It’s everyone’s dream to receive a free upgrade on their flight – but there’s a few things you can do to get a little closer to that dream becoming a reality, according to flight attendants.

As well as ways to charm the flight attendants into possibly giving you a freebie, there are some things you should absolutely avoid.

These are not just because they’ll put you on the wrong side of the staff, but also because they could be unhygienic and run the risk of you catching something. 

Flight attendant Miguel Muñoz, who has been flying the skies for more than 10 years, said: “I would say dirty clothes 100 percent.

“It’s obviously not nice to have passengers like these and I would never upgrade them to the first class if I could.”

He also said he would never upgrade anyone who looks ”too casual” with shorts or flip flops on. It’s not just what you’re wearing though. Muñoz also said the way passengers behave can impact their chances.

“I also wouldn’t upgrade smelly people or drunk passengers, or passengers who give me the impression that they are going to cause trouble,” the crew member added. 

Immanuel Debeer, a travel expert from Flight Hacks, says one of the best ways to get an upgrade is to dress for the seat you want, not the one you bought.

“Airlines don’t offer free upgrades out of the goodness of their hearts, they do it to gain customer loyalty. Dressing smartly and looking like a frequent flyer is a great tactic to maximise your chances of getting an upgrade.”

He says wearing business attire can help your chances, as flight attendants may assume you’re a hotshot business owner.

When it comes to what not to wear, shorts or mini skirts are one item of clothing many flight attendants would never be caught flying in.

The reason for this is twofold – one, flight temperatures can fluctuate dramatically and you might be cold. But second, and more importantly – aeroplanes can be very gross places, and minimising the contact your bare skin has with the surfaces is probably wise. 

In a similar vein, make sure that whenever you visit the bathroom on a plane you keep your shoes on.

Often, the floor is wet and there’s no way to know if it’s just water, or something much worse. You don’t want to step in something horrid and then track it throughout the plane, back to your seat and then back into your shoes. It’s better to be safe than sorry.