Courtesy of Parker Seidel (2) Content creator Parker Seidel attempts to get first class upgrades by charming flight crew with thoughtful gift bags and handwritten letters Despite failing multiple times, the 25-year-old influencer is determined to keep trying, valuing the experience of doing something kind and paying it forward When he's not working his way up to first class, Seidel keeps his millions of followers entertained with other creative, quirky experiments When your standard economy ticket doesn't quite cut it, why not pull out all the stops? Everyone dreams of flyingfirst class, and influencerParker Seidelhas gone above and beyond to make that dream a reality… by any means necessary. The content creator, who boasts over 2 million followers on TikTok and YouTube, has gone viral for attempting to bribe flight crew into getting an upgrade to first class."I've been trying to make YouTube videos around traveling because that's my passion. I just want to travel everywhere," Seidel, 25, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I've been on a lot of planes [and] I saw another video of someone trying to get onfirst class, and they got in by just being super nice and giving them gifts, so I was like, 'Oh, I want to try this.'" Seidel has pulled off some riskystuntsin the past for his videos. Onevideoshows his personal experience flying with RyanAir, a budget-friendly airline with terrible reviews. Inanother, he attempts to join the "Mile High Club" by walking a total of 5,280 feet (a mile) back and forth on the plane with a pedometer in hand. Some of his most viral stunts show him putting together "care packages" for flight crew in an attempt to get a first-class upgrade. And he goes all out with gift bags filled with chocolates,Starbucksgift cards and hand-written letters. "I think the first time was a hundred dollars, and then the second time was 200 [in supplies, plus]Starbucksgift cards," he recalls. "I'll go toTarget, and they'll have packs of individual gift cards, and I'll just do the hundreds. Last time I got 200 packs, and then this last time, I think I just did a hundred dollars in gift cards." Of course, pulling off theseexperimentsisn't as simple as it sounds. There's a lot of work behind the scenes, like writing dozens of personalized cards, packing multiple bags, and — to make matters even more complicated — navigating TSA with a handful of random gifts!He notes that TSA is certainly one of the biggest logistical challenges of his stunts. "Sometimes I wonder if they'll stop me because I just have a big bag with tons of gifts and candles and just weird random things," he admits. Seidel adds that his followers play an integral role in hiscontent. He actively reads their comments, often taking their suggestions as inspiration for his impromptu social experiments."The first time, I just gave it to the very first person who checks your ticket," he adds. "Then I was getting so many comments like, 'Oh, you can't give it to that guy. You have to give it to the people at the front desk.' [Since] then, I've been trying to test out different strategies." Though his bribery hasn't necessarily equated to a first-class ticket, it has given him some extra perks on the flight, from free drinks to amenity kits. He fondly remembers one memorable reaction from a crew member when he was flying to Japan for the first time. "I gave one big gift [and the flight attendant] was just like, 'Oh my gosh, thank you so much,'" he recalls. "I just remember she was so excited. [When she] opened the bag and [it was] gift after gift, she had a really good reaction, [she] was super, super thankful."To Seidel's surprise, the flight crew ended up bringing candy, a thank-you note and some green tea about nine hours into the trip. Of course, it's not all about the first-class upgrade for Seidel. TheCalifornia-based influencer also finds satisfaction in doing something good for others. "It would be worth it if I actually got first-class," he says with a smile. "But oh my God, it feels good to just give [them] money."When he's not spendinghundreds of dollarstrying to charm his way into first class, Seidel keeps things interesting with other wild experiments."I don't know if this counts, but this one was my favorite videos I've ever filmed," he prefaces when asked about his most memorable experiences filming. "I was knocking on the doors ofmillionaire homesin La Jolla, the nicest part of San Diego, California, asking if I could cook them dinner, and the reactions were really, really funny." "I don't even cook," he adds. "I'm not even a chef, but I was going to ask them what their favorite meal was, and then I was going to go to the grocery store and cook it for them, and kind of just have a cool interaction and hopefully just meet a friend and maybe just talk about life." Seidel's curiosity and passion for making videos keep him busy, as he is constantly exploring new, offbeat ideas. One thing's for sure: he isn't afraid to think outside the box. Read the original article onPeople
