The Art of Sneaking into First Class (pt 1)

Crying babies, coughing passengers, cramped up spaces… Doesn’t Flying Suck?

Out of the 20+ times that I have flown internationally, probably only twice have I managed to get a good nights sleep in economy class. Then again, how can you really get a good nights sleep in an uncomfortable airplane chair? One that barely reclines, and gives you no more than a few inches before your knees hit your neighbor in front of you. Not to mention the adorable kids behind you kicking your backrest, people checking you out as they walk by and the strong whiff of perfume by grandma 2 seats down. Maybe these seats weren’t meant for the typical 6 ‘2 guy, maybe the airlines threw in an extra row to cut costs.

Regardless, you’re left with very little options, either suffer through a 20 hr flight, or pay double for a first class ticket. Knowing my cheap nature, under no circumstance do I ever give in to their outrageous first class price demands. Not until just recently. 3 out of the past 5 times ive flown internationally, ive managed to sneak my way into either business class or first class. Heres a few tips on how.

Step #1 Find the Major Players

major player

Think of yourself as a spy, you want to get as much information as possible, without drawing any attention to you. The key is to figure out who the major players are (first class passengers), and to draw some sort of connection. This is the quickest and easiest way to get yourself into first class. I like to scope the scene from a distance. Besides the obvious cues of an older white gentlemen in a suit, I tend to notice things such as what time they arrive to the gate, who they are with and what type of shoes theyre wearing. Dont quote me on this, but I also noticed that first class passengers always have a pissed look on their face.

Things to Notice

black shoe

  • Time arriving at gate - Usually first class passengers come roughly 20-30 minutes before boarding. The reason why is because they are too good to hang out with the rest of the public and spend most of their time in the executive lounge.
  • Who they are with - From my observations, most first class passengers travel alone. Its also alot easier to work with a single person than a 2 setter.
  • Shoes - A real man wears real shoes with real heels. Real heels are the kind that are removable and can be replaced. Usually the nicer dress shoes have removable heels. Its hard to spot a fake watch from a distance, but you can tell a lot about a man by his shoes. Pay attention to the wood grain.

Step #2 Holla at a Playa

Once you find your target, your next plan of action is to get inside their friendster loop. The toughest part of hollering at a first class passenger is not the approach, but coming up with something interesting to talk about. I like to casually sit nearby the major player and ask him a simple random question just to break the ice. Questions like,

hey, do you know what time we are boarding?
so what brings you to the philippines?
hey, does this airport have free wifi? (if they are on a laptop)

Once the ice is broken, its all about maintaining a conversation. Rule of thumb, old successful people love to brag about their accomplishments or life stories. I usually ask them about what they do, how they got into that industry and sound really interested and impressed. Once its time to board, its all about dropping a “leave you hanging” type of question. Hey, im really interested in whatever industry and how you became the vice president of whatever corporation, do you mind if you share me that information later? Usually, they would say no problem and this gives you an open window for a second approach later on.

side note: this technique has proven effective several of times. I once had a fire inspector come to my shop to do an annual inspection. I totally disregarded the first notice in the mail and failed to get a few fire extinguishers and update my worker compliant signs. I knew I wasnt going to pass, so I decided to befriend the fire inspector and get on his good side. I ended up asking him about the fire fighter program, how i can be one and why san francisco fire fighters are the best. He got so caught up rambling on for 45 minutes that he walked around my shop and gave me a “it looks good.” Ended up passing with flying colors.

(to be continued)

August 22, 2008 · Filed Under Other

Comments

2 Responses to “The Art of Sneaking into First Class (pt 1)”

  1. Kevin Cheng on August 22nd, 2008 4:31 pm

    This has seriously worked out for you? How is it that the other first class passengers have the ability to upgrade you? These are tough questions your readers want to know.

  2. Julie on August 24th, 2008 10:53 pm

    good to know even though i’ve only traveled internationally once! keep the tips coming…

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