After years of stockpiling frequent flyer miles, you've finally amassed enough for your dream trip to Australia. The prospect of spending 18 hours in a cramped coach cabin, however, could dampen your excitement. If you want to move up to a more comfortable cabin, you do have a few avenues, though your chances of breaking out of coach on a rewards ticket are slim.
Rules vary by airline as to whether rewards travel is eligible for an upgrade using more frequent flyer miles. American Airlines, for example, will not allow it, banning mileage upgrades on "any fares not eligible for mileage accrual." United Airlines, on the other hand, promises rewards upgrades available with "no fare restrictions." This applies only to United flights, however, and not flights on its partner airlines, and you might have to make a payment alongside your miles. Airlines constantly amend their frequent flyer bylaws, usually to make them more restrictive, so you will need to check with your carrier's program or reservations center to see whether this is an option.
If you have frequent flyer status with the airline on which you purchased rewards travel, you might have a shot at a complimentary upgrade. United, for example, allows you to be in the running for a complimentary upgrade if you are at the silver level or above and flying within North America. Delta Air Lines allows Medallion members at the gold level or above to vie for complimentary upgrades. Check with your applicable rewards program to determine eligibility and how to request the upgrade. Regardless of your status, airlines generally will put rewards traveler last in line for upgrades, behind all eligible travelers who paid for their tickets, and you will be ranked by program status among other rewards travelers.
Whether you're trying to use more miles or status to get your upgrade, your odds of actually getting the upgrade most likely will be low. Airlines make a good portion of their profits from travelers paying a high price to fly in premium cabins, so they do everything they can to make sure those flyers get first shot at those seats. If you use miles to upgrade, you likely will be wait-listed until a few days before your flight. The co-payment with miles also can be several hundred dollars, depending on your destination, so your "free" flight can quickly turn into a $1,000-plus round trip flight by this method. Airlines often waive co-pays for travelers with status, but usually on domestic flights only. Your payment and mileage will be refunded if you do not get an upgrade, of course. Your odds are even slimmer relying on a complimentary upgrade, since you are at the absolute back of the line.
If you want to fly in a premium cabin on a trip using frequent flyer miles, your best bet is to book the premium cabin when you are booking your rewards flight in the first place. While it will cost considerably more miles to do so, you probably will be drawing more value out of your miles, dollars-wise, since business- and first-class seats are so much more costly than economy seats. Don't fret if it depletes your miles account. As airlines usually devalue miles over time, there's no benefit in hoarding miles. The old frequent flyer strategy used to be to pay for economy seats then use miles to upgrade, since you would still earn miles on the economy fare you paid. Because getting those upgrades is getting tougher, that method is somewhat shifting to using rewards to buy travel. Upgrading a rewards trip could be the worst of both worlds: It could be costly, you might not get your upgrade and you will not accrue any miles for your trip, regardless.
