We’ve all had this fantasy.
As you, the plebe clutching the economy ticket, are ushered to your seat through business class, the air scented with Champagne and elevated self-worth, you spot some empty seats and think, “What would happen if I just sat in one?”
One heroic British Airways customer stealthily did just that. Earlier this month, he (or she) detailed the self-assumed upgrade for the Telegraph, albeit anonymously.
Here’s how it went down: The self-proclaimed nervous flier was about to board the second leg of a 22-hour journey from the London to Sydney. On the first leg, he was wedged next to a snorer and her flatulent husband — so our protagonist decided he’d had enough.
When boarding the eight-hour Singapore-to-Sydney flight, he concocted a simple plan: First, wait for everyone to board, lest you take a better seat that is actually assigned to another passenger. Second, quickly flash your economy class ticket to the flight attendant. Finally, walk with purpose to an open luxurious business-class seat and park it. Accept your hot towel, and enjoy.
Sounds too good to be true, right? And perhaps it was. Fearing that accepting an in-flight meal would bring attention to the fact that seat 2K was supposed to be empty, the imposter declined to accept any meals, claiming “a bit of a bad stomach.” But even with a rumbly tummy, the lie-flat seat was luxurious, the blankets “absurdly soft” and the sleep plentiful and deep.
Skeptics might wonder if flight attendants receive a dossier with who is supposed to be in every seat. Don’t they address you by name in business and first class? Yes, and that is corroborated by a statement by British Airways released after the anonymous account published.
“Our cabin crew access and check the passenger seating system on their iPads on every flight and would be aware of any additional customers who had moved to a different seat than the one printed on their boarding pass,” it told Business Insider. British Airways declined to comment unless the airline could know the name of the passenger, but the Telegraph declined and said it had verified the story separately.
So either this sailor of the skies got incredibly lucky and the attendants didn’t notice, or, as some of his friends suspect, the flight attendants actually knew he wasn’t supposed to be there and decided not to make a fuss of it. Which is, again, incredibly lucky.
Should you be pining for the good life, there are some ways to legally obtain upgrades without having to shell out the cash. First, you could become an aviation analyst and travel journalist like this 21-year-old, whose job is to test out new aircraft before they’re put into commercial service. Or you can dress the part which, according to flight attendants, gives you an upper hand. Look like you travel often, but forego the head-to-toe designer clothing. They recommend a blazer or a dress for women and trousers and a shirt for men. Asking nicely also does wonders. Just don’t let fellow passengers see your wily ways; they just might shame you back to economy.
But if you decide to follow the lead of this rogue traveler, just remember to pack snacks.
