A woman Claudia and her partner have flown business and first class multiple times – and have never paid extra for it thanks to one simple trick that guarantees an upgrade
A woman has shared her secret to consistently securing business and first-class seats on flights without paying extra.
Holidays are a joyous occasion, but the discomfort of cramped airplane seating can often dampen the experience. Many of us fantasise about the luxury of sipping champagne in a spacious premium seat. However, Claudia insists that achieving this dream is easier than you might think.
She claims that one simple trick can lead to frequent flight upgrades without any additional cost. Having flown with Emirates and Qatar Airways, Claudia has become adept at securing free upgrades.
Sharing her travel experiences from Thailand on her TikTok page @claudia.louise.w, she said: “I always find it crazy when I see people asking for free upgrades on the plane when there’s a much easier way to get free upgrades and you don’t have to embarrass yourself in the process.”
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Claudia further explained: “Me and my partner have flown business class and even first class multiple times. We have flown business class more than 10 times now, and we have never paid for it.”
She added: “We get free upgrades all the time, and in this video, I’m going to tell you how. We’ve now flown on Singapore Airlines, Emirates multiple times, Emirates first class and also Qatar Airways.”
She confesses that having flown in upgraded seats so frequently, she now finds it challenging to revert to economy. Rather than informing airport staff of a special occasion or relying on chance for a free upgrade, Claudia asserts that there’s a straightforward method to guarantee an upgrade.
She recommends obtaining a credit card like American Express. In her video, which has garnered over 369,000 views, Claudia explains: “We use American Express, the gold card. And start racking up points. Even when you first sign up, you get a bonus offer and you usually get anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 points. And it only costs 40,000 points for a business-class upgrade.”
Claudia continues: “Which means you only have to pay the economy fare and then use your points to upgrade. And then you use your card for spending, for booking trips, for whatever you like, business expenses, whatever it might be. You rack up points over the year so you can upgrade to business class next time you travel.”
When questioned about the cost of an Amex, Claudia reveals that it’s £195 per year, with the first year being free. In response to comments questioning whether it’s truly free, Claudia clarifies: “It’s free because I’m spending on normal things and racking up points (so I haven’t paid anything extra to get this).”
She adds: “It doesn’t make sense to pay when you can use points. It’s smarter.”
It’s always better to pay with points than pounds! ,” one user remarked in the comments. Another chimed in: “Exactly! If you’re not using a points card, you’re missing out. I got my round-trip Florida flight covered just from everyday spending-so satisfying!
“This is so helpful,” another user commented.
Would you give this a go? Share your thoughts below….