Honeymoon upgrades - is this a thing?
Discussion
You often see on TV and films couples upgraded owing to them being on their honeymoon (upgrade to better class on flights, better rooms in hotels etc), but does it actually happen? How does one go about it? Presumably a case of don't ask don't get?
I'm only asking as I'm off (to Cuba) on honeymoon in a couple of weeks. A flight upgrade would be welcome though.
Any experience appreciated. TIA.
[/First worldproblem question]
I'm only asking as I'm off (to Cuba) on honeymoon in a couple of weeks. A flight upgrade would be welcome though.
Any experience appreciated. TIA.
[/First world
A couple who are friends of ours who have never flown and usually go on caravan holidays went to New York for their silver wedding. The female of the couple is very bubbly and excitable at the best of times and she told the check-in person her life story. They were called at the gate and upgraded from Economy to Business - but oddly weren't put next to each other, although other passengers moved around for them.
She said the trip back in economy was crap!
She said the trip back in economy was crap!
Maybe in a hotel. And a big maybe.
Unlikely for the flights these days. That said - tried pricing up Premium Economy? Last year coming back on my honeymoon from JFK to LHR (we took the boat over) this was only a couple of hundred each over economy (worth it for the increased baggage allowance!).
Unlikely for the flights these days. That said - tried pricing up Premium Economy? Last year coming back on my honeymoon from JFK to LHR (we took the boat over) this was only a couple of hundred each over economy (worth it for the increased baggage allowance!).
For our honeymoon we went to New York first for a week, then flew from there for a week in St Lucia.
My wife mentioned it was our honeymoon at the time of booking, although I always feel a bit uncomfortable asking for free stuff.
Flight was in economy, didn't get any upgrades or extras. Didn't get another in New York. Got two lots of champagne, a card, and some chocolates in St Lucia.
My wife mentioned it was our honeymoon at the time of booking, although I always feel a bit uncomfortable asking for free stuff.
Flight was in economy, didn't get any upgrades or extras. Didn't get another in New York. Got two lots of champagne, a card, and some chocolates in St Lucia.
Spare tyre said:
In the states yes, everywhere we went
Sometimes a bottle of wine
At the Hilton in la, they put us in a suite on the top floor, amazing room
Likewise... Vegas nothing, but we probably did not mention it.Sometimes a bottle of wine
At the Hilton in la, they put us in a suite on the top floor, amazing room
Orlando Hilton - Room upgrade and Chocolate Strawberries etc.
Trump Miami - Strawberry and bottle of Champagne - we only stayed the one night!
Often the hotels asked if we were celebrating...
If you don't make them aware it's not going to happen. They aren't psychic. It's a long time ago but I worked it into the conversation at check-in on our honeymoon and ended up first-class with Emirates to the Maldives and upgraded to mega-suite in Vegas.
It's not necessarily a given but worth a try.
It's not necessarily a given but worth a try.
We did, it was a subtle drop of the H-Bomb and we werent expecting it, just kind of came up in conversation but the place we stopped at in New York for honeymoon upgraded us two room tiers up, to be fair we'd booked a second tier up from the bottom room so there wasnt really much downgrading that could have happened.
Nice surprise, unexpected.
The nicest one actually was in a restaurant where we went for our anniversary, they'd asked the Mrs when she booked the table if there was an occasion and gave us free bubbly when we were seated, just really good service
Nice surprise, unexpected.
The nicest one actually was in a restaurant where we went for our anniversary, they'd asked the Mrs when she booked the table if there was an occasion and gave us free bubbly when we were seated, just really good service
we stayed in a few different places in thailand over 2 weeks for our honeymoon at xmas and new year just gone. I think these days you can forget getting upgrades on flights, but hotels are reasonably possible! We got upgraded from a nice enough villa to a pretty amazing villa on ko lanta, and the only thing we can really put it down to is that we mentioned it was our honeymoon when booking. It's definitely worth saying!
My wife and I received a few upgrades/freebies, though these were all pre-arranged by the travel agent before we travelled and we had the caveat that we had to prove we'd only recently gotten married by showing our marriage certificate when claiming! We had two hotel rooms upgraded to suites and received some free spa sessions, but no upgrades on flights, sadly.
Wife did it when she booked all our honeymoon which was a driving holiday across California.
Virgin sent us upstairs on the plane and it was just us 2 & Will.I.Am and his vast entourage flying to LAX on NYE it seemed.
Most hotels upgraded us, got marina view room in San Diego, great suite in Hilton Universal in LA, champagne and chocolates at the Queen Mary etc in Long Beach.
Nothing to lose and they love the British.
Virgin sent us upstairs on the plane and it was just us 2 & Will.I.Am and his vast entourage flying to LAX on NYE it seemed.
Most hotels upgraded us, got marina view room in San Diego, great suite in Hilton Universal in LA, champagne and chocolates at the Queen Mary etc in Long Beach.
Nothing to lose and they love the British.
Asked for an upgrade on our flight with Qatar airways, they laughed at us and said there was no such thing. Business class was almost empty. Never flown with them again... I didn't expect to be upgraded but no need to be rude.
The resort in the Maldives didn't give us anything, they wanted to see the marriage certificate dated within 6 months. We were officially married at a registry office a while back but had the ceremony, reception etc. a year later so didn't qualify. The honeymoon offer was a private dinner on the beach and some champagne IIRC, not really that much.
It was by far the best holiday we've ever been to, it's really about the relaxation and stress-busting after the wedding rather than the flights/hotels etc.
The resort in the Maldives didn't give us anything, they wanted to see the marriage certificate dated within 6 months. We were officially married at a registry office a while back but had the ceremony, reception etc. a year later so didn't qualify. The honeymoon offer was a private dinner on the beach and some champagne IIRC, not really that much.
It was by far the best holiday we've ever been to, it's really about the relaxation and stress-busting after the wedding rather than the flights/hotels etc.
Generally if you're staying in good hotels you will get a little something for a special occasion like a birthday, honeymoon, etc. But it's usually a bottle of fizz in the room, or flowers.
I frequently get upgraded in hotels but then I travel a lot and have loyalty cards for most of the major chains. Be nice and friendly at check-in, tell them you're there on honeymoon and who knows.
Don't expect anything and you may be pleasantly surprised.
No you can pretty much forget it on an airline, especially if it's BA. Free upgrades are rare, and when they're necessary for operational reasons they will look for solo travellers and will prefer to give it to their most loyal customers.
Ask at the airport and if you're willing to pay you may be able to get a reasonable price for an upgrade.
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