How to get a free upgrade to business class...

hey guys, just got to tokyo!

thanks to those who responded to my last blog!

so the trick is...  i bought a flight to tokyo on northwest,  the flight actually connects through to the US...  I got to the counter with about an hour to spare (which by hk standards is fine)... but they were closing up already.

the last guy working there was like 'oh, you're just checking in now! we close at 1 hour before departure! you're so late! we're closing... go wait over there and i'll check you in...'
(had to stand out of the way cause they were roping off the counters at the moment).

the guy rushes back hands me my stuff  and as he runs back to the counter says 'please hurry, here's your passport and boarding pass....  i put you in business'...  

sweet! ;-)

So I think the trick is...  since I was going only from HK to Tokyo on a US carrier, they obviously have more empty seats on the Tokyo leg than on the US leg (especially in Biz class)...

AND since they had probably given my seat away by the time i got there, they had to give me another one,  at this point it was probably easiest just to stick me in business than anything else...   

of course I can't necessarily recommend this course of action... there's probably an equal likelihood they'll just stick you in a middle seat... :-P

BONUS picture:

for some reason my phone camera screwed this picture up (it jumbled up several parts together...

but i think you can see the black guy with the blue blazer...  he was a member of the olympic delgation from Bermuda I think... he was wearing bright red shorts and knee high socks... (and wearing his olympic credentials badge)....  even though the olympics ended 5 days ago. :-P