Tricks to Help You Travel on a Budget

When you’re travelling on a shoestring, unexpectedly scoring an upgrade can feel like winning the lottery. Whether it’s getting bumped to first class or snagging an extra-large hotel room, it’s great to get lucky. But what if you could improve your chances of getting upgrades on a regular basis? Check out these hacks!

Dress the part to get a first-class upgrade. Putting a little professionalism into your airport appearance can go a long way. Flight attendants are more likely to offer you an upgrade, if available, when you’re dressed like a professional who travels often. This doesn’t mean splurging on extreme designer wear, but a pair of tailored dress pants and loafers or a blazer and a dress can be the ticket to getting bumped out of economy. Many airlines have a dress code for their first-class sections and jeans, leggings or sneakers just won’t cut it.

Ask for a corner room. According to hotels.com, the way tall buildings are structurally designed means corner rooms tend to have larger layouts. Often, they also have the benefit of more windows, giving you semi-panoramic views and making the room feel even bigger. Despite this, they’re often priced the same as a linear room, but they feel like an upgrade. The same goes for suites on higher floors, which not only tend to be larger, but are farther away from traffic and street noise.

Stay in business districts. During the week, hotels or Airbnb’s in financial and commercial districts are often packed with travelling professionals. However, on the weekends, these kinds of neighbourhoods tend to clear out, which means you can sometimes find a premium suite for a great deal. As a bonus, these types of districts tend to be close to downtown, so you’re also scoring a great location.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or a newbie, it pays to know how to get the most out of your trips. Scoring an upgrade can be the icing on the cake for an already amazing experience.