routes. That's the rule, even if it means overbooking. Business class then becomes a safety valve, a sort of overflow tank. So upgrading is not, as you might think, a favour granted by the airlines, a privilege reserved for those who know someone who knows someone... It's actually a practice that does them a lot of favours. It also depends on the company's policy: some companies are much more flexible than others... But they all avoid abusing the process, because if you upgrade too much, you run the risk of devaluing the business product in the long run". And it is precisely this product that the vast majority of companies are focusing on at the moment.

A question of season or profile

Booking a flight between Paris and New York on 1 August, during the very high season, rather than in November, increases your chances. But that's not enough. Carriers, who are all very discreet about their practices, are more or less generous depending on the passenger's profile. For example, customers who are regulars on a particular route can be upgraded by the marketing department, which will make a "commercial gesture" to encourage them to fly more on its aircraft. On the other hand, there will be no favour for those who have bought a ticket on special offer, or for those accompanied by a child. On the other hand, it is much easier to upgrade a passenger travelling alone than a group of colleagues going to the same meeting, even if it is a very small group. "But very often, when it comes to an upgrade at the check-in desk, you have to recognise that it's all just a question of human contact."

Charm, humour... it's all there, and often the upgrade is a 'fait du prince'. In this case, the station manager.

However, Air France confides that "a Platinium passenger has a better chance than a Gold cardholder. That said, once they have been upgraded once, their name is memorised. They won't be upgraded straight away, and will be given preference over a passenger with a Gold card. How does this work? At check-in, the agent asks his lead agent, who has access to the files of our programme members. He checks to see if the passenger has been upgraded in the last ten days or so". But the ground staff still have to be given time to ensure that an extra meal tray is available. "There will be no upgrade if the airline cannot provide the full service in business. It is on this condition that the green light is given. Enjoy your trip!