Virgin Atlantic has revealed the funniest requests for upgrades on its flights, showing the bizarre and creative lengths some passengers go to.

The unusual tales were discovered in a survey of more than 1,000 ground staff and cabin crew.

Classics such as “It’s my birthday”, “We are on honeymoon” and “I am a friend of Mr Branson” are commonly trotted out, but other chancers have clearly put a lot more thought into their pleas for being moved out of economy.

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Here are the cheekiest excuses customers have used:

The rowing couple - One man requested an upgrade so he wouldn’t have to sit next to his wife.

The broken-hearted - A young man hoped an upgrade would mend his broken heart after being dumped on his birthday.

The tired father - A dad travelling with his family wanted to be upgraded as his baby was teething and he wanted a good sleep. His wife wasn't impressed!

The impatient traveller - One woman asked for an upgrade as she wanted to get to her destination quicker!

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The trickster - A “very famous” magician offered to perform magic tricks for the crew in return for an upgrade.

The over-achiever - A businessman asked for an upgrade as he was in economy but his boss was in premium - he wanted an upgrade to upper class so he could wave at his boss from the bar.

The fantasist - One man requested an upgrade so he could try out the on board hot tub!

The entrepreneur - One businessman requested an upgrade so he could meet Richard Branson and pitch an idea to him on board.

We're told none of these outrageous attempts actually worked and led to an upgrade – so we can only wish you good luck if you’ve got the audacity to try something similar.

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During August, the airline is encouraging passengers to tweet their #BestRequest for a weekly chance to be upgraded.