Airline Dress Code?

[fly girl]

And FWIW, I’ve had people dress impeccably and those who dressed like they just rolled out of bed, and I can say their attire does not dictate their decorum.

The only thing I know an airline will ask you to do is reverse your shirt inside out if it has vulgar language. And even now I don’t know if it’s always enforced.

No doubt I would prefer not to see stained wife beaters and butt cheeks hanging out of short shorts but I’d take that any day over an ugly attitude.

 

[Donald Duck Family]

I can just speak for Delta, but doesn't the computer handle the upgrades? Often before you get to the gate? And how many people even go to the counter? How would the gate agent know the name of the "well dressed" person sitting in the chairs waiting for the flight to board?

This. I can see my spot on the upgrade list before I'm even at the gate.

 

[SirDuff]

This. I can see my spot on the upgrade list before I'm even at the gate.

Yup. Very occasionally, I've found out about my upgrade as I scan my boarding pass but even then, it is the system doing it not a person.

 

[_19disnA]

Maybe some think it is like going to Disney and you can sweet-talk the front desk into an upgrade..............LOL.

 

[Babs Johnson]

I recently read that about 85% of first class seats are now being paid for, either by outright purchase or paid upgrades after an coach ticket sale. There isn’t much inventory for free upgrades.

Even Triple Platinum Super Deluxe status fliers are having problems getting upgraded.

For some routes paid First Class is close to 95%. The days of premium status passengers routinely getting upgraded are long gone. Now they’re lucky if their upgrade is successful 25% of the time.

Someone mentioned they never heard of being upgraded after already being seated in coach. It happened to me twice, way back in the early 1990s on Continental Airlines. I was only a Silver Elite but would get upgraded before boarding on maybe 1/3 of my flights. Twice a gate agent boarded, found me in coach, and offered me a seat in FC soon before departure. I suppose someone with higher status was a no show.

This past summer I was flying on Delta and when I checked in at an airport kiosk about an hour before my flight, the screen asked if I wanted to pay about $89 for a FC upgrade. Sure, why not. I boarded with Group 1, and a bit later some guy gave me a dirty look as he passed into coach. I have a feeling he was first on an upgrade list and was eyeballing my previously empty FC seat all day and I “stole” it from him.

 

[sam_gordon]

For some routes paid First Class is close to 95%. The days of premium status passengers routinely getting upgraded are long gone. Now they’re lucky if their upgrade is successful 25% of the time.

I made Gold status on Delta last year (middle status). Once I got that status, I was upgraded ~50-60% of my flights. Not all to FC, but it did happen. I only have their "basic" CC, so it wasn't because of that. It REALLY depends on the routes. I have seen 40-50 people on the upgrade list, so that's about 1/3 of the aircraft (I don't get upgrades on those).

 

[MamaMermaid]

Comfort over everything. I really don't care about societal dress codes. That said, I'm not out in PJs on a daily basis or wearing hot pink to a funeral. You can still follow societal norms (and not wear offensive clothing!) while being comfortable, etc.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I did get upgraded from Premium Economy To Business Class on BA about 10 years ago.

My ticket was code share with Aer Lingus, as at that time Aer Lingus did not have Dublin to LAX direct flights. I was Aer Lingus Dublin to Heathrow and then BA Heathrow to LAX.
I checked in at Dublin , was given 2 boarding cards and my luggage was checked all the way to LAX.

When I arrived at Heathrow I transferred airside to my next gate.

When my boarding pass was scanned for the transatlantic flight in Premium Economy, it was rejected. The gate agent had to do a reprint. When it was scanned it showed I had been upgraded to Business Class. She just smiled and said I was very lucky and directed me to the Business Class entrance to the plane.

My ticket was upgraded by the system, they did not know what I looked like or how I was dressed.

My guess is that Premium Economy had been overbooked and there was availability in Business Class. My guess is that they upgraded me as a solo passenger instead of splitting a party from Premium Economy.

 

[Turn the Page]

I made Gold status on Delta last year (middle status). Once I got that status, I was upgraded ~50-60% of my flights. Not all to FC, but it did happen. I only have their "basic" CC, so it wasn't because of that. It REALLY depends on the routes. I have seen 40-50 people on the upgrade list, so that's about 1/3 of the aircraft (I don't get upgrades on those).

We are silver status and are eligible for upgrades but it hasn't happened yet. Last fall we went to bed the evening before our flight numbers 1 and 2 on the list for something like 6 open seats in first class. Woke up the next morning to find we were down to like number 13 on the list lol. No upgrade for us.

 

[RedAngie]

I don’t have status on any airline, just a mere member of several programs, so my chances of getting an free upgrade are nil.

A few times in the past I paid for an upgrade, but sometimes that’s not even an option.

So I willingly pay for FC for any flight over 2 hours.

 

[sam_gordon]

We are silver status and are eligible for upgrades but it hasn't happened yet. Last fall we went to bed the evening before our flight numbers 1 and 2 on the list for something like 6 open seats in first class. Woke up the next morning to find we were down to like number 13 on the list lol. No upgrade for us.

I've had that happen. I *THINK* what it is is people don't show up on the upgrade list until they check in. So while you might check in right at T-24, others might wait until later.

I was on an AA flight that literally had 6 people on it. I still didn't get an upgrade (no status with them).

 

[Turn the Page]

I've had that happen. I *THINK* what it is is people don't show up on the upgrade list until they check in. So while you might check in right at T-24, others might wait until later.

I was on an AA flight that literally had 6 people on it. I still didn't get an upgrade (no status with them).

Right and those with higher status get bumped ahead of us so if you're gold or even platinum status and check in morning of my lowly silver butt gets kicked to the back of the line.

 

[sam_gordon]

The good thing about Gold upgrades can happen up to 72 hours before the flight. So I've been fortunate a couple of times to get upgraded before checking in. I hope to at least continue Gold this year if not get to Platinum.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I got upgraded on AirTran once. I had two suitcases, and the guy who was checking my bags helped me condense it to one to avoid the additional fee. We were shooting the breeze while he helped me and then he asked me, "hey, do you want to sit in business class?" Sure, I said. I asked him how much and it was no charge. I must have been really charming.

 

[RedAngie]

I’m heading to the airport soon for my trip to Austin, TX. I got a notification on American Airlines app that the time was changed by five minutes.

Further down the notice there was an upgrade list. There are 14 people waiting for one available First Class seat.

So sorry to numbers 2 thru 14. DH and I paid for FC over a month ago.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm flying Sunday. Both legs got upgraded to Comfort+. It REALLY depends on how crowded your specific flight is.

 

[Chuck S]

I remember my first flight as a young child. It was to my great-uncles funeral, and I flew to San Antonio from LAX with my Grandma. The only seats availabe were in First Class. I wore a white dress shirt, black slacks and dress shoes with a red velever pull over vest. Everyone on the plane dressed up in those days. It was on Continental Airlines, and they had a small sitting area with a TV for first class passengers. At that age, I was it was super cool to have a TV on a plane. It was all quite elegant.

Now I generally wear my newest pair of jeans, a nice T-shirt, and a lighweight sweathiirt type jacket, as you never know if the plane will be warm or cold. But to expand on the theory of dressing up, when Disneyland had GradNights, we were required by the park to wear coat and tie, and the girls had to wear nice dresses. IN theory, this kept all us teens and young adults out of trouble. We could not drive ourselves, either, we had to arrive on either a school bus,, or charter bus.

 

[RedAngie]

I'm flying Sunday. Both legs got upgraded to Comfort+. It REALLY depends on how crowded your specific flight is.

About two weeks ago my plane to Austin was downgraded from a 737 to an Embraer 175. From 2x2 FC and 3x3 in coach to 1x2 in FC and 2x2 in coach.

FC seats were reduced from 24 to 12.

 

[RedAngie]

Announcement was made. Smaller plane is overweight and a few passengers will be denied boarding. I SWEAR our luggage isn’t too heavy.

A few lucky passengers in coach will have a two seater to themselves.