how do you get upgraded to business/first class?
 

I always wondered about getting into First class cheaply. If I have a cheap ticket and lots of miles, can I just get it upgraded?
Thanks for your help.

If you need to do it reliably, you should be able to upgrade with your miles.
If you just kind of want the fancy treatment, then ask at the ticketing counter if there are any spare seats in business. Smile at the staff a lot. You might get lucky.
If that doesn't work, go to your airline's main desk on the concourse, and ask there.
If that still doesn't work, don't lose hope. Ask at the gate, and they might have something.
If you really want to be annoying, you can try the airline's main office in the terminal...I've had that work once.
And then ask at the gate again just before you board.

Oh, and just in case none of that works, ask for an exit row seat when you get your seating allocation. There's a lot more legroom, and if you're able bodied, they'll usually give it to you. Especially if you tell them that that makes you feel safer when you fly.

i carry swag from MTV... i use that to grease the wheels for anything :)

YAY SWAG!

I'll buy anything as long as I get some nice swag (for work that is.)

Thanks a lot for the hints. I'm not good at greasing the wheel, total lack of personality.
I wonder how much of the people just pay more to get the first class/business class ticket.

A lot depends on what routes you fly. I'm flying cross country at least once a month and rarely get upgraded. Seems that even if I want to use upgrades, the first class is booked up. That's probably because I'm flying from Seattle where anyone who travels frequently has high status (we're so far from everywhere else), and 1 out of 5 people became millionaires here in the 90's working for Microsoft and can just flat out buy a first class ticket. I used to fly out of Chicago and rarely had a problem getting upgraded.

Personally, I'm saving my upgrades these days for international travel where it matters a LOT more.

woo! i can answe this one!

i spent two and a half years listening to every excuse in the book as to why some random ock i've never met before should sit in a seat they didn't pay for. it's annoying. it's rude. if you want something, you need to be prepared to give. a few tips:

frequent flier upgrades can be painless. if you aren't a frequent flier, become one and do so often.

alot of airlines are featuring special deals on the big seats and reduced-price upgrades at the airport. ask the agent when you're checking in if there's any deals that can get you up there.

if all else fails, be prepared to pay, either with cash or other barter. cyn has the idea... give them something they want, you'll get something you want. beleive me, a box of krispy cremes was a free upgrade to anyone...

if you think you can get away with it, lie your little heart out. your grandmother just died. you're on your honeymoon (works better when you're with your s.o.). you broke your tailbone and are really aching... appeal to the agent's better side and sometimes you'll get slipped up there.

if the answer is a resounding and repeated no, accept your fate and move on with life. there is nothing more annoying and nothing that prompts placement into middle seats faster than an asshole who won't stop bugging you about an upgrade. remember... as an airline agent, we can give you the bump up or the bump off... yes it's a little heady, but it's the damn truth. don't be a pain in the ass or we'll put you inbetween the two biggest people on the plane. i've done it before. it was so much fun doing it.

remember, social engineering is the name of the game, and don't be a jerk about it or you're sure to lose out on whatever chance you had. that's it for this post, lemme know if you have any other questions regarding airline travel.

I hear Spirit Airlines sells upgrades for $40 at check in. They don't fly my routes. Lately, I've been flying mostly Southwest, where EVERY seat is first class.

i know a guy who has carefully booked his flight to London on Sept. 11... since he figures that hardly anyone will want to fly on that day, he may have a better chance at an upgrade.

but, as Phred has already said, it pretty much depends on whether you´re on the frequent flyer list... or whatever loot you´ve got.

They announced that they had over booked and someone needed to get out on my flight real bad...if anyone was willing to take the next flight, which left in an hour, they would buy my supper and seat me in first class on the next flight....man, I didn't know they treated people like that---first class was great--lots of free drinks, etc...

Thanks phredgreen. Great info.