Having worked in the Travel Industry I became accustomed to trying to get clients the best possible options, for the very best price possible. And, in turn have applied them to my own travels too. I wanted to share a few travel upgrade hacks to make sure you are getting things when you maybe didn’t really have to pay for them or could have paid half the price. This post does come with a warning as it doesn’t always happen every time but knowing the right tips & tricks can put you on the right path to getting a few nice upgrades when you are on your travels.
This kinda sounds like extortion. It isn’t. Please, let’s just clear that up. However, it’s always worth emailing the hotel prior to your stay that you will be spending your holiday with them. Not only that, but you will be creating a blog post based on your experiences of the destination and potentially about the hotel, too. That’s when you can casually slip in an ol’ “If you find you have any room upgrades on arrival we would love to discuss.” Make sure you include a link to similar blog posts and your media kit just you have some beefiness to give them the reason to want to upgrade you. I did this when we travelled to both Mexico, where we got a room with a sea view and also closer to the beach & then in Oslo, in return our room was a lot bigger than rooms we had seen on the website. It does work. Thank me later.
This applies to both airport check-in and hotels. If you are at the front of the queue, you are more likely to be offered cheaper rates on extra leg room as more than likely, they will still be available at check in. We could have paid around £50pp each way for extra leg room on a flight to Egypt, it ended up being only £15 each for both journeys. What a massive saving? Same goes for hotels, if you are at the front of the queue to get checked in, this is when they will have more flexibility with the rooms they can allocate to you.
3. ARE YOU CELEBRATING A SPECIAL OCCASION?
If you are, make sure the hotel or airline know about it. Normally they want to make it special for you, despite what any Neggy Nelly says. When I was in travel I wanted my clients to remember their honeymoon and would do anything I could to make sure that they had a bottle of champagne waiting in their room or even a fruit basket. Those little extras might not seem a lot but heck, if you can get drunk on the balcony with a free bottle of wine then whose the real winners here? Remember though, some hotels do like to see wedding certificates as proof for room upgrades, so be sure to take a copy of it with you!
Seriously, there’s a reason your airport outfit is one of the most important decisions to make before you head off an adventure. Arriving in tracky bottoms and scuffed trainers is not going to get you any first class upgrades if they are available. Make sure you are smart/casual (because of course you need to be comfortable all else!) and make a little bit of effort with what you are wearing. Word on the grapevine is that if you do, there’s more of a chance you’ll get upgraded flight seats.
Here’s what I would wear if I was trying to get a travel upgrade
Blazer | Top | Trousers | Shoes | Bag
And finally…
Yes, you might only need a hotel for 5 nights, but sometimes you can get deals on your meals by booking extra nights. Sometimes, adding an extra night or two to your trip can work out more cost effective if you get free upgrades to being All Inclusive or Half Board, as that’s your meal and/ or drinks paid for, for the whole trip. I mean who on earth doesn’t like free food? (If you are shaking your head & saying no, I don’t believe ya!
Do you have any hints or tips that we can apply to getting a few cheeky upgrades on our holiday? Share them, I’d love to know!
Bee xxx
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