Ugly can be your friend...

Or, How I got an upgrade to Business Class on an international British Airways flight.

If I'm being honest, I have to say I don't take great pictures. I'm not saying I'm Heidi Klum in person, but I must say I do look better in real life. I just missed out on the photogenic genes that seem so dominant in my family.

And, for the most part, the only effect it has had on my life was to make my pile of embarrassing pictures thicker than my Encyclopedia of Biblical Symbolism in English Literature. Which, just in case you don't have one of those lying around your desk, is really, really thick.

But, there is one moment in my life where I was thankful beyond measure that I was the proud owner of a fairly hideous passport photo.

One summer in college I studied abroad at Cambridge. One of the single most influential experiences of my academic (and personal) life. It was hard and frustrating and challenging and wonderful.

My mom and sister, Tara, met me in London for the tail end of my trip and after traveling around we were planning to fly home together. And, since we're neither multimillionaires or the owners of extensive expense accounts we were flying coach.

We checked in at the gate and, though this is usually where my tales of bad luck begin, this day was different. The girl behind the counter approached us in a routine manner and asked for passports. Mine was first. And, it looked like this:

And after I handed it to her, she did the most unexpected thing. She began to giggle hysterically. Really, really loud. But it then moved on to full belly laughs. I mean, it's not a great picture, but belly laughs? Really?

She looked at me and then at the picture and then announced rather proudly that anyone with a picture that turned out that horrible deserved to have an upgrade. And she upgraded my mother, sister and I to business class.

There are not enough italics to express how important that was because when anticipating an international flight in a space the size of a steamer trunk with sweaty people and snoring old men, an upgrade to business class might as well have been an upgrade to heaven.

Have you ever been in business class? Angels sing there. And they have movies. And chairs that recline all the way. And flight attendants who don't hate you. It is glorious. And if getting a free ticket into that world of luxurious bliss means I have to be the owner of a particularly horrible passport photo then I am happy to oblige.

But, I'm wondering, do you think there is anywhere in Expedia to use that as a coupon code?