Oh boy oh boy oh boy. I was procrastinating some readings last night and came across this video on YouTube. Watch it if you have a moment, otherwise continue reading below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uRv11dOJFM
Daniel Fernandez is a relatively well-known magician in the online community. In this video, he explains his trick to flying “first class for free.” Apparently, it works “almost every time.” 😉
What is his trick, you may ask? Board last and if there are seats open in first class, sit down and pretend like you belong.
In theory, I can see how some less frequent flyers might like this idea, but as I’m sure most OMAAT readers are aware, this is a terrible idea. In the video, he seemed to get away with it (once), assuming it wasn’t a joke. I was relieved when he didn’t try it on United, though. They don’t need any more Dao-esque incidents.
On every flight, the cabin crew receives a load sheet from the gate agents when boarding is completed. There they see exactly how many people are onboard in each cabin and which seats are occupied. If you try this, odds are you’ll get sent to the back or even offloaded. He also suggests that about 80% of the time there are empty seats in first class, which isn’t typically the case on flights within the US, due to how many people are eligible for complimentary upgrades.
Please don’t try this!
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.