I scored a free improve on my flight after utilizing the little-known ‘chocolate field’ trick – this is how one can do it

A traveller has spilled details on how she got a free upgrade on a flight after using a little-known chocolate box trick.

Anna Lee read about a hack where you give a box of chocolates to the airline employee at the check-in counter in the hope of receiving a complimentary upgrade.

She explained that she had known about the trick for years but had always been ‘too scared, awkward and weird’ about asking for a free upgrade.

However, her cousin, who works as a flight attendant for a major airline, told her that many passengers ask for a free upgrade ‘all the time’ so it’s ‘nice to do it with a gift’.

So, Anna decided to put the theory to the test when she took a six-hour flight from Las Vegas to New York City after Christmas.

Before boarding her flight, Anna purchased a box of chocolates and then made her way to the check-in counter, where she surprised the Delta employee with the gift.

Moments later, she asked the worker, ‘How much would it cost to upgrade my seat?’

Much to her surprise, the employee kindly offered her a free upgrade from economy class to Comfort Plus, which includes a few perks such as priority boarding, more legroom, extra recline, dedicated overhead bin space, and more.

Traveller Anna Lee has spilled details on how she got a free upgrade on a flight after discovering a little-known chocolate box trick

‘I was just testing the box of chocolates hack I read about online years ago, and it’s something that stuck with me,’ Anna told FEMAIL. 

‘I was always curious about it but never acted on it until I recently asked my cousin, who works at an airline, and she said it was totally okay to do.

‘I just thought, I’ll try it… I was not expecting an upgrade. I was grateful that the worker ended up upgrading me… I can’t believe that actually worked.’

The solo traveller filmed herself handing the chocolates to the employee as she said: ‘I just wanted to say, happy holidays and thank you for all your hard work.’

She then proceeded to tell the employee that she was looking to upgrade her seat but wanted to know how much it would cost.

‘I wasn’t expecting anything but she just upgraded me,’ Anna said.

She couldn’t believe her luck when the worker happily upgraded her – free of charge – leaving her stunned that the chocolates actually worked in her favour.

‘I got the upgrade,’ she said excitedly in the video.

‘I was not expecting anything… I just wanted to try it to see if it worked and it did.’

Anna said she’s heard that airlines occasionally need to reshuffle seats to ‘balance the plane out’.

‘So, if there’s too many people at the back, they’ll upgrade some people to the front for free. Knowing that information, I just wanted to make it clear that they should choose me,’ she said.

‘Sometimes it never hurts to just try.’

Before boarding her flight, Anna purchased a box of chocolates and then made her way to the check-in counter, where she surprised the Delta employee with the gift 

Her video has been viewed more than 770,000 times, with many confirming that passengers are treated to perks such as free upgrades or snacks on board if they surprise workers with a small gift.

‘My dad is a pilot and he always taught me to grab doughnuts or any little treat to give to flight attendants and gate agents… Always worth the effort – they love it,’ one said. 

‘My mum is a flight attendant and yes this is for sure a thing,’ another shared.

‘My boyfriend is a flight attendant and he’s taught me to bring Starbucks gift cards as a ‘tip’ every flight and give it to them before takeoff. They always give you extra snacks and drinks,’ one revealed.

Many airline workers confirmed that a little goes a long way when you treat the staff. 

‘Us airline employees do this a lot for our fellow coworkers (obviously not expecting anything in return) but they always give us the A+ treatment,’ one shared.

‘As a flight attendant, I can say for a fact gate agents are so underrated and have so much more power than people realise. They’re in charge of the upgrades and also kicking people off  so be nice to them,’ another added, laughing.

Meanwhile, one woman said she’s been lucky enough to get free upgrades without giving anyone gifts.

‘I usually just ask for the upgrade and typically get it without chocolates. I think as long as you’re nice and they have space they will upgrade you if they can,’ she said.