BRIAN BRUSHWOOD: The following program contains secret hacks.
Attempting some of these shortcuts
can be dangerous and is ill-advised
[camera shutter clicks]
There's no better way to travel than on a private plane.
Skip the security cattle call,
you don't have to deal with the masses in the terminal.
Flying private is the best.
I know what you're thinking.
This is something reserved for CEOs and Kardashians,
but what if I told you there was a secret hack
that would let you get this flight
for about what you pay on coach?
I'm gonna show you not only the shortcut I used,
but teach you how you could pull it off as well.
Now this is Hacking the Systemin style.
I'm Brian Brushwood
and I've picked up the tools of scientists and spies,
of criminals and con artists.
I've mastered incredible tricks and dangerous stunts
as a professional magician.
Now I have an encyclopedia of shortcuts, secret data,
and helpful hacks designed to help you make life easier
and give you the upper hand
especially when you're traveling.
You probably have a friend or relative
who brags about the time
he got miraculously upgraded to first class,
got treated like royalty at 30,000 feet.
But is scoring an upgrade really a once-in-a-lifetime chance
or is there a way we can hack our way into first class?
We'll use hidden cameras as we test out the methods
that travel hackers and frequent flyers swear
should get me an upgrade for free.
Some of these are hidden gems,
others are completely ridiculous,
though people say they work for 'em.
We'll find out which one's which,
'cause I'm about to try them all.
We all hate the economy line march of the undead.
It could be demoralizing to be shuffled around like cattle
while first and business class passengers
arrive late and check right in.
I'm not a first-class customer,
but I'm gonna try to get the first-class experience.
I'll start by skipping that long line
and use the first class counter
to see if I can afford an upgrade.
Next.
-BRIAN: Hi. How you doing? -Hi. How are you?
Good. I'm Brian. What's your name?
My name is Brooke. How may I help you today?
Brooke, I need a hero to save the day,
'cause I managed to score the worst seat in history.
-Okay. -Is there something better?
Let me check for you. Do you have your ID with you?
-Yeah. Hang on. -Great.
You guys have the best customer service.
Aw, thank you.
I've never had a bad experience.
Aw. Appreciate that.
BRIAN: I'm using well-known sales techniques
to give me the best chance of getting an upgrade.
In this case, giving the ticket agent
a great reputation to live up to.
She's now primed to give me what I want.
I can get you bumped up to business class.
Those tickets run about $1,500 each.
-BRIAN: Wow. -Would you wanna go ahead with that?
That was very fast and you are very awesome.
Unfortunately, that's also out of budget.
Do you have anything cheaper?
Let me check for ya.
BRIAN: When you praise someone, it feels good.
I'm encouraging the agent to keep trying to help me.
Since I can't afford
a first class ticket on this flight,
I'll try something else that can apply to anyone
whose travel plans are flexible.
If you guys are overbooked, I have plenty of time.
You can bump me to the next flight if that helps.
Lots of people ask for a free upgrade,
but I'm showing her that I'm reasonable
by offering to change my flight.
If I'm offering something,
my agent may be more likely to offer me something.
Well, that is very nice of you to offer.
Unfortunately though, this flight is not full yet,
so I'm not gonna be able to upgrade you for free.
I can get you into a premium economy seat
and that one is only a $150.
BRIAN: Okay. So I haven't been able to score a free upgrade.
I have one more idea.
Unfortunately, $150, that's also our monthly payment
to the kid's college fund.
-Uh-huh. -So, dilemma time.
I either pay for the kid's college
or get an upgrade. What should I do?
I'm giving Brooke a moral dilemma,
so she's invested in helping me.
Now, the next idea will be hers.
Another technique in winning people over.
It's really up to you.
Yeah, but what would you do in my situation?
If it's me, I would probably save for college.
Yeah. All right, I'll stick with the same one.
Okay.
Wait, one sec.
There is one more thing I can check.
Okay.
So I can get you in a seat in economy
that is actually in one of our exit rows,
so it will give you additional legroom
and there is no one currently booked in that row,
so you'll have it all to yourself.
Oh, perfect. That would be fantastic.
-Great. Let me get that set up for you. -Thank you so much.
Well, here you go.
Bingo.
Just by using some simple psychological hacks,
I got a better seat for free,
and I avoided that long line of the undead.
Here's one for ya.
When's the best time to book a cheap flight?
The day of the flight, one week ahead,
eight weeks ahead, or six months ahead?
The answer...
is eight weeks ahead and in the afternoon
according to one economist who studied flying habits.
So the worst part about traveling is...
Uh, coming home.
Not where I was headed.
I was gonna say packing.
If you pack too much, you get dinged with overage fees.
Pack too little and you spend half your time
picking up what you forgot, right?
Yeah. Well, you wanna pack everything you need
and not waste space.
Of course. Travel experts say you can save a ton of room
by rolling your clothes instead of folding it,
but I've never tried it,
so I figured we'll have a competition.
It'll be rolls versus folds
and we'll see how much room you save if any.
Identical bags, identical clothes,
I'll roll, you fold.
All right.
BRIAN: I'm gonna roll it.
JASON: I was, uh, nationally ranked in the '90s.
BRIAN: At shirt folding?
JASON: Before the accident.
BRIAN [laughs]: Before the injury?
JASON: Yeah.
You're looking a little bit, uh, puffy there, buddy.
It's fine. You shut your mouth.
[laughs] I am done.
-You're done? -And I'm only half full.
Not even half full.
You're totally full.
I've got enough room for a tea kettle, a toaster oven,
and a comically large wrench.
You know they're gonna have those
wherever we're going, right?
I know I'll have one. It's right here.
A couple of final touches.
We're gonna put a business card in there.
That way if the tags get ripped off,
they could still get the bag back to me.
I'll put the fragile sticker on the outside
This doesn't guarantee you anything,
but they should pack your bags on top
and it might make your bag first on the conveyor belt.
And finally, the most important thing.
I'm gonna tie a bow.
Why a bow?
Because every freaking bag looks exactly the same,
except this one.
How about this frustrating scenario?
You show up with extra time just to get through security,
you go to grab your toiletries
and then you discover something you can't take on the plane.
There's nothing worse than seeing all that money
thrown into the trash.
But you might not be out of luck.
You can ask if you could turn it in at lost and found
and pick it up on your return trip.
Not all airports will hold onto your stuff
for more than a couple of days,
but it's worth a try.
Quick quiz.
If you encounter long lines at the TSA,
or should I say when you encounter them,
which line should you join?
The line on the right, the line on the left,
or the line in the middle?
The answer is...
the one on the left.
Research has shown that Americans prefer to turn right,
so the lines at the left almost always have fewer people
Even if you don't get your flight upgraded,
you might still be able to get a taste of the good life
in the first class lounge.
You can enter the Shangri-La, that's the first class lounge,
if you buy an expensive day pass.
But for some, it's a cost they're not willing to pay
and these folks will use any number of unscrupulous tactics
to find their way in.
If you're flying commercial
and want to enter the heaven on Earth,
that is the first class lounge,
but don't wanna shell out the cash,
you do have one other option.
Some first-class passengers
are allowed to take a friend with them into the lounge.
So if you have more humility than cash,
you can try to get one of the jet set
to take pity on your broke ass.
Excuse me, sir.
My flight just got canceled, is there a chance...
[sighs]
Hey, bud, uh, the Wi-Fi out here totally sucks,
-can I get inside to maybe... -No.
BRIAN: People aren't responding
to my admittedly selfish sounding appeals.
Hi, there. Excuse me.
Uh, none of the bars have the game on for the...
Time to change tactics here.
Hey, man, do you mind if I tag along with you?
I've always wanted to experience
the first class lounge.
Right on.
My new best friend.
Thanks.
Took some tenacity and humility.
Turns out people respond better that than entitlement.
After you.
Making the other person feel powerful
when you ask for something is always the way to go.
Quick quiz.
Billions of dollars are spent on airline tickets each year,
but which class of seats brings in the most profit?
Is it first class, business class,
or economy class?
The answer is...
business class.
Business travelers spent over $200 billion on flights in 2013.
Corporations often pay for these flights
and airlines are now competing for this fast-growing sector.
Every year, airlines lose
more than 20 million pieces of luggage.
How do you make sure your bags don't go AWOL?
You might want to try one of these.
A radio frequency microchip tracking device.
This bad boy's sensor knows when it's in the air
and more importantly, it knows where it is once it lands.
Throw one of these in your luggage
and you'll always know where your bags are
even when the airlines don't.
If you're looking to get away on a budget
and you don't mind looking like a bit of a schmuck,
this idea's for you.
With many no-frills airlines charging outrageous baggage fees
even for carry-on luggage,
it's suddenly not a cheap flight,
but nobody said you can't carry it all on your body, right?
I look like I'm traveling light,
but I am fully packed for a weekend getaway
and I haven't checked a bag.
Here, check it out.
Four pockets sewn into the back.
We got shirts, we got khakis.
I got these gym shorts, book,
and finally, another bag.
Once you're past check-in and security,
if you don't want to wear your stuff,
you could just put it in your bag
and all of that can fit into this.
An entire gym bag's worth of clothes.
And I'll admit, this looks pretty ugly
and it's not very practical,
But if you're flying a no-frills airline
and have zero budget,
it just might be dumb enough to work.
Now that you made it onto the plane,
remember, not all seats are created equal
Statistics say sitting in an aisle seat
just behind the wing makes you 40% safer
in the event of a crash.
If you get air sick,
you'll feel less turbulence in the middle of the plane.
Wanna sleep?
Take a window seat on the left side.
The windows are offset
so you'll have a flat surface to rest your head.
Most airlines load back to front,
so rear seats get storage room first.
Finally, if you wanna get off the plane first,
sit at the front and on the left
as most exit doors are, well, on the left.
Ah, flying is a drag.
Yeah, that's an understatement.
Have you ever had it where you get up to cruising altitude
and you try to recline but your chair's busted?
-Absolutely. -Yeah.
It might not be a busted chair.
It might be somebody pulling a hack on you.
Wedging a water bottle like this.
Try to lean back.
Yeah, that's not moving.
Okay, I'm really unhappy
to be sitting in front of you right now.
Yeah, but I got all the legroom.
Of course, the best idea is just to be courteous.
If you're gonna lean back, give fair warning.
And if you're a big guy
who barely fits in here to begin with,
just explain it to the guy in front of you.
He'll probably be happy to cut you a break.
Well, great. I'm just gonna move.
Speaking of which, you know a lot of airlines
-have open seating nowadays, right? -Right.
BRIAN: Well, some people are desperate enough
to get a row to themselves that they'll use one of these.
A barf bag.
Yeah. Well not so much use it,
but look like they're about to.
[puffs, groans softly]
[sighs deeply]
Oh, did-did you want this seat, sir?
No. No.
I'm just gonna stay out of the splash zone. Thanks.
It's a lowbrow trick, but if they're sick, or exhausted,
or just spent an all-nighter in Vegas,
they might be doing us a favor.
According to a leading travel site,
what is currently the most popular
travel destination in the world?
Is it New York,
Istanbul, or Rome?
The answer is...
Istanbul.
followed closely by Rome, then London,
Beijing, and Prague.
America didn't even crack the top 10.
Road trips, they're great, right?
Pack your bags, head out on the open road,
only the road's not always so open, is it?
According to one study,
Americans spend 5.5 billion hours
stuck in traffic, and that's down from 2005.
You ready, Murphy?
Yeah. Let's go.
[engine starts]
BRIAN: Everyone hates getting stuck in traffic,
so many people switch lanes
thinking it will get them there faster, but does it?
Or is it better to just stick to one lane
regardless of traffic conditions?
To settle this age-old question
Jason and I are conducting a highly unscientific test.
Two identical cars, different colors,
and a road trip to the beach.
We'll be traveling down the 10 Freeway
from Downtown Los Angeles to the beach in Santa Monica.
It's about 14 miles
and very often crowded with traffic.
I'm gonna stick to one lane,
whereas Jason's going to keep switching.
Only one rule, can't go above the speed limit.
Not that that'll be a problem in this traffic.
We'll see who makes it there first.
Speaking of traffic,
have you ever driven through a traffic jam
that suddenly ends and you're left wondering,
"What started all that?"
There's no accident, no road work.
What happened?
Well, the problem is us.
These phantom traffic jams start on busy roadways,
one guy gets a little too close
and has to slam on his brakes
and it causes a chain reaction that clogs up traffic.
Check out this experiment.
This group of drivers was told to all drive at the same speed.
No problem, right?
But after just a few seconds,
their imperfect driving causes a series of bottlenecks,
that brings the flow to a near stop.
Back in LA, the race to nowhere begins.
To make it fair, we're both entering the freeway
at the same time.
Our cars are marked with X's
and we have cameras following us the entire route.
I'm picking the middle lane
because researchers have found this to be the safest lane
in which to travel.
I got to admit, this is not my usual play.
I'm always the guy weaving in traffic.
Jason's behind me changing lanes and trying to catch up.
He's also probably contributing to the traffic jam
since every time one car has to slow down
to accommodate a lane changer
it has a domino effect behind them.
This sucks. Every other lane is blowing past.
And here comes Jason.
Looks like lane changing is actually working.
Ha, ha!
Are you kidding me?
Right now, Jason's in the lead.
He's exploited the gaps in traffic by changing lanes
and it seems to be working.
But he's probably contributing to the traffic jam.
Every time one car has to slow down
to accommodate a lane changer,
it also has a domino effect behind them.
Whoa, another ghost jam.
Ugh!
Nine miles in,
Jason's changed lanes 24 times
and he's barely ahead of me.
JASON: Why are we stopped?
I'm gonna go around.
Turn signal!
BRIAN: And Jason just pulled off the freeway exit
while I'm still stuck in the middle lane.
Guess he's gonna win this one.
All in all, Jason changed lanes
37 times in a 14-mile stretch.
He beat me by 2 minutes and 13 seconds,
but he was more likely to be in an accident.
If you ask me, definitely not worth it.
Mr. Murphy, how was your ride?
I'll be honest, it was kinda stressful.
-What about you? -It was relaxing actually.
-Nice. -There's something Zen
about just being stuck in your one lane.
Well, we made it to the beach,
so now it's time to book a hotel.
This hotel just told me over the phone
that they're "fully booked" but now I'm here in person,
so it's hotel versus Brushwood.
Place your bets.
Hey. How you doing?
-[woman speaking] -I'm Brian. What's your name?
Awesome.
Do you guys happen to have a room tonight?
I know it's Friday and you're super busy.
I'm one of your regulars though if that matters.
[Marta speaking]
BRIAN: Repeat customers often get preferential treatment.
Ah, the bummer is I'm supposed to stay here almost a whole week
and I'd hate to stay somewhere else.
BRIAN: Now I have her attention.
I'm a regular and I might stay longer than one night.
I'm heading back on Wednesday,
but it may be extended for even longer.
[Marta speaking]
You totally saved the day.
No reservations?
No problem.
Hotels prefer multi-night stay,
so you could try extending your weekend
an extra night or two.
Booking it might be the difference between
getting a hotel and sleeping in your car.
-Thank you so much. -Thank you.
Appreciate it.
The downside is, you may end up getting billed
for the extra nights if you cancel.
But if the hotel is that popular,
you can usually cancel after your first night
without a penalty.
Reprogrammable hotel keys are designed to keep us safe.
But recently, one hacker uncovered a vulnerability
that compromised millions of hotel locks
and he accessed it right here.
This is a power socket used to charge the lock,
but it's also where each one is individually programmed.
So how do you keep your stuff safe?
When you're in the room, make sure to use the deadbolt.
When you're not in the room, make it sound like you are
by leaving the TV on.
If a thief thinks that you're in the room,
they may move onto easier pickings.
I got one for ya.
What hotel item can help you get a better night's sleep?
A shower cap, a towel,
a hairdryer, or shampoo?
The answer is...
a towel.
But what's the hack?
Start by getting the towel damp
and then by placing it over the room fan
or the air conditioner, it'll act like a humidifier,
putting moisture in the air
and doing wonders for your respiratory system.
Think your valuables are safe in your hotel?
Maybe not.
This is how the bad guys
can get into your not-so-safe hotel safe.
There are several online videos
that claim that you can reset a safe's combination
after it's been locked.
It involves hitting the reset button inside.
I'm gonna try to get in through the front using a metal hanger
or in this case, a skewer.
[safe beeps]
[beeping]
Holy cow!
That was way too easy.
Well, it's clear to see that most hotel safes
should not be trusted with your stuff.
If you truly want to protect your valuables,
do the smart thing.
Leave 'em at home.
Some people say the best part of traveling is coming home.
I don't know if that's always true,
but it definitely is when you're flying
in your own private jet.
Now this is traveling in style.
And believe it or not, you can afford to ride in one of these
by taking advantage of empty leg flights.
Welcome aboard.
Empty leg flights become available
when a high roller charters a flight one way.
That plane now needs a return customer.
So if you're ready to fly at a moment's notice,
an empty jet can be all yours at an unbelievable price.
And lucky for me,
I found this flight to San Francisco for only $560.
Now keep in mind, that's the whole flight,
not just one comfy seat.
Think about it.
You get three more friends, that's a $ 140 per seat.
You can put that together.
So the next time you're headed out on a last minute vacation,
check and see if there's a private airplane
waiting for ya.
Take it away, boss.
[engine humming]
Captioned by Point.360