A while back, I was flying off line on NORTHWEST from DTW to NRT. I had coach seats for me and the wife. I remember chatting with the guy from NWA about working in Detroit in general and he asked me if I was flying to Japan. I mentioned that me and the wife were going to NRT, that I worked out on Saipan. He instantly upgraded me to buisness first just like that. I bet it wouldn't happen again in a hundred years but this guy hooked me up great. He must have just been in a great mood that morning, or just liked me for being conversationist, but kissing ass to get upgraded is not my thing or getting moved to buisness first was the furthest thing from my mind. It just happened. And I was very grateful for the 12 hour flight for me and my wife. Off line, this first class seat would have run me about some 400 bucks more or so and I wasn't going to do it. Since then, my airline aquired the triple seven so we just took those from NRT to IAH directly.