How to Upgrade an Airline Ticket

Airline upgrades are awarded to passengers based on available space, frequent-flyer status and the fare paid.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Travel Pillows
• Frequent-flier Programs
• Travel Services

1. Increase your chance of getting an upgrade by using one airline for all of your travels.

2. Be friendly to the ticket agent. They are required to follow certain procedures, but a little friendliness might help and certainly couldn't hurt.

3. Ask the ticket agent casually whether there are any seats available in first class.

4. Trade in frequent-flyer miles for an upgrade, if you have miles.

5. Check to see whether your frequent-flyer program offers special upgrade deals. If the flight isn't full, the agent might upgrade you when you check in.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are a lower-level frequent-flyer member, you may be able to pay for your upgrade and still spend less than what you would have paid for a first-class ticket.
• If you are making a connecting flight and the service wasn't great on the first leg of the flight, politely complain to the ticket agent. A ticket agent might give you an upgrade if you have a legitimate complaint about inadequate service.

[rachid]

on 5/26/2008 Upgrading pax is not available for all airlines, and not for all destinations!
each compagny has its own policy concerning upgrading pax?
However, for all of them the main conditions are: vacant seat in business or first. meal available for all the pax and for the upgraded one.
There are more conditions that i will write about in an article later on.

[rachid]

on 5/26/2008 Upgrading pax is not available for all airlines, and not for all destinations!
each compagny has its own policy concerning upgrading pax?
However, for all of them the main conditions are: vacant seat in business or first. meal available for all the pax and for the upgraded one.
There are more conditions that i will write about in an article later on.

on 6/30/2006 Exactly 24 hours before the flight, Hawaiian Airlines will allow an upgrade for $250. Go online to check-in and select the upgrade option. If you're the first, you'll get it. We've done this twice from Phoenix to Honolulu.

on 12/8/2005 This trick used to work pre-September 11. Results: I missed the flight and almost lost my tickets.

on 11/22/2005 If the plane is overbooked, offer to be rerouted. I got rerouted from San Francisco to Bangkok. The plane I took departed 2 hours later, but I was bumped to business class, didn't have to change planes in Tokyo, and arrived 3 hours earlier than I originally would have. The service on United Airlines is great.