Re: One wonders how many ...
Good manners help a lot in making everybody's life nicer. I almost always wear a hat, and doffing it politely when entering the plane always puts a smile on the faces of the cabin personnel welcoming you on board, and ditto on the way out. Didn't get any formal upgrades that way but have on occasion been given more leg room on the seat next to the emergency exit (I am told this may also be due to the fact that I have a fairly athletic build, so they assume I have the strength to operate the door)
Being nice to whoever is helping you costs nothing, and makes life much more bearable
Biting the hand that feeds IT
