How do you do that.. Upgrades and cheap hotels...

So I have had a few people ask me how I manage to get all my upgrades and cheap hotel deals..so I've decided to let you in on a few trade secrets...

In the last year I've had 7 upgrades to business on Emirates (thats $40,000+ in value), and paid 1/3 - 1/2 for some very nice hotel rooms. I never pay rack room rates for hotels, and if I can't find a deal, I'll stay somewhere else...

We'll start with the hotels because you can all do this.. it just takes a little bit of homework...

1. Don't expect to be able to get too much of a deal during holiday weekends or Spring Break if you are going to the beach.. it doesn't work.

2. Spend time analyzing the hotels in the area that you want to go to..

I use Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com & Priceline and I look at what hotels they have at a particular star rating in a particular area. 

For example.... 

We recently stayed in Clearwater for the weekend. On Priceline there are 4 3 1/2 star hotels.. so narrow your search to these hotels.. then read all the details on the 4 hotels...

You can see here that the Marriott is $299 / night (this is where we stayed)

3. Once you have read all the blurb on the hotels and you have to be happy to stay at any one of them choose on Priceline to name your own price..

The nice thing here is that you get to choose the correct area...

Choose your star rating.. make sure you pick the rating that you've been looking at!

now here's the gambling bit....

You take the leap of faith and bid on your room...it shows you the median price and you then put in what you are prepared to pay. Always start low, and you can build up... your card will be charged if they accept...

I got the Marriott for $140 inc. taxes...a sweet deal for a very nice room that had water and beach views..

Hotwire works slightly different. You need to do your homework somewhere else because they just give you a hotel in the area you want with some information and you have to guess the hotel

Here I've looked for hotels in Perth, Australia and I have two hotels which I can see both have casino facilities... after doing my homework I would know there are only two hotels at the Casino in Perth making the 4 star the Holiday Inn and the 4 1/2 star the Intercontinental...both really nice hotels... I got the Holiday Inn for $132 / night for 5 nights on my last trip.. should have been $280 / night 

So for hotels.. homework = savings

For flight upgrades you need to be flying enough miles to get you up to the top tier of a airline awards program. I looked on the Internet before I started flying to Ausstralia to see who gave the best mileage awards. Emirates, Eithad, Singapore all seem to be well rated...

I joined Emirates and from my 1st visit I was silver class, then on the second I made gold...

With free upgrades you need the flight to be full, something that happens on my route quite often and you need to know who, how and when to ask.

I have never got an upgrade in New York without using my miles...I tend to get upgrades in Dubai or in Australia.

In Dubai I always shower and get myself presentable from previous flight 1st and then I approach the friendliest male Skywards employee I can see at the desk. (If I was male I'd choose one of the female staff).

Always be super smiley and humble. They are doing you a huge favour by upgrading. Ask if there is  any possibility of a complimentary upgrade... I ask early so my name goes higher up the list - I don't always know there and then, but when I re-check I tend to get my new business class boarding card.

Always be extremely courteous and thankful if you get the upgrade and even if you don't. These people may be here next time and they do remember (I've been recognised 3 times now)

Enjoy your business class seat and Emirates service... its a real treat for an economy passenger.

I used to be a Delta high miler .. you get bumped up for upgrades at the gate with them, so they can get more economy passengers on..

The key is that you need to get higher up in the Awards system and you need to ask... he who doesn't ask doesn't get!

Enjoy you hotel saving and upgrades.. I do!