Traveller Shares Polite Approach That Helped Secure Free Flight Seat Upgrades
A Chennai man, Narayanan Hariharan, shared how polite interactions with airline staff helped him secure two free seat upgrades on an Air India Express flight. By smiling, using staff names, and making courteous requests at check-in and the boarding gate, he moved from seat 27B to 14F and then to 1F. Experts note that while upgrades depend on availability and airline policies, courteous behavior can improve chances, as staff often face difficult passengers and may respond positively to kindness.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is positive (68/100). Lens Score 30/100.
Outlets measured: economictimes, indiatoday. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (62–75/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
indiatoday broke this story on 29 Sept, 08:46 am. Other outlets followed.