A flight attendant has revealed her holiday hacks for scoring a first-class upgrade this summer.
Barbara Bacilieri, who has worked as a cabin crew for 15 years, also debunked some popular myths about securing freebies on planes.
The 33-year-old said gifts offered to flight attendants, celeb names or honeymoons rarely lead to a complimentary seat in the premium cabin, nor does your outfit.
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But there are other factors that can influence the decision to give someone a nicer flight.
“None of that works,” Barbara, who has who has 5m TikTok fans and 2.8m YouTube viewers, told Whats The Jam.
“The idea that passengers are upgraded to first class because they are celebrities, dressed smartly, or bring chocolates to the cabin crew is largely a myth.
“While these stories are popular online, they don’t reflect how upgrades actually happen.
“Cabin crew see passengers trying these tactics all the time.
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“At most, a honeymoon couple might receive a complimentary glass of champagne, but not a first-class seat.
“In fact, if you’ve recently had surgery, the crew may move you away from an emergency exit row rather than into first class.
“There’s also a misconception that celebrities are automatically upgraded.
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“In reality, famous passengers are treated like everyone else.
“Some choose to travel quietly in economy class without drawing attention to themselves, while others may hope for special treatment.”
Instead, she explained that most upgrade decisions are made hours before boarding by airline computer systems, leaving little room for onboard pleas.
Barbara, who is known online as Barbie Bac, said: “The reason is simple: upgrades are usually decided hours before the flight, long before passengers enter the aircraft.
“When a flight is oversold, the airline’s computer system creates a priority list of passengers eligible for an upgrade.
“By the time you ask a flight attendant, the decision has already been made, and the crew simply follows the list provided by the airline.
“The order of that list is based on several factors.
“Frequent flyer status is usually the most important, with higher-tier loyalty members receiving priority.
“The fare you paid also matters, as not all economy tickets are equal.
“The date you purchased your ticket can also influence your position.”
Not all hope is lost.
Barbara, who hails from Argentina and lives in Spain, added: “Although you can’t change your loyalty status immediately, there are a few things that can improve your chances.
“Check in as soon as online check-in opens, not just on the day of travel.
“On many airlines, if two passengers have the same priority, the one who checked in first may receive the upgrade.
“Travelling alone also helps because moving one passenger is much easier than moving a family.
“Finally, joining the airline’s frequent flyer program and using its co-branded credit card can gradually improve your status and future upgrade opportunities.”
Barbara said that being well-dressed is another common misconception, but it could work out well if another candidate appears too casual.
She added: “While smart clothing doesn’t move you up the list, very casual clothing can sometimes work against you.
“A suit isn’t necessary but looking neat and presentable can prevent you from being overlooked.”
Once an aircraft has departed, flight attendants lack authority to reassign seats.
Barbara said: “Passengers often wonder why they can’t simply move into empty first-class seats after take-off.
“The answer is that flight attendants generally don’t have the authority to make that decision.
“Any upgrade during the flight must be approved by the captain, and many captains prefer not to allow it because granting one passenger an upgrade can lead to many others requesting the same treatment.
“Many airlines email passengers with discounted upgrade auctions or fixed-price offers in the days before departure.
“Others may sell remaining premium seats at the boarding gate.
“These upgrades aren’t free, but they are often available at a fraction of the original price.
“The only method that consistently results in free first-class travel is working for an airline.
“Airline employees often travel on standby, meaning they only receive a seat if space is available.
“If economy is full but premium seats remain empty, they may be assigned a first-class seat.”
Sharing examples from her own social circle, Barbara said that her own mum frequently secured first-class seats by dressing formally for standby travel.
Meanwhile, her boyfriend was apparently overlooked despite there being available seats – simply because he was wearing plain trainers.
