Super-size Me: Why Everyone Gets Upgraded But You

Upgrades are less frequent now that hotels have implemented sophisticated revenue management practices, but they’re still common. They tend to occur when a hotel is sold out because hotels often oversell lower-rated inventory and must upgrade in order to fill all rooms. If you travel frequently and never get upgraded, you might want to take a good hard look at your travel habits.

Why everyone else gets upgraded:

1. They pay a high rate. The higher your rate, the better your chances of being extended special favours. That’s why government employees fall at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to upgrades. If you want to be bumped up to the presidential suite, your odds will increase if you book the next highest category.

2. They book direct. Third-party websites like Expedia skim up to 30% off your rate, which makes you a low-rated guest in the eyes of the hotel no matter how much you shelled out. If you book direct, the hotel gets the full rate, which bumps you up in the upgrade hierarchy.