With domestic First Class fares headed for the plutocratosphere— they’re well over $2,200 from San Francisco to Chicago on United, and from Dallas to New York on American—it’s time for a refresher course on how to up your odds of getting a First Class upgrade on the major U.S. carriers.
There are three types of upgrades: mileage upgrades, elite upgrades, and airport upgrades. The first is a matter of having the miles; the second a matter of having the status; and the third a matter of getting lucky on the day of departure. One thing to keep in mind about mileage upgrades: Airlines load these seats into their systems 11 months before the flight date: That’s the magic moment to strike. (Granted, not all of you can plan that far ahead, but the farther ahead, usually the better the odds.)
Mileage Upgrades:
- Booking procedure: Work backwards. First, call the mileage-upgrade desk to check the inventory for your route and dates. Be flexible with dates and connections, and, if you can, departure and arrival cities, too (fly to Ft. Lauderdale instead of Miami, Newark instead of JFK). Once you know which flights have mileage-upgrade inventory, book your ticket in economy and ask for the upgrade (it’s worth the booking fee to have the agent just do it for you).
- Back up: If you are unable to confirm space, find the itinerary that has the most First Class seats available for sale and put your name on the waitlist (of the five legacy carriers, only US Airways doesn’t permit this). American, Continental, and United prioritize the waitlists by elite status (this is why we harp on this).
Elite Upgrades:
- Booking procedure: Elite status being equal, the sooner a member books a flight, the better the upgrade chances are with most programs, because in such cases priority goes to the early booker.
Airport Upgrades:
- Who it’s for: Primarily non-elite members or program members who don’t want to use miles for an upgrade. The general rule is that these upgrades may be available if there are more seats open than there are elite customers to claim them.
- Who offers it: The major five, for fees that vary.
American: $45 per 500 miles of travel; offered only at self-service check-in machines.
Continental: $35-$250 per route (for example: $149 one-way, Houston to Washington), excluding Hawaii-Houston. Details: Continental Upgrade Link
Delta: $50-$250 per route; valid where Business Class (not BusinessElite) is offered. Details: Delta Upgrade Link
United: Available on all domestic flights, including Hawaii, that have empty seats in Business or First Class; presented to select customers upon check-in (online or at the airport), but you can always ask.
US Airways: $50-$500 per route; Available on all domestic flights, including Hawaii. The program, called GoUpgrades, is available 24 hours prior to the flight, at the airport, or by calling 800-428-4322. Details: US Airways Upgrade Link