Smirnoff Is Paying For People To Upgrade From Middle Plane Seats This Holiday Season

It's finally December, which means your holiday flights are probably booked for the season. (If they aren't yet, you might want to get on that.) As you know, traveling around Christmastime can get a little crowded — and you usually have to take whatever seat you can get. If that means squeezing into the middle seat on your plane ride home, then so be it. If you're really not looking forward to flying in between two strangers, you should look into Smirnoff's middle seat upgrade contest. By entering, you can ditch your middle seat for something roomier on one of your flights during the holiday season.

That's right: Smirnoff Seltzer wants to help you upgrade from the middle seat on a select flight this winter, per Delish. In order to make it happen, the company created an online submission platform where travelers can enter the contest with hopes up ditching their middle seats for free. Whoever wins will have the chance to upgrade from coach on Smirnoff's bill, which would definitely make traveling home for the holidays a lot more enjoyable. Before you get too excited and enter the contest, there are a few things you should know.

For starters, you'll have to keep the valid travel dates in mind. According to Delish, you must be flying between Dec. 17 and Jan. 31 in order to win a free seat upgrade. If you aren't traveling within that time frame, you'll have to embrace the middle seat during your flight (you can do it!). However, if you are flying between those dates, then you have a chance to win a complimentary seat upgrade from Smirnoff Seltzer. How's that for a holiday gift?

If you're eligible for the upgrade, go ahead and visit Smirnoff Seltzer's submission page. Don't wait, though, because you only have until Dec. 14 to enter the contest. Once you get there, you'll have to fill out basic information including your first name, last name, phone number, state, zip code, and email address. Then, you'll have to explain to Smirnoff why getting a seat upgrade would "start your holidays off right." This is the most *important* part of the submission, so take a moment and think about your answer before you start writing.

Once you've brainstormed the perfect reason why you deserve an upgrade, type it into the text box that Smirnoff provided. Then, re-read it to make sure your reason sounds convincing enough. You definitely don't want to miss out on an opportunity to be upgraded from your middle plane seat for free, am I right?

After you're done writing and proofreading your answer, go ahead and get your flight information out. Why? Because you're going to need it to finish your submission. Once you have your travel details at hand, fill out your departing and return flight information. Then, you can finally hit "SUBMIT" and wait to see if you're a lucky winner.

Apparently, Smirnoff will be giving away $50,000 to help folks upgrade from their middle seats this winter — so cross your fingers and hope that you're chosen. If you are, you'll be able to fly home for the holidays without having to worry about accidentally elbowing surrounding strangers during your flight. That sounds like a good deal, to me.

If you enter Smirnoff's contest and end up not winning an upgrade, don't fret. Stella Artois (a beer you've probably seen at the bar) also wants to help middle-seat travelers get an upgrade, but they're doing it in a different way. According a press release, travelers stuck in the middle seat can post a photo of their seating situations on social media until Dec. 21. If they use the hashtags #StellaUpgrade and #Contest, they'll have a chance to win various prizes, including a free upgrade for their flight home.

With that being said, you have a few opportunities to ditch your middle seat for an complimentary upgrade this year. That, my friends, is the ultimate holiday gift.