JOHANNESBURG – Johannesburg to London. 12 hours. Your mergers and acquisitions lead is crammed in 32F’s middle seat, elbows pinned, fighting sleep deprivation before tomorrow’s million-dollar negotiation. This isn’t hardship – it’s corporate malpractice.
Rategang Moroke, Operations Manager at Corporate Traveller, forensic-tested a few seat hacks that deliver business-class impact at economy prices. From loyalty loopholes to bidding wars, here’s how to stop leaving deal success to aisle-seat roulette.
Companies are finally prioritising comfort
Once, corporate travel policies treated employee comfort as an afterthought, confining frequent flyers to cramped economy seats regardless of flight length. Now, organisations recognise that tired, jetlagged employees can’t perform at their best.
“More companies are upgrading to premium economy or business class on flights over six to eight hours,” says Moroke. For example, one firm consulted Corporate Traveller and switched to premium cabins for long-haul journeys, boosting morale and leadership stability.
As global standards push for better seating on flights over four hours, even South African companies are embracing these employee-centric practices. The era of treating employees like cargo on marathon flights is over.
How to consistently nab the best seats for less
Of course, employee-friendly policies don’t automatically secure those premium seats. That’s where Moroke’s insider hacks come in:
“My number one advice is always to book as early as possible. Premium seat availability disappears rapidly, with prices fluctuating wildly based on demand. You could easily end up beside someone who paid half of what you paid just because they booked earlier.”
Postponing seat selection until online check-in, hoping to snag free seats without fees, is also a common mistake. “By that point, your options are limited to middle seats. Pay the nominal fee upfront rather than risking that airborne ordeal!”
Where you avoid fees matters, too. Some airlines push pricey upsells for extra legroom seats, which don’t necessarily improve overall comfort. “Compare upgrading to premium economy- it may cost marginally more but boosts you into an entirely better class of seat and service.”
For economy travellers on longer routes, positioning is key: “Those back few rows are premium real estate, filling up last for chances at complimentary neighbouring empty seats. Over the wings also gives the smoothest ride during turbulence.”
“For those longer economy flights where upgrading cabins isn’t feasible, there’s another potential hack,” advises Moroke. “Ask your travel management company to check if you can purchase or ‘block’ the seat next to yours for extra space and legroom. Many airlines offer this option, though typically only on higher fare classes, not the cheapest basic economy tickets.”
She continues, “Costs can vary significantly depending on the airline, route, and how full the flight is looking. But it’s often more affordable than outright upgrading cabins while still providing room to spread out. Just be aware that blocked seats may get unblocked if the flight goes into an oversell situation. But it’s worth inquiring about when your travel management company is booking that long-haul trip in economy.”
Leveraging loyalty programmes and last-minute upgrade auctions
Even budget-minded travellers can boost premium seat odds by leveraging frequent flyer memberships or monitoring last-minute upgrade auctions.
“Never flown an airline before? Sign up for their loyalty scheme immediately upon booking,” advises Moroke. “Loyalty members get first crack at any complimentary upgrades released.”
Similarly, many airlines offload premium seats via last-minute online auctions close to departure. While upgrades aren’t assured until the bids process, it’s a risk-free chance at huge discounts.
“Let’s say you’re dreading 36D’s middle misery. Cheekily bid when the premium upgrade auction opens – worst case, you’re no worse off, but you could score that flat-bed for a bargain just by letting the system run its course.”
Elite loyalty members often get airport lounge access, too, avoiding the scrum while awaiting upgrade outcomes.
Beating the overbooking nightmare
This hack is essential for business travellers needing to avoid being involuntarily bumped from oversold flights.
“The overbooking of flights has been discussed a lot recently,” says Moroke. “But most cases of ‘overbooking’ are as a result of the airlines needing to re-accommodate passengers from delayed and cancelled services on previous flights.”
When that recovery kicks in, who gets bumped first? “Those without advance seat assignments – either due to skipping fees or just assuming they’d get sorted at check-in.”
Don’t be that traveller stranded without recourse as your 7am client meeting disappears. Avoid the entire fiasco by securing seat assignments upfront via your travel management company.
Moroke shares more tips:
- Check pricing for all available fare classes – don’t just look at the base economy vs. premium economy. There can be several tiers of economy that include extras like legroom or other amenities.
- Calculate the total cost difference between paying for an economy ticket + extras like legroom and the next cabin up in premium economy. The gap is sometimes relatively small.
- See if the premium economy upgrade costs change based on how far in advance you book. Scoring an early-purchase upgrade deal can make it an even better value.
- Utilise your travel management company to easily compare side-by-side pricing for all the upgraded options versus staying basic economy.
**ends**
About Corporate Traveller
Corporate Traveller is a division of the Flight Centre Travel Group, dedicated to saving businesses across Southern Africa time and money. Corporate Traveller has the benefit of being part of the world’s third-largest travel retailer, leveraging its global negotiating strength. It has access to over 50 of the world’s leading airlines and deals with more than 100 000 hotels around the world to guarantee savings for clients. Corporate Traveller provides clear, consolidated reporting of all its clients’ travel activities, helping them to control travel spend and identify opportunities to save costs.
Issued by:
Big Ambitions
Lori Cohen
