Call the Airline

We often underestimate how much flexibility airline customer service staff have. While they may claim certain actions aren’t possible due to system limitations, they often have the ability to upgrade your seat, change your flight, put you on a waitlist, block an empty row, and more. They usually follow fare conditions, but they technically have the tools to override them when needed.

Sometimes I request a commercial gesture if I fly with them regularly, and occasionally, a disruption on their end gives me leverage to negotiate. Other times, they simply say yes without much pushback.

Since this option is often overlooked, I’m sharing a few scenarios where calling the airline can work to your advantage.

1. Seat selection

Most Economy seats labeled as "Plus" or "Comfort" end up being assigned to passengers who didn't pay for them, so it's not an excessive give away to offer you one in advance. Try asking after booking or a couple days before departure. Read more on How to Secure a Decent Seat for Free.

2. Flight disruption

Modern airlines handle delays and cancellations through their app or portals, often reissuing you boarding pass automatically. Since you'll be competing with other passengers, research the best flight alternative, call the airline, and request to be placed on it. They can also add you to the waitlist of a fully booked flight. It's best to act quickly, but you can still request to be rebooked even if your ticket has already been reissued. Use the same strategy in case of delays, whether you are rescheduling a missed connection or trying to get on an earlier flight.

3. At the airport

As a side note, you can also call the airline while you're at the airport. If the gate agents direct passengers to the service desk due to a disruption, calling customer services can often get you assistance more quickly. In some cases, they can even secure you a better flight.

4. Flight booking

You'll handle your booking online in most cases, but a call can be useful in the following scenarios:

• Departure in less than 24h
• Mile redemption unavailable online
• Complex itineraries
• Rebooking and cancellation

For the last point, you'll sometimes find them more flexible than expected, even with non-refundable tickets.

Cheers,
Ron

Visit airglitch.com to search for flights, share your feedback and follow us on socials to get the latest updates.