What's the Secret to Getting a Free First-Class Upgrade?

Dear Jessica

Dear K.H.,

We've all heard stories of travelers with economy tickets being surprised with a free upgrade to first class. But it hasn't happened to most of us, so it leaves one wondering if there really is a way to snag a free upgrade at the airport?

Unfortunately, the days of

free anything

from airlines are long gone. On many airlines, everything from meals to headphones, blankets, and pillows now has a fee associated with it, so as you might suspect, the airlines aren't eager to hand out free upgrades on their priciest seats. Elite-level frequent flyers have the best chances of being upgraded to

first or business class

, and even they usually need to use miles in such cases.



RELATED:

7 Shameless Ways to Get an Upgrade



However, if you still hope to be the exception to the rule, here are some methods that may help: sweet-talking check-in or gate agents, dressing nicely, arriving early, registering for your airline's

frequent flyer program

, and just generally

being really pleasant

to the crew and your fellow passengers.

If you're a frequent flyer, you may be able to use your miles to upgrade. To learn how, read our

frequent flyer upgrade guide

.