Your weekend away is booked, your suitcase is rammed full and you’ve managed to locate your passport. Now is time to ditch your polite British ways and score some serious freebies. From plane upgrades to lavish hotels - there are a lot of perks out there waiting to be snatched up.
1. Be 'Newlyweds'
Whether you tied the knot last week or got married in March - bring along your wedding certificate and rub in in the face of anyone within a 5 mile radius. Recent polls have found that the average newlywed can score up to £400 in freebies. Honeymooners can be rewarded with anything from celebratory champagne hampers to treats and tokens to splurge at their destination. Online studies have shown that nearly half of newlyweds are given a room upgrade while other happy couples have received complimentary meals and lavish spa treatments without spending a penny. If it’s not officially your honeymoon, but you got hitched in the past year, still pack your marriage certificate and make out it’s your first holiday as a married couple. With the cost of living being so high, more and more newlyweds wait a little while after tying the knot to top up their tans, so it’s totally conceivable.
2. Travel on weekends
Those lucky few who get to jet set first class around the world while invoicing their first class cabin bill to Frank in accounts tend to travel in the week. This means the lavish seats behind the front curtain of the plane are often left lonesome on a Saturday - leaving them wide open for upgrades. Make yourself more likely to be picked for the upgrade by dressing the part. Your comfy Primark tracksuit might feel more long haul friendly - but extra leg room, free movies and a glass of Prosecco would definitely make a 10 hour flight more bearable. Unleash your inner Kardashian, pop on a silky ensemble and prey that your Topshop shirt is flashy enough to blag business class.
3. Be Flexible
Cabins are often overbooked due to airlines selling more seats than they actually have available to cover no-shows and cancelations. The airlines first option usually is to check if there any seats free in the first class quarters and upgrade a standard class passenger. This is usually based on a first come basis - so to score the best possibility of a seat in the luxury lounge, check in as early as possible. If the plane is completely full - some passengers will be asked to catch the next flight.
Unless your in a rush to get to a wedding or celebration - volunteer to stay behind. Airlines thrive off good reviews and word of mouth to get new customers, meaning staff will bend over backwards to pamper to your needs to stop you blasting out your anger on Trip Advisor. This often leads to luxurious overnight stays, free meals and most importantly, a seat in first class.
4. Check out loyalty schemes
Shop around and see what loyalty schemes your local supermarkets and banks are showcasing to draw in new customers. Tesco are currently offering a deal where you can earn 650 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles for a mere £2.50 in Club Vouchers - that certainly beats splurging your points on a loaf of bread and packet of Hobnobs. Another generous point collecting scheme that you can take advantage of is HSBC’s latest enticement. The bank is giving away 10 frequent flyer miles for every £10 you send on a credit card. These points can be used with Ethihad, British Airways and other international airlines. Lloyds Bank and Virgin Atlantic also offer similar deals - total all of these rewards up and you could earn enough points to take a trip in no time.
5. Be a Blogger
Travel bloggers get asked to review anything from swanky 5 star hotels to small boutique B&B’s, all while reaping the rewards of complimentary meals, free upgrades and complimentary alcohol. Hotel owners want to keep them sweet in order to gain a top review. If you're feeling brave and find yourself face to face with a friendly hotel manager, put your blagging skills to the test and cheekily drop into conversation that you write for a blog or magazine (even if you actually work the tills at Topshop and the last time you updated your blog was in January 2013). They’ll probably get giddy that you’re writing about their place that they’ll give you the 5* treatment and (hopefully) a free bottle of champers!
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.