The travel industry is all about freebies, giveaways, incentives, rewards. The upgrade is one of the most common freebies for the privileged few or the add-on sale that many try to sell.
If you can’t get it for free, what is the easiest to sell and why.
Looking at the basics of travel from both a traveller and a wholesaler perspective, here’s what we see as the real beneficial upgrades worth paying for.
Airfare
Business class has gone from something that is quite lovely to pretty freaking awesome. I flew home overnight from Singapore a few weeks ago on an Emirates A380 and I was spewing that I actually had to sleep because it is amazing.
You can get a $400 business class upgrade back from Auckland with Qantas on an Emirates code share worth every penny.
Domestic? Maybe Melbourne to Perth or Sydney to Perth but the Qantas planes are pretty comfortable (assuming the same with Virgin). Can’t say I’m a fan of low-cost carriers and even upgrading to business in those is not always that brilliant.
The sweet spot is the International with points upgrade to business. Points are worth less everyday.
Transfer
I’m a fan of someone being there with a placard. I will pay for that feeling of comfort as I step off long haul. I don’t like getting on a train. Put me in a car or a taxi where I am not driven around in circles and that’s all I need.
Upgrade to a limo? Sometimes it’s worth it, but if that hot date is already next to you, the bottle of champagne is a better investment (wink wink, nudge nudge). Transfers are A to B for me. It’s a short part of the trip
The hotel
Upgrading to executive privileges, maybe for an extra $70 a night, will regularly give you breakfast, free Wi-Fi and a selection of light snacks with beer and wine for “dinner”. When you regularly spend $40 to get breakfast, Wi-Fi can cost $10, and you can get a few free drinks in the evening, this class of upgrade is excellent value for money.
A bigger room? Only really matters if you are sharing a room with a small child. I seldom spend enough time in the room to justify a fancy room itself. A balcony is nice.
Worth the dollars? Sometimes. Probably not for business unless you are there for a long time
The add on tours
Once I get to know a city I am often pretty happy doing it by myself or finding a random cabdriver for a day. Walking around with 12 people asking moronic questions is very seldom going to fit into my itinerary.
I had a chance for a trip in Fiji a couple of years ago – $300 worth for $100. Awesome. 14 hours away from the hotel. Getting back to the hotel at 7.00pm, being dragged through a village for a stack of crap you don’t need and having the kids saying things like “I just want the swimming pool…”. Actually, I probably wanted the swimming pool too.
So where is it worthwhile?
Comfortable flights mean for a fresher arrival, an easier transit and less of a shock to the system getting home. Freebie food and beverages always go a long way. As flights and accommodation other big ticket items they also make for the best bragging rights.