Top 10 Ways to Get Upgraded on a Flight

So are there any tricks to getting upgraded from economy class? Most times there are no tricks of the trade, it is often by being entitled to an upgrade if you are a very frequent flyer with an upgrade-able fare, and once in a while it is a little bit of luck. A lot of the following are also contingent on luck as it isn't really possible to bet on which flights are going to be wildly over or under sold on any given day. That being stated, these are the top 10 ways to get upgraded that I see as an airline gate agent most often:

1. Being a top tier member of the airline's frequent flyer program, and be in possession of a valid upgrade certificate.
2. If you aren't a top tier member then travel with a top tier member of the airline's frequent flyer program, and be in possession of a valid upgrade certificate.

3. And again being a top tier frequent flyer member pays - if you are a top tier member of the airlines frequent flyer program then traveling on an oversold flight will lead to more potential for a courtesy upgrade.

4. If you are traveling on a full fare ticket and traveling on an oversold flight then you also have more potential for a courtesy upgrade.

5. If you travel on a very empty flight where weight and balance is an issue the airline may require that some passengers be upgraded (best to have a seat somewhere in the middle of an aircraft for this)

6. If you are a top tier member of a partner airline's frequent flyer such as oneworld or Star Alliance, and traveling on an oversold flight you will likely have more potential for a courtesy upgrade.

7. If a flight is oversold and you are an infrequent traveler on a cheap ticket, volunteer to give up your seat - more likely to get upgraded if not on your original flight, then the one you have been rebooked on.

8. Again, if a flight is oversold and you are traveling alone, then dress in business / casual business attire and sit off on your own, but in the sight line of the airline agent at the gate. Sometimes we need to upgrade a passenger or two at the very last minute, and a well-dressed, solo traveler is easier to upgrade than one wearing sweatpants and sneakers.

9. If you ultimately don't care where you sit on a flight then don't prebook your seat on an oversold flight, and check in closer to departure time. You may end up with a middle seat, or one up front. This is a really risky strategy, as gate agents will try and upgrade frequent flyers and higher priced ticket holders first.

10. A smile goes a long way. If you are nice as possible to the check-in and gate agents then sometimes if a flight is oversold and you just happen to be one of the nicest passengers that a check-in agent meets that day, they may put a comment on your passenger record such as "nice passenger if you need to upgrade".

NOT TO DO: Don't ask for an upgrade, especially if you aren't a frequent traveler on that particular airline. Airline agents tend to be agitated by this.

Do not badger the gate agent saying that check-in said to ask for an upgrade even though you are on a reduced fare, then going on board and badgering the flight attendants. This happened on a flight where I was the gate agent and the crew was getting fed up enough that two passengers were nearly kicked off the flight. It is better to assume that if your airfare does not entitle you to an upgrade, you probably aren't going to get one. It may happen every once in a while but not often enough to have surefire ways to get upgraded for free every time you travel.

Courtesy : about.com

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Associated plane crash: Surviving airline technician dies

Associated Airlines’ aircraft technician, who was among the five survivors of the tragic crash that left 15 people dead in Lagos on October 3, has passed on at the Gbagada General hospital, Lagos, where he had been on admission for treatment.
The development brought to 16 the number of fatalities recorded from the ill-fated plane crash.
Sources at the hospital said the technician, Mr. Samson Fatoye, died at about 7pm on Wednesday. Fatoye, who had suffered severe burnt from the crash, had been transferred from one hospital to another before he was finally taken to the Gbagada hospital.
The sources said Fatoye passed on a few hours after immigration officials from Abuja arrived in the hospital with electronic data capturing machine to prepare passport that would enable the survivors to travel overseas for further treatment.

The Punch

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Two planes collide at Lagos airport

Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos

There was a minor accident on Friday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, involving a Turkish Airline aircraft and a Max Air plane. The Turkish Airline plane wings collided with that of Max Air plane which had brought in Pilgrims from Saudi Arabia.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the Turkish Airplane had landed safely but was taxiing to stop at the airport’s apron when its wing collided with that of Max Air.

The collision resulted in minor damages to both airplanes and sources said they had been  taken away for repairs.

An online newspaper said the Spokesman, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, confirmed the incident. He however said damages to the aircraft belonging to both airlines were minor and that both planes had been taken away for repairs.

A similar incident occurred last year in Jos, Plateau State, when an Arik plane wings brushed an Airforce jet parked at the apron when the plane was taxiing to stop. There was also no casualty in the incident but only damages to both planes.

The Punch

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Nigeria, Israel to Sign Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA)

Another milestone is about to be recorded in the aviation sector as President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda paves way for the signing of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the State of Israel.

 Previous attempts to sign the BASA between the two countries in 2005 and 2012 were unsuccessful.

 According to the special meassistant to the Minister of Aviation, Joe Obi, the agreement would  be signed this week during President Jonathan’s pilgrimage to Israel.

 He said this was a culmination of months of rigorous negotiations between the two countries.

His words, “The landmark agreement comes as a clear validation of the nation’s high safety and security ratings by international aviation bodies, especially the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and an improvement on infrastructure in the aviation sector in the last two years. The agreement will pave way for direct flights between both territories on the Principle of Reciprocity by the designated airlines of both countries.” Before now Nigerians travelling to Israel, including christian pilgrims, have had to endure the long stop-overs in neighbouring countries before being finally airlifted to the Holy Land.

 Obi also said the agreement adequately addresses the question of imbalance in the BASA between Nigeria and other contracting countries. Under the terms of this agreement, Nigeria and the State of Israel would enjoy equal rights and privileges in the implementation of the BASA.

IRS plane crash averted in Kaduna

By LAWANI MIKAIRU
Another plane crash was Sunday was averted in Kaduna as IRS Airline plane with 89 passengers on board was assisted to land in Kaduna as the plane developed mechanical problems.
The plane had hydraulic problem and on successful landing had to disembark passengers on the runway and not taxi to parking place “ in accordance with the procedure”.
Reacting to the incident , The Managing Director of IRS, Mr Yemi Dada said “ On final approach to Kaduna today on our flight 3390 with 89 passengers, our cockpit crew got a low hydraulic in system 1 warning and decided to take precautionary measures to ask for ground confirmation that all gears were down and locked and the aircraft landed normally after the control tower had confirmed that the gears were all down normally.
The crew proceeded to land but followed procedure to disembark on the runway and not taxi in accordance with the procedure.”
“All passengers disembarked normally and the aircraft was towed to ramp. The maintenance crew are inspecting to confirm the issue that caused the warning to the crew. Updates will follow shortly “
This incident is coming few days after Associated Aviation plane carrying the body of the former governor of Ondo State, Chief Segun Agagu and 20 others crashed 31 seconds after take-off from the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, Lagos runway killing 15 of the 20 people.
The Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, in its preliminary report of the accident released to journalists in Abuja said investigations revealed that the aircraft was already faulty before the cockpit crew decided to embark on the journey.
And the captain in command, Capt. Abdulraham Yakubu insisted that the crew must continue with the journey even when the co-pilot suggested that the flight should be aborted. The aircraft crashed exactly 31 seconds after take off from the runway.

Vanguard

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Nigerian Passenger Dies in US-bound Flight from Lagos

Houston police are awaiting autopsy results on a Nigerian man, who died at about 8:25 a.m. Tuesday on a US-bound flight out of Lagos.

The male, Benedict Sylvester Igwedike, 67, of Lagos, Nigeria, died on board a United Airlines flight.

According to HPD Homicide Division Senior Police Officer, M. Miller, patrol officers responded to a deceased male who was on board the United Airlines flight #143 arriving from Lagos, Nigeria.

Miller said: "Further investigation determined Mr. Igwedike passed away shortly after the flight departed from Nigeria.

"The flight was then rerouted to Dakar, Senegal. After refuelling, authorities in Senegal rerouted the flight to Houston."

The investigation is pending Igwedike's cause of death says Miller.

The normal time for the direct flight between Lagos and Houston, Texas is about 13 hours but the plane was diverted to the capital of Senegal ostensibly to administer further medical treatment on the late Igwedike.

Souce: Daily Times.

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Medview Airlines begins airlift of Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

Medview Airlines, one of the carriers designated to fly Muslimpilgrims to Saudi Arabia yesterday commenced airlifting of 517 pilgrims from the Lagos zone through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The 517 pilgrims from Osun and Ogun States, are the first batch of the over 5,500 to be air lifted by Medview Airlines from three zones namely Lagos, Ilorin and Port Harcourt allocated to the airline.

The airline said it has deployed two Boeing 747 and Boeing 767 aircraft to airports in Lagos and Ilorin  that would simultaneously fly pilgrims into Medina, in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at a pre-departure briefing at the hajj camp axis of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, the managing director of  Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole said the airline will complete the  in bound air lifting of pilgrims at the designated zones this week , even as he assured that all logistics have been mobilised to ensure the seamless movement if the pilgrims.

Bankole said the airline in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of  Health and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria ( NAHCON) to sensitive the pilgrims on how to avoid being afflicted with Coronal Virus that is prevalent in Saudi Arabia .

He said it is for such readies that children are not allowed to participate in the exercise , even as he said the airline would not board any  unmarried  female pilgrims that is not accompanied by a male guarantor .
Bankole said :" We have commenced 2013 air lifting of Muslim pilgrims from Lagos and Ilorin zones and we will be  flying 517 passenger today with the Boeing 747 aircraft to Medina in Saudi Arabia.
We are operating from three zones, Lagos , Ilorin and Port Harcourt .
The pilgrims will be flown to Medina. As an airline we will provide clothing materials and water for the males and females.
We have B747 and B767 aircraft already in place to make the flight hitch free.
All adequate arrangements has been made like we did last year  to ensure that any female that is not accompanied by a male is not allowed to board.

From the Medview Airlines point of view, We would provide some materials for the pilgrims." 

He further said : " About 5,500 pilgrims  will be airlifted from Lagos, Ilorin, and Port Harcourt.

That is the number of pilgrims allotted to us fir this year.
Besides the Boeing 747 aircraft we have in Lagos , We have deployed another Boeing 767 aircraft in Ilorin zone.

We are fully prepared for this programme, we insist that all pilgrims abide by the laws, concerning unaccompanied singles.
We would conclude  by October 19, 2013.

We have done this  Hajj thirty times, it shows we have core competence in this business.
We have collaborated with officials of Ministry of Health to sensitive the pilgrims on how to stay healthy and avoid any infection with the coronal virus that was reported in Saudi Arabia at the time.

The ministry of health and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has carried out sufficient enlightenment to ensure that the pilgrims are equipped with enough knowledge to avoid any contamination of coronal virus. 

That is why children are not allowed.  We would conclude by weekend  the in bound leg of the flights into Saudi Arabia  and commence the out bound airlifting from Saudi Arabia from October 19, 2013.

We have begun the airlift with pilgrims from Osun State, Ogun State, while other states in the South West will continue in the week.
We have sufficiently mobilised to ensure there is no hitch in the programme . "

Source: Alarinka agbaye blog.

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