How to upgrade your airline seat without hurting your bank account

How to upgrade an airplane seat at no extra cost? First and business class on an airplane are often associated with a significant increase in price airplane tickets. But there are other ways to ensure more comfort on the plane, without breaking the bank. In reality, quite a few "ordinary mortals" fly in business class seats all the time. How? All you need is a few skills, and a seat in first class can be yours.

Air miles

Some cash in on this venture airline miles or bonus points on a credit card, giving them a free seat upgrade. If you're a frequent traveler yourself, it might make sense to check out these types of benefits. And even if you're not collecting miles, there are a few ways you can try to upgrade your seat. In some cases, advance planning is essential, while in others, arriving at the airport early is essential. Here are some ideas on how to upgrade your airfare without breaking the bank.

Be strategic

Want a seat upgrade? A simple way to try is to check how busy your flight is. You can do this directly on your airline's website. Some travelers go a step further than that and look for tickets on empty flights to have a better chance of upgrading.

If an airline has several flights a day on a particular route, there is a high probability that not all of them will be occupied until the last seat. So it's a good idea to avoid booking the busiest flight. There's no guarantee that you'll get an upgrade on a emptier flight or a flight that leaves late at night or early in the morning, but you have a better chance than on a completely full plane, especially without elite status.

Kindness comes first

The myth that you can get a promotion to first class by wearing nice clothes is not true. So you can just put your latest wardrobe back in the closet and make sure you pack your manners instead. Unless you ask the cabin crew or flight attendants at the airport, you may never know. Some seasoned travelers found out about the upgrade during check-in at the airport or at the exit. There is no easy way to do this and no guarantee that it will work.

A journalist from the Conde Nast online platform recommends that you kindly address the flight attendant like this: “Hi, I noticed that there are a few empty seats on today's flight and I was wondering if I could upgrade my plane ticket. If there is still room, I would like to consider an upgrade.” Remember that gate agents have a pretty stressful job dealing with overloaded travelers all day, so don't be too disheartened if you are turned away. But if you get an affirmative answer, rejoice and then relax in your more comfortable seat.