Money Magazine quotes Tim Winship of FrequentFlier.com who says your odds of upgrading from coach to first class is about one in 100. But you can improve your odds by:
—Picking your plane wisely. Passengers on certain Boeing 757s (with 26 first-class seats to 158 in coach) have a better shot than those on an Airbus 320 (12 first-class, 126 coach). Check out a plane’s layout at seatguru.com.
—Scoping out the cabin. The more empty seats in first, the better your chances of landing one. To check it out, go to the airline website just before check-in, start to book a business-class ticket, and click "view seat map," says John DiScala of JohnnyJet.com.
—Asking at the right time. The best day for upgrades is Saturdays; fewer elite travelers fly then, says Matt Daimler of SeatGuru.com. Go to the agent and say something like: "If you need to bump people from coach to first, please consider me. I’m low maintenance — and my back is killing me."
By David Wilkening
