wally34949

Get an airline credit card. Charge everything on the card. Buy an economy ticket and use your miles to upgrade the ticket. Consider an airline like BA that has flatbed Business seats. If that doesn't work for you, consider a cruise.

TC

Not as easy as it sounds, Wally. Many mileage upgrades have so many restrictions its almost impossible to use.

Often only good from "certain fares" -- that is usually a fare that is so expensive you might as well have just purchased a FC ticket in the first place. In fact I have actually seen FC fares that are cheaper than an "upgradable fare".

Capacity controlled -- that's the way they have of making sure you can't just hop into FC using miles. In some programs, you pay your miles and you still have to wait until boarding to find out if you "got the upgrade".

So many strings....it's crazy. Even so, a better chance than what Mitch is hoping for.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Plus, mileage upgrades require a lot of miles. That's a lot that has to be purchased and charged on an airline credit card.

filmwill

Agree with Jeff about the way elite fliers are upgraded on US domestic carriers.

Never seen an elite member get upgraded during a flight on any of the major carriers (AA, UA or Delta.) Gate agents know capacity and which first class seats are booked or not during boarding.

That said, I've been in a situation where they upgraded me after I already boarded, but only because the person with the higher elite status they were giving the complimentary upgrade ahead of me "in line" never showed up. But never would this happen after takeoff.

sparkchaser

BespokeMitch never said where he was from but since he mentioned BA, I think he might be in the UK. Non-U.S. carriers are even more strict about upgrades than American carriers.

wally34949

I flew from Miami to Europe twice on 50,000 miles each way in Business Class. The tax on a Business ticket is the same as on an economy ticket. Just a suggestion, if you fly from the States to Germany, the taxes are less than if you fly to London, but yes, you will need to connect in London on BA.

baladeuse

I was on a flight a few years ago where a passenger behind me started having a severe (and audible) anxiety attack on take-off. As she continued after we were in the air, a flight attendant approached and moved her to first class, together with her seat-companion who had been trying to calm her down.

Mitch and the passenger I mentioned just lucked out on those occasions. Last week on a flight from New Orleans, there was a gentleman who was in severe pain made worse because he was in a seat which didn't recline at all. The flight attendant asked a young man if he'd mind switching, he answered "No". So my husband and I volunteered to switch -it was a short flight anyway. Later I realized the gentleman was a veteran who had likely been wounded in action. If anyone deserved an upgrade you'd think it would be he, but no such luck as the flight was full.

Mitch, get a travel card and charge everything, as someone else said. I will now only do transatlantic flights when I have enough miles for business class tickets. Too old to do 8 hours in economy. Went to Australia in economy when I was much younger and it was hell.