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December 10, 2021

How to get a free upgrade on your hotel room or car rental

Vacationblog112508_2 by Joe Lee, Sympatico / MSN Finance

We all know the best way to get what you want is to ask nicely. Well, it would be good to use the same method to get a free upgrade on your hotel rooms or car rental.

But first, you need to speak up. There's nothing wrong with asking graciously if there is anything the hotel or car rental company can do to make your experience more pleasant. Tell them that you are a loyal customer -- of course it would be nice if you have something to back it up with.

But most importantly it's about timing. If you check in to a hotel too early during the day, the hotel management may not give up on those bigger and nicer rooms, since they don't really know who is going to be a walk-in later.

But let's say you get to a car rental place right before they close for the day... it is very likely they will give you a free upgrade, if you ask nicely, because it really doesn't cost them extra.

If they have a nicer one that will be sitting in the lot overnight, they will most likely bump you up, so you would want to come back for more in the future.

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