From the moment you don’t board the flight, you’re on your own. No one else is on the plane. Still, there are ways to get away from it all:
Alcohol
If you can’t afford (or don’t want) to buy alcohol, or you don’t want to drink in the coach section, there are a few ways to stay in the good graces of the gate agent. Don’t expect the rules to be changed immediately, but your seatmate is definitely likely to look at you a bit differently after that glass or two. Take advantage of your seatmate’s leniency, or quietly ask to be seated next to the mini-bar. (It can be hard enough to make it past the crew once they’ve already opened your food cart, let alone make it past this one.)
Services
One of the most underrated perks of air travel is the fee-free amenities provided by the airline. You can expect Wi-Fi at all flights and regularly scheduled meals. The upgrade from the business class or first class to first or business may be worth paying for — and you can get frequent flyers miles in exchange. In my case, with my new seat, I paid almost $30 to upgrade to business class from first, and my first class ticket is worth more than a business class ticket. At the very least, don’t be surprised if your flight attendant, during the flight, says, “You shouldn’t be on this ticket,” and hand you over to the agents on the ground.
One-touch accessibility
The majority of airports have one-touch self-service kiosks that are covered in security tags. That could be the difference between getting on and off an airplane, and having to deal with the gate agent, change fees and limited change periods. More airports are making this a reality — give it a try.
