I had many choices to fly from Bali to Singapore, but could not turn down the chance to sample KLM’s 777-300ER on an exotic Fifth Freedom route. It turned out to be a tremendous deal as well. I may...
I Still Suffer From Upgrade Phobia…
10 years later and my condition has not improved. I still suffer from upgrade phobia. When will I outgrow this? Unless I buy a business class ticket, every United flight is a careful cost/benefit analysis. Do I take the...
An Unexpected Suite Upgrade…To GM’s Apartment!
Last week was a first for me…I was upgraded to the general manager’s apartment at the Hyatt Regency Mainz. Well, room 252 to be exact, a suite I did not even know existed (even though I’ve stayed dozens of...
Paid Upgrade To First Class on SWISS Award Ticket
Here’s an interesting data point for an airline that very closely guards its first class cabin. When available, SWISS offers reasonably-priced paid upgrades to first class. You just have to ask… I recently booked an Aeroplan (Air Canada-issued) award...
American Airlines Loses Revenue By Restricting Systemwide Upgrade Availability
American Airlines previously offered excellent availability of their eVIPs or systemwide upgrades (SWUs) distributed to elite Executive Platinum flyers. Restricting access to premium space and halving the number of eVIPs given out should lead to more cash with fewer...
Very Bad Upgrade Advice…
The perennial consumer rights advocate Christoper Elliott is out with a new column entitled, First class for free? Try these innovative tactics to get an airline upgrade. In it, he offers horrific upgrade advice… Far be it from me to...
Paid Upgrades At The Gate On British Airways
Some airlines are aggressive at hawking upgrades, others do so in a more subtle way. I flew British Airways in economy class from Los Angeles to London last week. Just for kicks, I asked a gate agent if any...
A $365 Upgrade From Sydney To Los Angeles On United That Wasn’t Meant To Be…
At Award Expert, we do our best to be discerning. If a client tells us they want economy class but we see a great deal for business class, we are going to alert them. A long-term client asked me...
British Airways Releases 50,000 Extra Business Class Award Seats
British Airways has released thousands of additional business class award seats available for a limited time across a limited, but wide, date range. Through December 2nd, British Airways has made 50,000 extra Club World business class seats available for...
United Changes Fare Class Codes For Premium Cabins And Upgrades
United Airlines quietly updated its fare codes for some premium cabin tickets and upgrades over the weekend. With Polaris First class now just a memory, United has pulled A and F fare classes traditionally used to designate first class....
Giving Up An Upgrade To Eat Dinner With My Family
Would you ever give up a confirmed upgrade on a six-hour flight just to get home a few hours earlier? That’s what I did yesterday. I was flying from Newark to Burbank via San Francisco on United and had...
My 59€ Upgrade on KLM
If you know me, you know that I don’t stray much from Star Alliance unless it is a “review” trip for the blog. Yesterday, however, I found myself on KLM and encountered an unexpected upgrade surprise. My business partner...
