OM's advice on honeymoon upgrades please

Not an OM but recall previous responses to a similar question regarding flight upgrades on honeymoons.

Some were just cheeky and asked on check in, others wore 'just married' style T-shirts, honeymoon or just married tags on their baggage all with varying level of success.

Never really thought about hotels etc I personally have never been upgraded in a hotel before on check in (I have after being shown a room and not being happy with it) I know most decent hotels will upgrade for the 'first night' not sure how common this is for a whole honeymoon, I guess it depends how busy the hotel is etc.

Regarding restaurants I always contact the restaurant in advance if im going somewhere for my birthday (or someone else's) and that usually results in a candle in a special cake (or in the dessert) will also help you bag a decent table (if the restaurant has good views by the windows for example) but again I specify this at time of booking, I'm not sure what more a restaurant could do for a honeymoon. I know some hotels offer candle lit beach dinning for two etc but that depends where you go and is not an upgrade as such.

Thanks Funky, I hadnt thought of hotels either till i started looking at reviews on trip adviser and noticed people saying they got upgraded when on honeymoon - but you are right, I suppose now it isnt 'peak season' so the reviewers may have more chance in getting an upgrade. I may mention it then if I book us in at a nice restaurant then.

I may also just be super cheeky and ask on check in for flights - suppose you dont get if you dont ask ?

We were asked if it was our honeymoon when we booked by Kuoni and got a card and flowers in our room when we arrived in the Maldives and free bottles of wine in Sri Lanka.

However, the Maldives is a popular honeymoon destination, they can't accomodate everyone, as will be the case for other popular destinations. You can ask but I don't think you will get far these days, especially in the current climate where the sales targets for airlines are high.

We are going to LA, San Fran and Chicago, so not the usual honeymoon places but very busy - so it could go either way I suppose. Yeah I cant see getting anything on the flights really. Thats nice to get a card, flowers and wine though. x

At Heathrow Terminal 5, we went to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. Seeing my wedding dress travel box, we got free champagne.

Our travel consultant also got us free upgrades at hotels (we got married AND honeymooned abroad) when we asked. We also got a free night fly camping on safari. I'd ask your travel consultant if I were you, to see what you can get. Not sure high street type travel agents can do things though.

I mentioned when booking that it was our honeymoon and we got an upgraded room and several bottles of rum in the room (we were in Cuba!). We booked a package so easier than contacting several hotels etc but I would give it a go with emailing - you never know!

You just got to ask, and I'd contact the airline in advance.

Like the other lady, I went to Maldives, as there were alot of honeymooners, so didn't get anything on flight, but got champagne in her room on arrival.

November last year went to SE Asia for a couple of weeks - got an upgrade on way home just for asking, so always worth asking

Wow, all your experiences makes me think sod it, ill just ask then, not like ill see them again if they say no anyway ha. Good idea to ask the travel agent, didnt think of that - thanks guys x

Our travel company did all the work for us - told all the hotels it was our honeymoon and we got lots of little extras. We tried for an upgrade on the flights (it was my birthday too!) but no luck - I think because we were going to a popular honeymoon destination there were lots of honeymooners on our flight and they couldn't afford to upgrade us all. We did get a free glass of bubbly though.

Our travel agent added a note to say that it is our Honeymoon. We are going to Las Vegas and staying at the MGM Grand but I have no idea if we will get anything!

On each part of our reservation, our travel agent noted that we were honeymooners:

Flights: On the way out and way back, we asked if there were any upgrades available but no luck. On the smaller flights in between destinations, we didn't bother.

Hotel rooms: We stayed in four different hotels. For two of them, we knew we would get upgraded as that was a particular offer in the brochure. For one (our main hotel in Bali), the upgrade was unexpected and very lovely, thanks! For the fourth, we had booked the best room type anyway. We had little treats in every hotel, including bottles of champagne and wine, cakes, chocolates, fruit and free spa treatments.

We didn't walk around, talking loudly about our recent wedding. But we got asked a lot anyway - "Are you here for a special holiday?" and so on. We were more than happy to explain and see what we might get in return. We had the concierge in Bali book tables at restaurants for us and he had no problem demanding the best views because we were on honeymoon!

We had no luck on the flights for upgrades but were given champagne on arrival at our hotel in Mexico and my husband got chatting to the hotel manager one night and mentioned it was our honeymoon, we were then surprised the following night with a special lobster dinner and they had set the table with a lovely display etc which was really lovely of them. We also had petals etc on the bed every day.

We got a little sticker from Thompson which gave us priority check in at the airport. We had already pre-booked the lounge or I would have tried for that too. We got dinner on the beach, breakfast in bed and some other perks as our hotel had asked if it was a honeymoon. I would just tell everyone that you possibly can and see what you get!

Wow it sounds like its worth it asking then, what lovely suprises you got. Sounds like flights arnt so keen to upgrade you, but hotels and restaurants give you little treats, Thanks for sharing xx

PB - forgot the airport lounge! We got that for free as well!

Ahhh now theres another I didnt think of, that would be nice. Thanks for the advice ?

We got married abroad and had a multi stop honeymoon, all of which we booked through a company, who knew it was our honeymoon and put a note on the booking. I was really hoping for some sort of flight upgrade on the way out with my dress but no such luck.

In Fiji, we had a bottle of bubbly and a fruit platter waiting for us in the room. In San Fransisco, we had a bottle of bubbly which they told us about on check in. In Las Vegas, we had nothing. It was a trainee checking us in with a supervisor looking over her shoulder. I mentioned in conversation to the supervisor that we were on our honeymoon but nothing.

I'd of thought Las Vegas would of been good, after all you are there to simply spend money ha. We did Vegas last year, loved it!! xx