Too often I see people standing at the check-in counter getting angry about their seating and bullying their way to an upgrade or a better seat. In North America, where customer service is a big focus for many companies, the "squeaky wheel gets the oil" approach works more often than you think. But me - I've never been a big fan of that technique.

Believe it or not, good ol'-fashioned manners, and showing respect for the people on the other side of the counter, is a more honest approach, and often works out better in the end anyway. And if it doesn't, at least it feels good to treat others in a friendly way.

But in our case, as we were boarding our flight from L.A. to China, asking politely at the last minute if there was a chance to be upgraded REALLY paid off. No pushy tactics, no dishonest finagling, just a simple friendly question to the check-in lady at the gate. A few minutes later we had new boarding passes in our hands, and we went from dreading the thirteen hour flight to looking forward to it... all because of one unassuming friendly question.

The squeaky wheel may get some oil occasionally, but good guys finish first, as in first class.