Remember that episode of Friends when Monica and Chandler went on their honeymoon, only to lose an upgrade to another newlywed couple ahead of them in the queue? That seems to reflect the belief that check-in agents have the discretion to upgrade passengers who have a good reason to be given a taste of luxury, or simply ask nicely. After all, what do you have to lose by asking? In essence, everything.
Firstly — and this shouldn't come as a surprise — airlines don’t upgrade anyone who asks. Having empty seats up front is not a reason in itself. Airlines keep tabs on free upgrades, which are audited to ensure that it was done out of absolute necessity and in accordance with strict guidelines. In other words, no employee is going to risk his or her job for your benefit.
That’s not to say airlines never upgrade passengers. It does happen from time to time, most often when the lower classes are overbooked. In such situations, the reservation systems automatically create a hierarchy, with its most elite frequent flyers at the top of the upgrade list, and bargain-basement deal hunters at the bottom.
There are times, however, when the agents do have some leeway in intervening manually. This can happen when those further up the list have complicating circumstances, like being part of a larger party, a special meal request or requiring bassinets for their infants. In those cases, the agents will look down the list, often in search of passengers travelling alone — groups tend to be more fussy about sitting together. That’s when the goodwill of check-in agents comes into play, but you’d be sorely mistaken if you think giving them a nudge would help. Even if you somehow end up being considered for an upgrade, asking — or insinuating — for one is going to ruin your chances of being seated on the other side of the curtain.
The reason is quite simple: they don’t want to leave you with the impression that asking for an upgrade works if you persist. If you happen to get upgraded once after asking, it’s much more likely to be a coincidence than you working your magic. But you’ll probably never know what went on behind the scenes, and assume that it was your question or sad story that got you that upgrade. Correlation is not causation, but from then on you’d be ever so inclined to continue with that persistent questioning or storytelling, much to the irritation of the frontline staff.
Check-in agents are then left with the awkwardness of turning you down after listening to how being dumped by your significant other has left you too heartbroken to fly in economy class. They’ll also have to stop themselves from rolling their eyes after you utter those two “magic words” or try flirting your way into business class. You might also want to reconsider your tall tale about having a health issue that requires more comfort on a long flight, as agents can much more easily stop you from boarding for being a health risk.
The disappointing reality is that there’s very little you can do to boost your chances, but you can stop yourself from being crossed off the list. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. Meanwhile, you might want to focus on matters that you can control, like avoiding that dreaded middle seat on a transpacific flight.