Every single time I fly on an airplane I go up to the gate attendant about 20 minutes before boarding and ask if they have any free upgrades. By my estimate, I would say that this works about 30% of the time. Now, mind you, I’m never getting moved from coach to First Class (at least not yet), but usually I can at least get a little more legroom. In fact, as I type this I am waiting to board a flight to Amsterdam where I just got bumped up from a packed economy row to an empty Economy Plus row. The key to my success in this, I believe, is two-fold. First, I ask the question. I bet most people at the airport don’t even bother asking for a free upgrade. Either the idea doesn’t cross their mind, or they just assume that the answer is going to be no so they don’t bother. I could write an entire blog post on the principle of “asking the question”, but I will save that for another day. The second key to my success is the way I ask. It’s not rocket science, and most of you probably won’t be surprised, but every time I ask for an upgrade I approach the attendant with a big smile on my face, ask how their day is going, and then make some joke either about how I know the answer is probably no, or how bad my current seat is. Again, 70% of the time I get shut down (usually on domestic flights I’ve noticed), but 30% of the time it works. My key insight here: a smile and a positive attitude make a difference.
Next time you go to an airport take a look around; listen to the tone people talk in, look at their faces, study their body language. What you’ll notice is oftentimes basic manners go out the window. People get so caught up in making their flight that they forget to be polite and begin using tones more befitting of a sixth ave traffic jam than an airport help desk. And who bears the brunt of this negativity? Gate attendants. It’s unbelievable really. They are subject to a constant barrage of people in bad moods who just want to get where they’re going. Of course, I can’t blame those people. I’ve been that person before too. However, what I’ve realized recently is that this sea of negativity also creates an incredible opportunity. It means that any person bringing an aura of genuine positivity - and being genuine is critical here - to the desk is really going to stand out.
I mean personally, if I were halfway through an 8-hour shift at Newark and had already been cussed out several times, and then suddenly a smiling person walks over to my desk and asks how my day is going, I’d want to help that person as well. Positivity really makes a difference. In fact, the woman I just spoke to verbatim said to me “I laughed when you first asked, but honestly you have a good energy about you and I like people with good energy, so I’ll help you.” And this doesn’t just apply to airports. As Dale Carnegie makes abundantly clear in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, more often than not the way to get someone to come around to our way of thinking lies not in asserting dominance, but rather, in being kind and sincere. So give it a try (as long as we aren’t on the same flight) and let me know how it works. Personally, I’ve been blown away by the doors that open with a genuine smile coupled with a “how is your day going?”
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