Fly First Class to Vegas (And Elsewhere) at Coach Prices

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You can usually find a cheap flight to McCarren International Airport, the airport servicing the Las Vegas Area.

But I decided in 2005 that I only fly coach in emergencies. Now I fly first class everywhere - and I hardly ever have to pay full price for the ticket. Here’s what I do.

photo credit: WTL photos

Basically, I pick a coach flight as inexpensively as I can, and upgrade to first at the airport or at the gate. With a flight from Vegas to DC or vice versa, the initial ticket would be around $110, and upgrading to first would be about $100, sometimes less.

Compared to the $700 I’d often pay for a first class ticket on my favorite airline at my favorite time to fly, it’s quite a bargain.

You’re probably thinking - how can I be sure that I’ll get a first class upgrade– and what if I don’t? Let’s handle “what if” part first.

If you can’t get a first class upgrade, you have 3 options.

• Fly in the emergency Exit Row seat. Then you get extra leg room.
• Fly standby - if they’re overbooked you might even get a free upgrade.
• I hate standby though. So I always pick a flight with business class. If it’s not full you may even get your upgrade free at the gate just for asking.

Okay, honestly, two out of three of those options, suck, don’t they? So why don’t we make sure you can get your upgrade instead?

First thing you do is buy your ticket well in advance. Three weeks in advance usually ensures an inexpensive ticket, but if you can manage even further out, do it - sometimes you’ll even find a first-class ticket on the site at the coach price.

Secondly, fly at off-peak hours and on off-peak days. Notice I said and. 2 pm Friday is okay - but Friday and Sunday are the two peak days of the week, so you’re not gonna save that much.

1 am Tuesday morning is perfect.

Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to get a lower ticket price, and a first class upgrade. For the best times to fly, avoid time periods that coincide with rush hour, as well as times that families are most likely to travel as a group.

Third, look to see if the price changes if you change your travel variables, such as:

• flying a day earlier or later,
• switching to a different airline,
• buying from a different site, such as the airline’s site instead of Cheap Tickets or Priceline

I’m sure you can think of some more - the point is, tweak your search options if you have the flexibility.

Getting a cheap coach ticket isn’t where all of the saving come from though. You want to heighten your chances for getting the most inexpensive first class upgrade possible - and if you have the opportunity, get one for free.

Quick warning - don’t focus too much on free upgrades. They aren’t commonplace anymore, this isn’t the 80s. (Did I just date myself?) Keep your mental power focused on paying a low price for a first class upgrade, but snatch up the chance to get one for free if it happens.

So, now you have your ticket and the big day comes. How do you ensure an upgrade to first class?

First, I find that it pays to get dressed up a little. It’s amazing how much better you’re treated if you’re slightly dressy or in business attire, vs showing up in jeans and a tshirt, especially if your face skews young.

Next, get your tail to the airport early.

Not on time - up to an hour earlier than suggested, but not so early that when you get there, they aren’t seating your flight.

Now, at this point, you have a choice to make. If you’re a good conversationalist, a great networker, or have some kind of ethical bribe, you may be able to chat someone into helping you. Authors, sales people with product samples, and the charismatic may choose this option, and use the second one as a backup.

The second choice is to let technology help you with this choice, using the happily unbiased self-ticketing machine. Let’s look at the first option now.

As soon as you check your bags, ask the person helping you how full your flight is. Be friendly and make conversation - if you’re lucky enough to get a person with the power to upgrade you for free, your journey may end here.

At the end of the conversation, ask if they have first class upgrades available. Don’t ask how much - if you have to pay for it, they’ll tell you. If you’ve had any problems at this airport today, casually drop that into the conversation before asking.

If you succeed in being offered an inexpensive or free first-class upgrade, you’re done. If not, you can fall back on option two.

Option two is the other reason you arrived early to the airport. If you’re early and you need to talk to a human, well, they have time to entertain you and may feel it is their duty if no one else is waiting. A short conversation can turn into a smiling person, and a person you made smile is more likely to give you something for free.

If you bought your ticket with a credit or debit card, when you’re checking your bags, the self-serve ticketing machine is your pal. The reason it’s important to be early here is that the price of a first-class upgrade can change with demand.

There’s not even a dozen first-class seats on an average plane. They may all be empty on on off-peak day at an off-peak time. But with each one sold, the remaining ones become more valuable.

All you do here, is wait for a screen, when confirming your ticket, that will ask you if you’d like a first-class upgrade. Say yes - if you don’t like the price you should still be able to escape from the screen.

If you paid cash or with a check, you can pay cash for your upgrade at the gate. Again, make sure you’re early so you can fly through security and get to your departure gate before everyone else. Also, ask for the upgrade outright, see if they’ll give it to you for free. It’s happened to me before, usually after a bad experience related to the airline.

In all those years, only one time did I not get my first-class upgrade. That day they put me in the emergency row by myself, where I stretched out comfortably and slept through the flight.

Try this the next time you fly. And please share your experiences flying and with first class seating below.

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