(courtesy Virgin Atlantic)

A recent Virgin Atlantic survey revealed that Sir Richard Branson has a lot of "friends" around the world with many passengers dropping his name when looking for an upgrade. "Sir Richard Branson is my friend" and "Sir Richard Branson promised me an upgrade" were the two most common reasons yet the survey also found that some passengers could be extremely creative when looking to gain exclusive access to the front of the plane... 
Some of the more unusual tales passengers told to secure an upgrade: 

1. Manchester United lost today, I am really upset and need the space to get over it 
2. My wife is pregnant; I need an upgrade as it is a really stressful time for me 
3. My newborn baby has claustrophobia, she is in counselling and we really need an upgrade so she has more space 
4. I am Sir Richard Branson's dentist 
5. I have lost all of my money in Vegas but really need an upgrade 
6. We are getting married today (the couple turned up in full wedding attire) 
7. (At Tokyo check-in) I am a very tall Englishman and need some extra leg room 
8. It's a Sunday, no one flies on a Sunday so please can I have an upgrade? 

Paul Dickinson, Director of sales and marketing, commented: "With such fantastic Upper Class and Premium Economy cabins it is easy to see why our passengers go to such great lengths in the hope of getting a free upgrade. 
 

"In truth, free upgrades are rarely offered and the only way to be certain of experiencing what our cabins have to offer is to book the cabin you want in advance and there are often some great deals to be had. If on the rare occasion we do need to offer an upgrade, we usually prioritise our most loyal customers from our frequent flyer programme." 

"Every day we receive numerous upgrade requests but one incident that particularly stands out was a request which ended up causing an argument between a married couple. A gentleman, who was travelling with his pregnant wife, requested an upgrade for himself away from his wife as he felt he needed to time to relax due the stress of the pregnancy." 

Some of the more common reasons revealed by the survey included: 

1. I am a friend of Mr Branson 
2. Sir Richard Branson promised me an upgrade 
3. We are on honeymoon 
4. It's my birthday 
5. I am very tall and really need some more space 

Virgin Atlantic upgrade prices from Sydney to Hong Kong start from just $478 one way from Economy to Premium Economy and $2050 one way from Economy to Upper Class. Virgin Atlantic flies to 30 destinations worldwide including New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, San Francisco & Los Angeles, Delhi, Shanghai, Tokyo, Dubai, Lagos and Nairobi as well as many Caribbean destinations. 

Book a flight or upgrade with Virgin Atlantic or join Flying Club.
Virgin Atlantic flies daily from Sydney to London via Hong Kong 
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About Virgin Atlantic: Since it was founded in 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways has become one of the world's leading airlines. Now based at both London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports, it operates long haul services to thirty destinations world-wide as far apart as Las Vegas and Shanghai. Virgin Atlantic has enjoyed huge popularity, winning top business, consumer and trade awards from around the world. The airline has pioneered a range of innovations setting new standards of service, which its competitors have subsequently sought to follow. Despite Virgin Atlantic's growth the service still remains customer driven with an emphasis on value for money, quality, fun and innovation. Virgin Atlantic currently has a fleet of 38 aircraft.