9 ways to thrive during your first flight upgrade
Everything you need to know to savor the experience to the max.
I have nailed the long-haul-economy flight formula.
I have a top-tier neck pillow. I love to sip a pre-flight glass of wine and pop a Benadryl to help me (hopefully) drift off to sleep. My silk sleep mask is my best friend. I know I can get through it.
But after an upgrade and the taste of luxury on a recent flight, I got to thinking: how does one maximize the pleasures of one of travel’s biggest flexes when it happens to you for the first time? Trust me, it goes beyond a glass of Champagne and a seat that lies completely flat.
Whether you’ve saved your points to get to this moment or had a fortunate last-minute stroke of luck, here’s everything you need to know to ensure you’re really milking your whole business-class experience to the max.
1. Rethink what goes inside your personal item
If there’s enough time, you may want to go through your tote or backpack or what have you, and make some swaps with what’s in your checked suitcase. While there’s no way of knowing exactly which amenities the airline will provide, the crew up front may provide toothbrushes, slippers and sleep masks, among other products. If your seat reclines into a full-on bed, you may want to bring pajamas.
You can expect a good night’s sleep up in the air. Revel in it.
2. Show up early
Depending on the airline and class, an upgrade may include lounge access – as did my recent business-class upgrade on Cathay Pacific Airways. Whenever I’m blessed to enter an airport lounge, I find myself rethinking my credit card choices. With lounge access, you can fill up on complimentary food and drinks before your flight – perhaps a glass of wine or hot tea to jumpstart the bedtime routine.
Heading back to the USA from Bangkok, I grabbed a crisp glass of Coke and a buttery cookie in the Cathay lounge. During my Hong Kong stopover, I fixed myself a cappuccino at the Pier Lounge and just relaxed, totally
unbothered. Savor the lounge life.
3. Board early and in style
When I fly economy, I prefer to wait until the last possible minute to board – for why would I want to spend extra time crammed in like a sardine? Flying in business class was a totally different story. As soon as boarding began, I headed toward the separate, much shorter business-class queue to be escorted to my place. Once seated, I was handed a hot towel, a welcome drink (like Champagne, juice or Cathay’s popular kiwi-coconut drink) and an elegant business-class-only menu. Sit back and enjoy the special attention.
4. Don’t stress about the window seat
Upgrade seats tend to be aisle seats – and that honestly doesn’t matter one lick. Everyone has their
own private cubicle where they can spread out, meaning there’s no marginal space advantage to scoring the window, as in economy. And if it’s an overnight flight,
it especially doesn’t matter. What’s the point of a window seat if the view is
pure darkness?
5. Take inventory of your perks
After boarding early (see above), use the time to give yourself a little tour of your space. Poke around: what’s in that side compartment? Cathay Pacific provided a toiletry bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, body balm and a sleep mask. There were slippers and a cozy comforter waiting for me on the footrest and a pillow on my seat. Check out the entertainment options, too. You may be eligible for complimentary wi-fi.
6. Get to know the flight attendants
Folks in the airline industry are some of the kindest, most hardworking and most patient people you’ll ever meet – no matter what tier of boarding pass you hold. It sounds obvious, but let me assure you: you will receive more attention in business class compared to economy. When you’re paying for that elite seat, your needs – and, more importantly, wants – are there to be met.
Learn your flight attendants’ names and tell them thank
you. If their service was particularly exemplary, send a note to the airline
and let them know. It goes a long way.
7. Be prepared to feast
What is the deal with airline food? I’ve had some seriously suspicious meals at 30,000ft (9100m). But once you get that upgrade notification, you can forget everything you’ve heard (or tasted) before – for you’ll likely have a separate, more elevated menu than what the folks in the back of the plane get. For dinner, I was craving something light that wouldn’t keep me awake, so I ordered lentil soup, which came with a salad and bread. For breakfast, I went for the açai yogurt bowl, warm pastries and fresh fruit.
8. Work in a decent snooze
Here’s why you can trust me when I say I slept a glorious seven hours on my 16-hour flight to Hong Kong: I almost never fall asleep in any moving vehicle, something I’ve talked about my whole life. That’s because I’m hardly ever fully horizontal and snug as a bug when in motion. Yet, on this flight, my lie-flat seat (plus a little melatonin) pretty much guaranteed I would rest easy.
For optimal results,
try to replicate your at-home sleep routine. I like to limit my screen
time and read for a while before drifting off.
9. Have a drink or two...or not
This can be a contentious topic among the frequent-flyer community, and I don’t have a definitive answer, other than this: do whatever works for you. If you’d like a drink to help you fall asleep, steady your nerves or celebrate the experience, that is perfectly fine. Just be warned that drinking at higher altitudes increases your heart rate and lowers your oxygen levels, so if you have any pre-existing health conditions that may put you at risk, perhaps opt for a cup of hot tea instead.
Ann Douglas flew business class on the invitation of Cathay Pacific. Lonely Planet does not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.
