The Best Ways to Get A Flight Upgrade, According to Travel & Leisure

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We can all agree that flying in economy is generally not comfortable. That’s why so many frequent flyers aspire to get as many airline miles as they can, so they can buy a better seat with something other than cash. As another option, some flyers try to attain status on their airline(s) of choice, so they can hopefully get upgraded.

Of course, for a typical flyer neither of those may be viable – or at least, not options that are worth pursuing for what will amount to one or two domestic flights per year, and maybe an occasional international flight for a special occasion every once in a while. So they look at alternative ways to get preferred seats.

If you peruse the internet, you’ll typically see all sorts of advice, frequently from TikTokers and YouTubers, of “how to get upgraded” on a flight.

• Dress nicely (because people in first class apparently don’t dress like slobs)
• Leverage your position (“Ministers, employees of some non-profit firms and members of humanitarian organizations, for example, are often given special consideration”)
• Ask the crew politely (“pretty please?”)
• Bribe the flight attendants
• Fly solo (the thought is that there’s a better chance for a single flyer to get upgraded than a couple or a family)
• Fly on less-full flights (“If there are empty business/first class seats, they could upgrade you to one”)
• Check in later (“if the economy section is overbooked and all other passengers have already checked in, the airline might need to bump someone up – and you could be that person”)

And if you travel a lot, you may look at this list and totally roll your eyes.

So how CAN you get an upgrade? Is it even possible?

To be honest, not often.

Airlines are really good at filling seats, especially with the ability to overbook.And there are so many people who are eligible for upgrades because of their status, etc., that it leaves few, if any premium seats available to even upgrade to.

But if you’re willing to pay for that upgrade – but for less than what they advertised when you were shopping for your seat(s) in the first place, you could have a chance. At least, that’s what Travel & Leisure says.

Travel & Leisure’s advice

Although the likes of Tikokers and YouTubers give advice that’s probably not going to work, you’d hope that a publication such as Travel & Leisure would have some words of wisdom that are a little more plausible. Here’s what they recently suggested, accord to four travel experts they consulted:

1. Buying smart

Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance, says the best way to get your upgraded seat is to purchase it – but wait for the perfect time so you can snag it at a discount. Says Cronin:

The ideal moment to snag an upgrade is two to three weeks before your flight; that’s when airlines sneak out noticeably cheaper premium tickets. Do not upgrade immediately after you’ve booked because fares usually soften in the weeks that follow. When the departure window narrows, log in again within one to two days before departure. Airlines often slash prices a day or two before a flight to fill the remaining spots.

2. If you live in a hub city

Sara Wilcox, a travel advisor, says you may have an advantage you may have if you live in a hub city:

If you’re going to fly at least one week later, you can often book the flight and then, after you buy it, go back into the reservation in your app and see if it offers you an upgrade. Chances are, the fare you paid plus the upgrade fee will be much less than if you had just bought the first-class ticket originally.

3. Bidding for the upgrade

Jesse Neugarten, founder and CEO of Dollar Flight Club, reminds flyers that some airlines let you bid for upgrades the day before a flight:

I’ve seen upgrades to business class go for just a couple of hundred dollars this way, even on long-haul international flights. It just depends on how full the flight is. If you want to increase your chances, fly when demand is low.

4. Asking in person

Another travel advisor, Ruchi Harnal, suggests trying your luck with asking as soon as your check-in window opens:

…arrive right when the check-in window opens—airlines sometimes offer upgrades at the counter for far less than the original fare.

T&L says that Neugarten agrees with this advice. He says he’s gotten international business class seats for just $200 extra when he asked at the counter.

Can these suggestions work?

They can, yes.

The Tiktokkers and YouTubers are giving suggestions of how to get free upgrades and frankly, that’s just not going to work in today’s world, when airlines are all about maximum profit and so many people have legit ways to be upgraded already.

Meanwhile, T&L’s suggestions are offering ways to get upgrades for a cost – but at a lesser cost than if you bought the upgrade outright. That’s a much more realistic and reasonable way to go about it.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary