Possible to upgrade flight at checkin for reasonable rate?
 

It sounds too good to be true! A co-worker told me you can upgrade when checking in for your flight for very little if there were open seats. Is this really true?!

If so, what's the best strategy?

We leave for a flight to Italy this coming week and would LOVE to be able to upgrade for a reasonable price!

Thanks!

Don't count on it and chances are you won't be dissapointed.

I have read that on European flights it is pretty hard to get an upgrade. And one fact I know that might validate that is when we have flown standby for first class virtually the entire first class section is standbys=non-rev passengers. Talking 20 seats maybe. So, it would never hurt to ask, of course.

Every airline has different rules - who they offer upgrades to ( starting from their most frequent flyers on down) what the cost is (again it varies) and IF they have any seats.

So, first, check with your airline's web site to see if it looks like there will be any seats open. Then, contact the airline and find out what their rules are for upgrades.

Note; all other things being equal you have a better chance if you're one person, then a couple - rather than a group. And - you should be well-dressed and extremely polite.

(I've been given First Class as a freebie over the bombastic blowhard ahead of me, demanding that he be upgraded because he was CEO of some company. The agent told me to wait at the side for a moment. When he left - no upgrade - she gave it to me, saying "if he's so important he wouldn't be flying commercial".)

Get to the airport early and approach the gate agent to see what the chances are. (Or, if you belong to the airline's club go there for the upgrade - members always get preference over others.)

Thanks...just the kind of info I was looking for.

Of course, I won't get my heart set on it happening, but why not cross my fingers and give it a try! :)

If this is what you're planning to do often, you should investigate the policies of the possible airlines you'll fly, on flyertalk.com and elsewhere.

On some, they are possible. Impossible on others like Continental.

I may not be remembering correctly, as I didn't do it, but I'm pretty sure I was given a chance to upgrade from coach to business on a United nonstop flight recently -- either from US to Zurich or the return from Paris (I think it was that one). As I recall, it was around $400. I wouldn't call that very little given it was more than 50% of the fare I paid, for that segment (I paid $1400 RT).

I wasn't interested in paying $400 for an eight hour flight as the flight was so expensive to begin with. I remember thinking that if I really wanted to splurge, it would have been worth a lot more to me to do that going over when I needed to sleep, than returning, when I stay awake.

There wasn't any strategy to it, it was offered to anyone checking in.

The last two times I flew United to Rome there were signs posted in Dulles airport saying you could upgrade to business class from coach for $250.00. I chose not to, as I'd already paid a small fortune for those flights, but plenty of other people were going for it.

But obviously it must depend on how many seats are available. And I doubt you can do it "for very little."

With European airlines, you may be lucky with paid-for upgrade on your outbound flight from US - upgrade against cash (as opposed to more usual with miles or vouchers) seems to be offered now and again. But it's most unlikely on your return trip, esp when flying out of their hubs. If offered, it's more than likely you have to pay the actual difference in fares between coach and business, which runs to around $1000 per transatlantic sector.

$250 or $400 for an upgrade to business class per trans-Atlantic segment is <b>very little</b>, in my opinion. I would jump on it in a heartbeat.

We flew United to Amsterdam in July and when checking in we mentioned it was our wedding anniversary. We were upgraded to Economy Plus which gave us more leg room. When we flew home from Paris we wondered if we would be upgraded again, and we were without asking. It was very pleasant for such a long flight.

The only time we've been offered an upgrade for cash was on BA from MCO to LGW. $250 to Premium Economy or $500 to BC. Since we were traveling on really cheap tickets we took the upgrade to E+. Never was offered this on the way home, but a friend , flying to the West Coast, has twice been offered it , for 50 Pounds!

If there are a lot of open seats in biz, it's possible you'll be offered a deal. If there aren't that many, they'll save them for latecomers or preferred FF customers who'd like to upgrade.
A few times, when I've flown very off season from Orlando to London Gatwick, I was offered upgrades from Premium Economy to business for $200. I accepted the offer once, declined the other times. I've not been offered a similar deal flying to the U.S. from Gatwick.
However, when my mother was going back to the U.S. after visiting us in the UK earlier this year, they upgraded her from regular economy to PE for free and put her on the list for a free upgrade to business (all the biz seats ended up selling, alas). I guess the check-in lady just liked my mom.

Agree that $250 or even $400 for an upgrade is the deal of a lifetime - I'd grab it in a minute to get out of coach. (It's nothing to what the full coach fare is.)

If you're thinking of an upgrade for $50 or something - that's generally available only on short domestic flights - and usually only if you're paid full (rather than discounted ) coach.

We are flying Delta.

$200-$400 would be my idea of a reasonable amount...sorry I didn't define that more clearly.

When we checked in on British Airways for our flight home from Heathrow to Denver, we were told, &quot;You've been upgraded!&quot; No explanation, no request for more money, just moved to World Traveler Plus, which was heavenly! Great leg room, great food, free French wine and we've no idea why they blesssed us, but hoping it happens again!

The airline that I fly for rarely gives upgrades at the last minute so don't plan on it and then be pleasantly surprised. The $250-400 fee for upgrade seems too good to be true!

Contrary to what many believe upgrades do not happen when there are empty seats in business/first, they happen when coach is oversold. Airlines realize that they will have to upgrade some passengers and instead of doing it for free they will try to sell it first. If not enough passengers bite then the airline will try to upgrade any status holders, full fare passengers, etc...

I'm a travel agent with more than 20 years in the business. I've only been upgraded twice for free. Mind you, I'm not the kind of person to ask.

I think the airline used to do it more but I agree with AAFrequentFlyer..often the airline over sells coach class and out of necessity will upgrade passengers. Full fare passengers and people with frequent flyer status would be the first on the list.

I don't wish to depress Virgogirl, but wine - French if you're unlucky, but they offer decent stuff as well - is always free (and, if you play your cards right, unlimited) in all classes on BA long-haul flights.

We were on the pay with miles and $$ upgrade list for our American flights to and from Frankfurt for several months. On our outbound flight from DFW to FRA a few weeks ago, we were not upgraded. The flight was oversold in coach and they were offering $700 + meals and hotel for people who could take a flight the next day. Biz Class was also full.

However, on our return flight last Thursday, we were given an upgrade a couple of days before the flight. I had checked the seats available a couple of days before and there were still quite a few in Biz Class so I felt we had a reasonable chance. I was so glad to be in Biz Class. It cost 25,000 miles and $300 but I felt it was so worth it.

AAFF, I don't think that's always true. I was offered the cheap upgrades to Gatwick when there were plenty of empty seats in coach. These were very off-season flights (not during school holidays in Europe or the U.S., few families flying, and also not during any big convention period in Orlando).

We had one wonderful experience that is consistent with AAFF's comment. We were flying from ATL to Frankfurt for Christmas holidays 2005, and Delta had oversold coach. Our family of 4 was upgraded to 1st (or Business Elite, or whatever they called it) for free. My husband's gold medallion status was why we were chosen.

My reply's late but Delta doesn't offer paid upgrades to their international Business Elite cabin (not the $200-$400 kind anyway), only for domestic first class. I've gotten an op-up to BE when coach was oversold.

Have had a few upgrades when economy was oversold. On one occasion we went from economy to first in Air Canada from Toronto to Delhi - had to fly the next day but it was still worth it.

One other occasion my partner and i were crossing the pond on points - flight was oversold so we volunteered to go on business on the flight the next day and they gave each of us a travel voucher for $300 for our trouble. The same deal was offered on the route home but unfortunately, due to work commitments, we could not have taken advantage of it.

My partner was joining me in South Africa – flying on points. I had not been able to get him a business seat so he was in economy. He mentioned this in passing when he checked in. As he went to board the plane the gate attendant said that his seat had been changed – he was not a happy bunny because he assumed the worst (middle seat) – but when he got on the plane he was directed to business class (I know he’s not too swift could have worked it out by looking at the seat number)

&quot;Op-ups&quot; are great when they happen, but counting on them is a fool's paradise.

Paid upgrades at the counter/gate are more common on BA than on other airlines of my acquaintance. It never hurts to ask, however.

American has a couple of European routes where they use 2-class 757 narrow-bodies, which they sell only as one-class (economy) services. American frequent flyer elites and folks paying higher-bracket economy fares get to choose the &quot;first class&quot; seats, and at other times I've seen signs posted at the airport offering to sell the bigger chairs for $150 or $200 on a first-come basis. Still economy service, but much more comfortable than down the back on a Slaveship.

On a related note, MaxJet announced its winter fares within the last couple of days - $499 one way JFK-Stansted, $599 from LAX or Vegas. With taxes, slightly higher coming back due to UK airport fees. Fares are good through Feb.

I upgraded at the counter (it was $500) to business class on UA, ORD to London. It was a flight that left about 2 hours late so I was really very tired and so glad to be able to sleep!!! I can not sleep in economy, no matter how tired I am.

I am flying from ORD to FRA in November and I plan to ask about the price for upgrading to bus class. My ticket for this trip was very reasonable, so paying another $400-500 seems a bargain.

BTW, I'm premier exec with UA.

Similar to American, Delta also operates domestically configured 764 and 752 (these are ex-AA/ex-TWA ones) on some European routes. These are sold as all coach flights with elites and Y/B fares able to select a seat in the &quot;first class&quot; section with same economy class service. I believe anyone can request these seats at the airport for no additional charge if any are still available.

We were offered an upgrade from economy to economy plus last month on United and should have said, yes. Since we usually fly coach we thought, &quot;how much better could it be?&quot;
Wow, what a dumb question! We should have asked, &quot;how bad can it get???&quot;
The plane from San Diego to Chicago was okay. The 747 from Chicago to Frankfurt was truly the smallest amount of leg and everything else room I’ve ever had on a plane. Giving other meaning to, “fly the friendly skies”. On the flight home we vowed to take the upgrade, no matter the cost but the flight was full.

At least we weren’t stuck next to the galley on that plane with the service cart banging the seat each time it passed.
Just to really rub it in, United had paper napkins that stated, “More leg room than any other carrier.” I suppose they can say that because they give more legroom to those lucky few seats in economy plus.