A HOLIDAYMAKER made a huge mistake while booking a 'bargain' flight upgrade – here are FIVE things you should do to avoid making the same mistake.

Alexandra Carlton was thrilled when she saw a £660 deal for her Qatar Airways trip from Sydney, Australia to Reykjavik, Iceland's capital.

It would see her bumped up from Economy to Business class, and the happy traveller didn't think twice before paying.

But, when Alexandra checked in for her trip, she was told the deal only applied to one stretch of the journey – which usually takes more than 24 hours and involves connecting flights.

After forking out £660, the disappointed passenger discovered this only covered her stop from Doha to Oslo, and there was no lounge access included.

The travel writer told Escape: "Suddenly my £660 deal felt like an agonising rip-off."

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And, she shared her top tips to other holidaymakers who want to avoid making the same error.

"Don’t pay until you’re really sure what you’re paying for", Alexandra explained.

She urged travellers to check the fine print, especially on pop-up ads, and double check what you are being offered.

The second piece of advice was to work out a cost-per-hour analysis.

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"Upgrade bandits all over the internet recommend that the best way to gauge whether or not a cash upgrade is a good idea is to set yourself a ‘per hour’ cost limit," she said.

The travel expert explained domestic or shorter flights are usually not worth shelling out money for an upgrade.

But, long haul trips on certain airlines can boast savings of up to £125 per hour, so it is always worth checking.

Meanwhile, another factor to bare in mind is what luxuries you would appreciate the most.

"Are you tall and therefore value extra legroom more than most?" Alexandra asked.

Or, perhaps you would prefer spending extra on a seat that allows you to fully recline to catch some shut eye.

"Add on a little extra allowance for those life soothers that make things a little bit sweeter," she added.

It may seem obvious, but checking your airline emails when you're not flying is also important as they often offer small deals and perks.

Alexandra explained: "More of those means you’re more likely to be offered bigger and better upgrades. I recently missed out on advancing from Qantas Silver to Gold tier."

The travel expert urged holidaymakers to sift through their spam emails regularly to spot the gold.

Finally, Alexandra claimed passengers should "hurl" airline points at upgrades rather than stocking them up – unless for a major flight.

"They’re not there to be cherished forever," she added, and "nothing beats the value of an upgrade".

This comes as an organising pro has revealed five packing hacks you won't have heard of when going on holiday.

Content creator Chantel Mila took to TikTok to share the genius tip that will keep your luggage ordered.

Meanwhile, a flight attendant shared the huge mistake passengers make when their plane is delayed.

She added that people could miss their flight if they make the same error.

Plus, a pilot has explained what really happens in the cockpit when an engine fails.

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The female crew member also spoke of how they navigate landing the plane safely.

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