How to Get Free Flight, Hotel, and Rental Car Upgrades

How to Get Free Flight, Hotel, and Rental Car Upgrades

Have you ever seen someone upgraded to first class seats for free? You may have wondered how they got so lucky and why you’re still stuck in coach. Whether it’s a hotel room, flight, or rental car, there are secrets to getting free upgrades. Read on for tricks of the trade from travel experts.

Getting a Flight Upgrade

Many U.S. airlines have been trying to cut costs by offering fewer flights, which means the coach section is often overbooked. When a carrier bumps a passenger, they have to either offer an alternative flight or a refund, or sometimes even both. Since it costs so much for an airline to bump a flyer, they’ll upgrade the passenger to first class when possible.

The airline will select which passengers get the upgrade by looking at their frequent flyer miles. The flyers with the most miles have first dibs on upgrades. The problem is that you need a ton of miles to beat out the other flyers, and if you’re not a frequent traveler, you may not have them piled up quite yet.

For those travelers who spend more time on the ground than in the air, you’re not completely out of luck. Search online for upgrade certificates. These won’t be free, but they’ll cost less than if you paid for the upgrade flat out. When a frequent flier isn’t able to use their upgrade certificate, they’ll often put them online for sale.

Also, signup for your preferred airline’s frequent flyer program. Even if you don’t travel all that often, simply having a loyalty card will make you more of a VIP member than non-loyalty members.

Getting a Hotel Upgrade

Similar to airline upgrades, brand loyalty helps if you want to get a free hotel upgrade. If you frequently visit the same hotel chain, signup for their loyalty program.

Hotels are most likely to upgrade customers who booked directly through them instead of using a third-party service. If you want to save money by booking elsewhere, first call the hotel and find out if they’ll price-match. That way, you’ll get the budget-friendly price and still be eligible for an upgrade.

Unlike airlines, you’re most likely to get a hotel upgrade if you travel during a less busy time. If a vacant suite is available, a hotel may upgrade you simply to increase your brand loyalty, even if they have plenty of smaller rooms available. Additionally, new properties tend to upgrade patrons in order to build a loyal following and increase positive word-of-mouth.

Get a Rental Car Upgrade

When it comes to rental cars, you’re most likely to get an upgrade if you book the cheapest car available. Since the least expensive cars sell out the fastest, the rental car agency has no other option than to upgrade you. If the checkout clerk tries to talk you into purchasing an upgrade, decline the offer. If they don’t have the car you reserved, they’ll have to give you what they do have a no extra charge.

Can’t seem to catch a break? Websites like Hipmunk will help you make budget-friendly travel arrangements even when an upgrade is nowhere in sight.

This article was contributed by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, a travel website that offers customers a fast and easy way to find the best travel deals.