4 Underrated Airline Perks That Will Transform Your Travel Experience
Flying doesn't have to mean settling for cramped seats and minimal comfort. Most travelers miss out on airline perks that could significantly improve their journey, from affordable upgrades to free stopovers in exciting destinations. Industry experts reveal four overlooked benefits that can transform ordinary flights into remarkably better experiences.
Ask at Check-In for Cheaper Upgrades
Hi Airlnes and Aviation,
My airline perk would be waiting until I am at the check-in desk to save on an upgrade. Usually you can bid for a seat upgrade online closer to the flight date. However, it is possible to snap up a good deal on an upgrade by waiting until you check in, and asking the staff for any premium economy or business class seat availabilities. You might just get lucky!
You do of course need to pay the fee difference for the upgrade, but it is always significantly cheaper, since it is last minute. I do this on long haul flights, and it makes the trip to say, Europe, much more enjoyable when half of the leg is spent in business class.
Use Free Stopovers and Lounge Showers
One wildly underrated airline perk I discovered flying Delhi-Frankfurt-New York routes for US healthcare client meetings?
Free stopover routing through partner airlines.
Most travelers book straight flights. I didn't realize I could add a 48-hour stopover in Amsterdam or Brussels for zero extra cost using airline miles.
Here's why it's brilliant: I booked Delhi to New York via Frankfurt, then added a 2-day Amsterdam stopover on the return through KLM's Flying Blue partnership.
Got a free city exploration window mid-journey, broke up the long-haul fatigue, zero additional miles burned.
Compared to paying ₹80k separately for Amsterdam flights, this saved serious money while giving me a mental reset before meetings. Most business travelers never think to ask, they just book point-to-point automatically.
Second underrated gem: domestic lounge shower facilities at Indian airports. Not glamorous, but transformative. I'll grab a pre-flight shower at Delhi T3's GVK lounge (included with business class), change into fresh clothes, reset entirely. When you've landed groggy after coding marathons at ChromeInfotech, that shower makes you look sharp for clients. Sounds small until you realize stepping into a boardroom damp and rumpled can cost you deals. That 20-minute shower facility adds genuine ROI to premium tickets.
My recommendation to fellow travelers: stop chasing fancy meals and first-class champagne.
Hunt for free stopovers with miles, access shower facilities at layovers, and prioritize actual sleep quality in premium cabins.
Air France's La Premiere and Qatar Airways' Qsuite lead here.
Luxury airlines now let you pre-select amenity kits before flying, so do that. Small wins like these compound into genuinely better journeys.
Prioritize Same-Day Standby and Flexible Rebooking
An underrated airline perk that made a real difference was free same day standby combined with flexible rebooking policies. On a delayed connection, being able to move to an earlier or alternate flight without fees turned a stressful travel day into a manageable one. It mattered more than seat upgrades or lounge access.
What surprised me was how rarely travelers use it, even when it's available. Airlines quietly offer this to reduce missed connections and gate congestion. The FAA has noted that schedule disruptions are one of the biggest drivers of passenger dissatisfaction, and flexibility mitigates that more than comfort perks.
My recommendation is to prioritize fare classes and loyalty tiers that include same day flexibility. It protects your time, which is the real luxury.
Albert Richer, Founder, WhatAreTheBest.com.
Value Crew Insights on Local Customs
What I believe is completely underrated is the quiet power of airline staff proactively sharing local customs before landing. On a recent international flight, a flight attendant casually mentioned during descent that photography wasn't allowed in the arrival terminal due to local security laws, something no app or guide had flagged. That 10-second heads-up saved me and several others from awkward run-ins at immigration.
It reminded me that the best 'perk' isn't extra legroom, it's local intelligence. And it aligned perfectly with why we built Dos and Don'ts in the first place: to give travelers a sense of preparedness that removes anxiety.
So my recommendation? When booking a flight, don't just look at price or food reviews. Pay attention to the routes and carriers known for culturally aware crew, especially when flying into destinations with strict etiquette or regulations. Sometimes, a single sentence from someone who knows the local norms makes the entire journey smoother.
