I dont know if this question has been asked or answered, and i have never flown on a plane before so bare with me
would they really just allow you to suddenly upgrade like that in the middle of the flight even if you were to pay the difference?
from The ULTIMATE MOVIE BUFF!
I don't think they do. Upgrades are done at minimum before you board. Now I've had a flight attendant and just let me move up to first-class seating because it was half empty (and I was nice) but I've never had an airline ask for money money while in mid-flight just to move up a couple of rows.
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Happens all the time if you are in the military, free of charge.
shareI'm sure it does happen all the time for military personnel and I think it is a good thing. But that is completely different from the notion that a passenger in a crowded coach section would be able to whip out their plastic, or cash, and upgrade their ticket to first class mid-flight is unrealistic.
But it's just a movie, so it's a forgivable error.
No, I'm pretty sure it does actually happen. If there is a vacancy in first class, they want to fill it and often you can upgrade at the last minute for just a few hundred dollars more if you know how to ask and who. The first class section accounts for 40-50% of an airline's revenues on most flights. If it is not full, they are losing money. If you book first class ahead it can be very (!) expensive. In the tens of thousands of dollars for a long overseas flight to a coveted destination like Paris or London or Dubai, for instance.
I read about all this recently because I was curious about first class rates myself and Googled it. You can too. There is a ton of info out there on the subject.