Mike FriedmanThere’s nothing worse than being crammed into a middle seat of coach with only 21 inches of legroom (unless it’s being crammed into a middle seat with only 20 inches of legroom). So when possible, upgrading with miles is a great option.
The key words in that paragraph are, of course, “when possible.” It’s no longer a case of throwing a few miles at the airline and taking your rightful seat in 2-C. Only certain fares are eligible, you may need to pay a surcharge, etc.
Today, I’m going to take a look at using miles to upgrade from coach to first on a domestic flight. There are, of course, other ways to upgrade (or other destinations to upgrade to), and I’ll hit those in future posts.
Upgrading with Miles on American Airlines
I’ll start with American, if for no other reason than it’s the only one of the Big Three that doesn’t involve an advanced degree in mathematics to understand it. Rather, it involves some miles and a co-pay.
When available, upgrades on American are a tremendous value. They only require 15,000 miles (from regular coach), whether you’re flying 3,000 or 300 miles, and the fee is flat at $75. That’s a bargain to get to the front of the plane.
The key words, though, are again “when available.” Due to a change last year in the way that American categorized its fare classes, the “bucket” for domestic upgrades shifted to one with far less availability, particularly on transcontinental flights. You’ll have to call and find out if it’s available. If not, you can request to be waitlisted. If it is, I’d grab it immediately.
Upgrading with Miles on Delta
Delta has changed its mileage upgrade process more times in the last year than I can count, so there’s a 50/50 shot that, by the time I’ve finished this paragraph, it will have changed again.
Delta used to have a fixed price chart for upgrades. Then it didn’t. Then it didn’t. And we’re still at “didn’t,” which is probably where we’ll stay. Delta has moved to a variable cost structure: The cost in miles will be about the same as the cost in cash, with miles valued at a penny each. That’s a lousy exchange rate, but if you have millions of miles, no cash and want to upgrade, I guess it’s an option.
If you want to upgrade from coach to first on Delta, you have one of two methods:
- Check out your reservation online and see if it gives you an option to upgrade. I’m sure that there’s a reason that some flights are upgradeable online and some aren’t, but I’m not sure what it is.
- Call Delta and let them quote you a price in miles. Just for fun, ask them the price in cash, too, and then yell at them for giving you such a bad exchange rate. Okay, don’t do that last part.
I shouldn’t pick on Delta too much. Variable pricing is the way that the industry is going. Our friends in Atlanta just got there first.
Upgrading with Miles on United
The plus side to United is that they give you a handy award chart to figure out how much your upgrade will cost you. It tends to center around 15,000 miles and a $75 co-pay, although that co-pay is usually waived for elite members.
The downside is that every booking class has its own price, and virtually none of them are the same. For example, if you buy a high-priced coach ticket in the “B” fare bucket, it will only cost you 6,000 miles to upgrade. But if you bought a deep-discount coach ticket in “V,” it will cost you 17,500 miles in addition to $75. On American, you’ll know exactly what it will cost you, and it won’t vary from flight to flight.
Bonus Post: Upgrading on Alaska Airlines
Okay, I’m adding in Alaska simply because I like them so much. They’re friendly, service-oriented and just all-around civilized. Too bad that they’re largely unknown on the east coast.
The upgrade policy on Alaska is easy. All upgrades cost 15,000 miles. When you’re booking your ticket, select the option on the side labeled “Mileage” under “Upgrade fare type” on the left. It will give you the fares that are eligible for an upgrade. Once you buy your ticket, just give them a call and you’ll be all set. Easy peasy.
The Bottom Line on Mileage Upgrades
Using miles to upgrade won’t always get you the best possible return on your points and it may be a bit complicated. But there’s a price for being comfortable and getting that pre-departure beverage. Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself.
