I used to be at the highest level of United Airlines frequent flyer club. That meant I usually had a great seat and many times I was upgraded to First Class. However, when you have no status you are usually assigned a seat in the back of the plane and very often even those rear seats are center seat only.
Here’s some tips on how to get a better seat.
- Check back often, especially in the 24 hours before the flight departs.
- Register (free) at ExpertFlyer.com and tell them the flight you’re on and the type of seat you want. They’ll notify you if/when that type of seat opens. Their service is free for one flight but additional flights are only $0.99 each.
- Many airlines won’t allow seat transfers once you have checked-in for your flight. Don’t check it until a few hours before the flight leaves in case a better seat opens.
- Be nice to the gate agent and flight attendants. This sounds logical but I’m always amazed how my little gifts to these employees often get me a great seat, free drinks and maybe even a bump into business or First Class. Here are the gifts I give to airline employees. Give one to the gate agent(s) behind the counter. Give one to every flight attendant. This is my little secret gift and I’m sharing it now! I’ve given away hundreds of these pins for over ten years. NOTE: If Amazon shows “sold out,” check back frequently as it will be back in stock soon.