Secret airline benefits you didn’t know about

With the average price of air tickets rising and many airlines Charging more for perks that used to be included in the price of your ticket can leave you yearning for the good old days when travelers were pampered with little extras like, say, dinner on a domestic flight. While those days are probably gone forever, there are still plenty of free or low-cost perks for air travelers that airlines don’t always tell you about, and most are available even if you’re not a member of the program. flyer status.

Read on for some travel tips that will give you secret airline benefits you can take advantage of the next time you travel.

Free family seats

If your trip includes children, you’ll likely enjoy sitting together, which can cost you quite a bit on airlines that charge for seat selection, given that aisle and window seats tend to be more expensive than mid-size seats. Alaska, American and Frontier airlines guarantee adjacent seats for a child under 13 years of age and one accompanying adult at no additional cost on all fare types subject to certain conditions, such as being on the same reservation. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently submitted a legislative proposal to Congress that would require all airlines to provide free family seats.

Meals if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

If a flight cancellation or delay forces you to wait three hours or more, 10 major U.S. airlines will give you a meal voucher or cash. Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United offer this benefit for long delays. However, they may not advertise this, so be sure to go to the service counter and ask for a meal refund if you are eligible. All of the airlines listed above (except Frontier) are also offering hotel accommodations and free transportation to and from the hotel to any passenger affected by overnight flight delays or cancellations.

Benefits when baggage is delayed

Checking luggage is expensive these days, and after you’ve paid a (sometimes exorbitant) fee to check your luggage, the last thing you want is a long wait when claiming your luggage. If you wait more than 20 minutes at the baggage carousel after your flight arrives, Delta and Alaska will offer 2,500 miles as compensation through their respective loyalty programs. Alaska also gives you the opportunity to receive a $25 flight credit. Be sure to check your specific airline’s policies for details and how to earn points or credit.

Glass of ice cream in heaven

You might not want to literally scream for ice cream on a plane, but if you’re a member of United Airlines’ Polaris class, you don’t have to. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, the airline recently brought back its popular ice cream cart for business class passengers on select international flights. The service will arrive at your door on a cart that will serve you vanilla ice cream and allow you to choose from several toppings. And let’s face it: airplane food is usually pretty ok at best and usually just a small bag of pretzels, but who wouldn’t want ice cream at 30,000 feet?

Lounge access when flying in the main cabin

If you’ve ever looked longingly at your fellow travelers entering the comfortable lounges reserved for high-end clients while you sit in an uncomfortable chair at the gate, there are ways to access coveted domains from the lounges even if you You are not an elite member of an airline’s loyalty program or fly first class. American and United sell day passes to their lounges for $29 to $75 (restrictions apply, so check with the airline in advance).

Or you can try LoungeBuddy, an airport lounge booking service that allows you to purchase access to over 280 airport lounges they partner with around the world, no matter what class you’re flying in or whether you have elite status or airline lounge membership. Simply download the app to find out which lounges are available and how much a day pass will cost. Once you book, you will receive a barcode to scan and access the lounge for the day.

Fun gifts even in economy class

While being in the economy or main cabin can make you feel like a second-class citizen compared to people in business and first class, many airlines still give you little extras for free, but the problem is that they often don’t. and you may have to ask. Blankets, pillows, eye masks, children’s coloring books, extra snacks, and a full can of soda instead of what’s poured into the glass are small perks that will likely be given to you if you ask for them and they are available.

And if you’re on a longer international flight, you can also request complimentary kit to meet your travel needs, such as toothbrushes, eye masks and earplugs. No matter what you’re looking for, just remember that your chances of getting it will increase if you smile and ask politely.

Get an airline credit card

We’ve all heard about the launch of an airline-branded in-flight credit card. These offers usually come with an attractive ‘welcome bonus’ of miles that can be used towards a free ticket, with some offering up to 70,000 miles. Most cards will double or even triple your rewards points when you use the card to purchase a ticket on that airline (American Airlines’ Executive World Elite Mastercard even offers 4 miles on airline purchases). While this all sounds like a pretty good incentive, some of these cards provide more special benefits that you can use that won’t cost you anything in dollars or miles.

Many airline credit cards offer cardholders priority boarding and free checked bags, and the miles earned on the cards will help them quickly achieve elite status in airline frequent flyer programs, unlocking new levels (JetBlue’s Mosaic even offers free alcoholic beverages for Mosiac members on most flights).

Improved seating provided

Just like with hotels, you can get better “accommodation” or in this case, seats by simply asking if free upgrades are available. Experts say you’ll have better luck on flights later in the day or on holidays when there aren’t as many business travelers. Even if you don’t get placed in business class, you can get better seats, such as an exit row with more legroom, simply by asking if there is something available at check-in or at the gate counter. shipment. However, this benefit likely won’t work if you’re flying in economy class, where the ticket purchase agreement typically states “no upgrade.”

While there’s an old saying, “You get what you pay for” when it comes to airlines, that’s not always true unless you know a few secrets. And anything that makes flying more like the pampered experience it was in the past is likely to become a welcome part of your itinerary.