Vacations Destinations

5 Ways to Get Upgraded to First Class

If you rarely fly, you may mistakenly believe that first class seats, also commonly known as business class seats, are only for the rich. They are expensive, so only the rich must be able to afford them. This is not true. Did you know that many of the people sitting in first class did not pay full price for their ticket? In fact, some are relaxing in first class with a free upgrade from coach. How does this happen? How can you get an upgrade to first class?

1 – Pay for an Upgrade

When it comes to paying for an upgrade, you have two options. Most airlines enable flyers to upgrade their seats to first class on their website. If you monitor your flight and know that first class is quickly filling, you may want to upgrade your seats in advance. You can usually do this on the airline’s reservation website or over-the-phone with a representative. You can also upgrade at the airport ticket counter. When checking in, ask if there are first class upgrades available for sale. If there are, purchase an upgrade. They are usually cheaper at the airport and at the last minute.

When it comes to paying for your first class upgrade, you have two options. You can pay the traditional way with a credit or debit card. If you are an avid flyer and have accumulated frequent flyer miles, use these to pay for the difference. While it seems like a hassle, you save more money than just using your miles to buy a first class seat.

2 – Ask for an Upgrade

Whether you want to pay for a first class upgrade or not, just ask. It all depends on how you ask, who, and when. If you ask the airline representatives at the check-in counter, you will likely have to pay for your first class ticket. These individuals specialize in making and changing reservations. If you want a free upgrade to first class, wait until you are inside airport security. This group of airline workers takes your tickets. Before the flight boards, just ask if there are any additional first class seats available. If there are, you may get a free first class upgrade.

3 – Be Nice

When it comes to asking for a first class upgrade, whether you pay for it or want it free, be polite. You must be on your best behavior. Even if first class seats are available, flight attendants are under no obligation to provide upgrades, especially free upgrades. The key is to be polite. Right now, most airlines have low approval ratings. Customers are upset with the long lines, airport security, rules and restrictions, and high airfare. Many take their anger and frustration out on flight attendants and ticker counter representatives. Being polite not only puts a smile on their face, but it may get you an upgrade.

4 – Volunteer

This approach is hit or miss, but there are times when flight attendants must scatter the weight on a plane to balance it. This is a safety issue. In small flights with first class, this can result in passengers from coach being put in first class for free. Many times, flight attendants ask for volunteers or seek out passengers flying alone. If this happens on your flight, be one of the first to volunteer. Since you are doing the flight attendants a favor by volunteering to relocate, you get a free first class upgrade.

5 – Get Bumped

Most times, getting bumped from a flight is an air traveler’s worst nightmare. Not everyone is traveling to relax or see friends and family. Many travelers are on a strict deadline. These individuals may be flying to attend an important business meeting, see a sick relative, or attend a special event. If you are traveling just because, offer to be the person bumped from an overbooked flight. With that said, state you want something in return. That is a free upgrade to first class. Most flight attendants and ticket counter representatives will quickly accept your offer.

Author: Sara Wells

In France there are 280,000 registered golfers for 340 courses. This translates into lots of available tee times and no crowds on a course. Tourists visiting France who bring along their golf clubs will not be disappointed or have to face the challenges of arranging tee times as they typically do when visiting Ireland and Scotland.

All in all, the Loire Valley offers everything the travelling golfer requires.The Loire valley area in France offers great accommodation at a reasonable price, lots of things to see and do and, of course, a multitude of superb courses. This region has been providing a temporary home for golfers from the United Kingdom for the past few years.

It is a stunning area and one that definitely deserves special attention for any budding photographers out there. One of the Loire Valley’s major attractions is that usually an impressive, majestic chateau overlooks the golf chateau course.

As its names suggests, Chateau de Cheverny is a grand setting for a day’s golf. The course was designed in 1989 and is located among 350 acres of stunning woodland, lakes and open countryside for a quite magnificent experience. Tourraine is another beautiful course. Although short, its raised small greens make approach shots extremely tough while various natural hazards keep you on your guard at all times. Ardree, a rolling parkland with natural lakes, is dominated by a turreted 16th century chateau that is awaiting development.

Les Aisses is another of those European style courses where you can choose from three loops of nine to form your round. Chateau des Sept Tours and Limere Orleans are also not to be missed.

The finest golf course in the area, however, is Les Bordes, consistently ranked in the top five of France’s best courses. The golf course is thoroughly deserving of its secluded location not far from Chateau Chambord and a work of art. In terms of cost and convenience, Les Bordes is eminently achievable and should rank high on your itinerary.

Built at the behest of the industrial magnate Baron Marcel Bich (of the Bic empire) and his Japanese trading partner, Mr Yoshiaki Sakurai, Les Bordes was originally dreamt up as a private club for their own pleasure and that of their friends. Leading architect Robert von Hagge was drafted in and handed a simple but determined brief “to create a golf course that would prepare French golfers to play the finest courses in the world without being intimidated”.

Construction commenced in 1984 and, with money no object - a useful clause in anyone’s contract. Von Hagge’s creation is today the centrepiece of a course that enjoys to the full its charmed position in the Sologne, the ancient lake-studded forest at the heart of the Loire Valley.

In accordance with the owner’s wishes, scrupulous care was taken to minimise disruption to the surroundings, and what was once Bich’s hunting domaine has been blessed with a course that has been ranked as one of the finest - and toughest - in Europe. Best of all, the place retains an air of privilege and privacy, but is without the tiresome airs and graces that can so often put you off a destination.

The risk-reward element is very much the name of the game at Les Bordes, and though the course does open up a good bit on the homeward nine, your ball-striking is tested even more thoroughly, with the slightest errors multiplied the further back you choose to play. Jean van de Velde’s course record of 71 gives you some idea of just how demanding the course is, not that the difficulty should in any way put you off playing here.

Les Bordes is one of only two courses in Continental Europe to enjoy the highest rating in the Peugot Golf Guide to 1000 European courses.

We run a luxury chateau in the Loire Valley ideal for visiting vineyards, castles and perfectly located to play on all these golf castle courses. It is a great venue for visiting many fine golf castle courses.

Taking a cheap cruise today seems a strange thing to say. Why? Basically because the price of cruising has never been more affordable and the number of people cruising for the first time has jumped dramatically in recent years.

The truth is, if you cannot find a discount cruise holiday these days then you are not trying hard enough. In this article, we’ll concentrate on Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines and some of the discount cruises on offer from these two giants.

Carnival Cruise Lines

The Carnival cruise lines company is one that is committed to total guest satisfaction and which strives to ensure that each and every traveler is absolutely satisfied with their trip, from start to finish.

The emphasis on these cruises is round-the-clock fun, and they offer a ton of different activities, from Vegas-style revues to high energy discos and nightlife. Here are some real cruise bargains on offer.

For example, 3 day cruises have become extremely popular and you can grab a cheap cruise to the Bahamas for as low as $350 or Baja, Mexico for under $400. Five day cruises to the Western Caribbean will set you back just under $600 while Carnival has some excellent value in their Eastern Caribbean cruises and with a little due diligence, these can be found for under $900.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

Another great discount cruises cruise line is Royal Caribbean International, they are most well known for the grand scale adventure that they offer on their cruises.

If you are looking for new experiences and choices for the whole family, then they are the ideal option for you. They offer discount cruises but they certainly do not skimp on quality, and offer all the possible amenities that you could imagine.

They offer discount cruises to a variety of destinations, including Australia, New Zealand, Bahamas, Bermuda, New England, Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Orient, Panama Canal, and South America. They offer everything you could possibly imagine, including golf courses and rock-climbing walls looming up to 200 feet over the ocean.

Meanwhile, last minute cruise deals through Royal Caribbean offer great value. Holidays for less than $500 to the Caribbean for under $500 are hard to beat while those with a little more adventure should consider Alaska cruises during the summer months starting at under $700.

With a little homework, finding a cheap cruise is not difficult at all particularly if you do a little extra investigative work by checking with a variety of travel agents. You’ll be amazed how much you can get an original quote down just by asking.

When booking a cruise vacation, the experienced cruise traveler knows that the final cost is never truly the final cost. From shore excursions to spa treatments, there a number of additional options and added on activities that can be included in every cruise vacation.

To learn about the basics of shore-side activities, keep reading for great tips on how to enjoy optional side trips and save money on your next cruise.

Getting to Your Cruise

Your first “add-on” is going to be the actual transportation to the ship and the port of departure for your cruise destination. Sometimes, booking a flight as part of a cruise package will save you money and other times, it won’t.

Therefore, it’s important to compare the cost of your cruise with a flight package against your own flight prices and various airline deals. Or if you are geographically close enough, you might consider driving to the port.

Many cruise lines offer a shuttle service from local hotels or airports in their departure city. To save money on a taxi to the actual ship, call ahead and ask.

Port Excursions

Almost every cruise ship offers port excursions at an additional cost. These can range from basic guided tours to fully-outfitted scuba diving expeditions. The majority of these excursions will cost money.

You can review and book these excursions in advance, allowing you to not only budget your activities accordingly, but also to look for destinations and ports-of-call where you can explore on your own.

For example, you may want to indulge in some structured wine-tasting when your boat docks in France, but explore Athens on your own with little more than a guide book and a shuttle back to the ship at the end of the day.

Additional Activities On-Board

Not everything is free on a cruise ship; from spa treatments to rock climbing to golf courses, many of the activities on a cruise ship are available at an extra cost.

To be sure you understand all the costs associated with your next vacation on one of the many cruise lines, read through your passenger materials thoroughly. And read the fine print!

For spa treatments and tee times at the driving range, book early as these tend to fill up fast.

Extra Cabin Amenities

Cruise ships offer a number of additional cabin amenities like a departure gift, champagne on arrival, laundry service and room service. All these extras come at additional cost. Again, before you book and as you budget, be sure to take into consideration the extra expenses associated with additional cabin amenities.

Chateau du Clos Luce is where Leonard da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. King Francois I invited him and he gifted Chateau du Clos Luce to Leonardo together with a pension of 700 golden crowns per annum.

The King encouraged discussion, experimentation and much thought at Clos Luce. In this pretty chateau, he happily continued to paint, sketch, and work as an engineer, architect, and festival organizer for the court. Francois I found great pleasure in listening to Leonardo.

Da Vinci arrived at Amboise over 60 years old with his disciple da Melzi and three paintings, Saint Anne, Saint John the Baptist which he finished at Clos Luce and the Mona Lisa.

In a corner of the basement is an entrance to the underground passage connecting Chateau Amboise with Clos Luce, giving Francois I a direct link to the Leonardo’s home.

The chateau is open to tourists every day of the year except Christmas Day and New Years Day.

It is situated on a quiet back street of Amboise, a town south of the Loire River between Tours and Blois about 2 hours from Paris by train. The village street has troglodyte houses opposite built into the limestone cliff face.

Da Vinci’s chateau is not large, but it is warm, inviting and personable. You get a sense of his life in the early 16th century as you wander unescorted throughout the sparsely decorated chateau. The chateau is surrounded by a magnificent treed park with a bubbling brook and peaceful pond with paddle boats available to hire. There is a small formal Renaissance garden in the courtyard behind the chateau with perfumed roses and clipped box hedges. It is peaceful, ideal for bird watching, conversation and quiet contemplation.

You can visit his study, salons, kitchen and bedrooms, the chapel and see frescoes painted by his pupils. Renaissance artifacts, paintings, tapestries, and furniture adorn the rooms which have high, timbered ceilings, huge fireplaces and well worn plank flooring.

There is a large four poster canopied bed in Leonardo’s bedroom swayed with gold and red fabric. Cherubs are carved into the dark wood on his bed.

It is most likely that the yellow salon bathed in light, functioned as studio space for Leonardo. It is probably here that he finished his painting of John the Baptist.

The kitchen has a huge fire big enough to spit-roast a wild boar whole. In winter Leonardo would have warmed himself beside this fire.

His paintings and drawings are set out in the park of the chateau with giant models of the most spectacular machines he invented with voice-overs of Leonardo da Vinci and his disciple Melzi.

Downstairs in the basement, 40 models made by IBM from Leonardo’s drawings are displayed. These military, naval, hydraulic, mechanical, and aeronautical inventions demonstrate his sheer genius. Many of these designs were envisioned centuries before they were first constructed. Devices such as swing bridges, a machine gun, a flying machine and an automobile all show sound principles of design.

“A well filled day gives a good sleep. A well filled life gives a peaceful death.” After only three years in Amboise, he died on May 2, 1519 and is buried in the Chapelle St. Hubert on the chateau’s grounds

We run Chateau du Guerinet a luxury french wedding castle in the Loire Valley near Blois. Our wedding castle is perfect for a fantastic french holiday with family and friends and for touring vineyards, historic chateaux and unwinding. It is also a fairytale castle wedding.