Special Upgrade

Dear Joel

You may possibly recall that we have corresponded in the past when I purchased your book.

Unless I missed something, your book was essentially about ways to develop airline loyalty that can be leveraged into paying economy rates and receiving first class service. I have followed your recommendation of developing specific loyalties and try to ensure that all my flights are taken on just three airlines (Frontier, Virgin, and British Airways) and the result is certainly a greater accumulation of miles and tier points with those airlines.

However, I am wondering if you have any great ideas/suggestions for something that is not really within what you wrote about. I need to go from Denver to London at the end of this month for just 4-5 days and I want to make sure I travel comfortably but at a discounted price. I am willing to pay for a premium economy ticket but would like to leverage that up into business class or better. I don't have sufficient flight loyalty accumulated yet with British Airways (the only nonstop service from Denver to London) to secure any favors from them.

Do you know any reliable ways to buy business class tickets at heavily discounted prices? Or some other way to achieve what I am trying to do: pay a bit more than economy prices but get much more for the money?

I would appreciate any insight you may be willing to offer!

Thanks and best regards

Graham Walker

Dear Graham,

Usually British Airways flights depart with a few empty seats in First/Business Class. Therefore, I would use your loyalty and premium-priced coach ticket as your leverage with the airport’s gate agent. The gate agent will be able to tell from the code on your ticket that you paid a higher fare. Stress that you are developing a long term relationship with BA and that you have paid a higher fare.

If I may, I’ll interject some of my industrial organizational psychological training. Workers in Great Brittan tend to be very “rules oriented” and seldom deviate from the black and white unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

Therefore, approach the agent acknowledging that this would be a special circumstance…but anything he could do to help would be greatly appreciated.

Since you already have my book, read the story about my similar experience on page 114.

Good luck and let me know how it works out.

My best,

Joel