I?m the kind of traveler who can easily log 100,000 or more miles per year, and I?ve done it several times. I know most of the ins and outs of upgrading, getting a better seat or grade of service for the money.
But having done it on scores of segments, I find myself asking: Is it worth the effort?
And just as important, is it worth the money?
Upgrading makes you WORK.
You might have to rush to an airline counter well ahead of the flight, stand in line until a representative logs in, and then be put on a list.
After everyone else is seated and they do a head count, factoring in folks who might have even greater priority than you have, you just might get the call and receive one of the last, bigger seats on the flight.
By this time, you?ve expended a lot of extra energy and maybe even turned on some extra charm to get the airline rep to grant your wish. Plus, it might cost you $200 or more to get that seat, if it happens to come your way.
Compare this to KNOWING what your Economy or Coach seating assignment is, days or even weeks or months ahead of time. If you can be content with your choice, and there are some decent seats in the bulkhead and in emergency exit rows, then all you have to do is show up and relax.
It?s true you?ll find fewer screaming babies in business or first class, you?ll generally have more leg room, and you won?t have to dig into your pocket for refreshment or meal money.
Still, constantly jockeying for a better place to put your derriere is a drag.
Just the other day on a flight from Miami, I watched as a man breathlessly begged a flight attendant if he could grab an emergency aisle seat, only to be brusquely declined.
The passenger took his assigned seat, and you could see how steamed he was that he had to fly in a class that he felt was beneath him.
Without even thinking of upgrading, I found myself enjoying a Zen feeling of calmness.
For me, pursuing status by clamoring for a better seat is more than a waste of time.
Even if I get it, I find I enjoy the seat less for itself, than for the ?idea? of it, as a perk, a distinction.
Consider all of the costs the next time you tell yourself you simply MUST get that upgrade!
Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 900 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered The Gold Standard–the foremost expert in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.
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