Upgrading or being upgraded can make for an exciting turn in what might otherwise be a taxing day of air travel. Indeed, the difference between the potentially cramped conditions of economy class and the often full-flat beds in business is chalk and cheese. What is more, securing an upgrade pre-flight can come with the added bonus of having to fork out less than you would have if you had simply booked into the desired class in the first place.

As such, positioning oneself for the chance of an upgrade can make for an exciting prospect and a far better flying experience, all for less than might have otherwise been paid. That said, terms and conditions of ticketing and timing can make or break one’s attempt to secure a better seat, and the entire process itself can be convoluted and difficult to grasp. Here are some key things passengers tend to miss when it comes to business class upgrades.

Fare Class Matters More Than Charm

Lowest fare tickets are usually not eligible for upgrades

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As is often the way, very little comes for free, and the world of upgrading is no exception. One thing passengers must note when purchasing a ticket with the hope of being eligible for an upgrade is their fare class. That is, some tickets carry conditions that essentially exclude the holder from the pool of those eligible for an upgrade.

Generally, passengers traveling on the lowest economy fares cannot pay out of pocket or with points for upgrades. They are also unlikely to be eligible for upgrade lists, in which passengers who have requested a higher cabin class are ranked by priority for any better seats that may be available on an aircraft. So, while the cheapest ticket may be enticing at the point of booking, there is a very logical reason behind this.

Examples of carriers that place restrictions on upgrades for those in the lowest fare class include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, to name a few. As the former writes on its website: “Delta Main Basic offers you lower prices with limited flexibility and is best for those who are not concerned with benefits like seat selection, same-day changes, or upgrades.” As such, forking out slightly more for a flexible economy fare can drastically improve one’s position in terms of securing an upgrade before the request is made.

The Upgrade List Is a Computer Algorithm, Not A Human Decision

Automatic systems mean decisions on upgrades are made well before check-in

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While it might seem like luck of the draw when asking an airline staff member at the check-in desk for an upgrade, the reality is that the decision is most likely out of their hands. Despite all the effort one might go to in trying to charm their way into a better seat, the fact of the matter is that it just does not work like that. In fact, airlines’ computer systems do much of the legwork in sorting and automatically clearing passengers at the top of their upgrade lists.

This is the case until the final hours before a flight departs, at least. By assessing factors such as status, fare class, and the time the request for an upgrade was submitted, airlines’ automated systems use a range of factors to determine which passengers will be lucky enough to bag a higher-class seat. What this generally means for those in search of a better seat is that getting the request into the airline as early as possible is vital, though this may still not be enough.

At American, for instance, ConciergeKey members – being those within the airline’s exclusive, invite-only top tier – can be cleared for upgrades up to 120 hours before their flight departs. On the other end, the airline’s Gold members do not have access to the upgrade window until just 24 hours before flying. All this means that the best seats for upgrade are more than likely to have been allocated before most American passengers are even considered for the bump up. You never know, though, and getting an upgrade request in early will do no harm in buoying chances of a better seat.

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Over 50 Airlines Run Upgrade Bid Auctions — Most Passengers Never Try

Chance of upgrading for far less than the face-value ticket cost

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Another, perhaps less well-known, way of bagging an upgrade is through an airline auction. These are now run by over 50 carriers, and allow economy passengers to basically name the price they’re willing to pay for a seat in premium, business, or even first class.

Of course, submitting a bid for an upgrade does not ensure a better seat, just as raising the paddle would not guarantee winning an auction. However, in some cases, it could mean a bump up to a better flight class at incredible value. Namely, such a scenario requires those seats to be put up for auction and not sold, but it is possible. Checking whether an auction is being run for one’s flight is more than worth it, and takes no more effort than a quick search of the airline’s name, followed by “bid upgrade” due to the specific pages often being difficult to find on carriers’ websites themselves. If successful, funds for the upgrade are automatically charged to the passenger’s card upon the upgrade being processed.

Select airlines that offer the opportunity to bid for upgrades, from AFAR:

There are some catches, though. These can include a non-refundable fee charged for submitting such a bid, original ticket conditions regarding air miles remaining the same, as well as certain sums enforced as a bidding floor to prevent ridiculously low offers for upgrades. That said, the idea is to fill seats that would otherwise go unused, so such schemes can work for both airlines in generating a bit of additional revenue and passengers in getting an upgrade for less than they would have otherwise spent.

Timing Your Flight Can Double Your Chances

Off-peak flights offer far more opportunity for upgrades

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If securing an upgrade is more important than flying at a convenient time, then the news is good. The odds of bagging an upgrade naturally improve significantly if a flight itself is scheduled within off-peak hours.

In practice, this means picking flights that are usually less crowded on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, for example. Red-eye or midday flights are also typically quieter than popular morning and evening routes, so some flexibility around when one flies realistically goes a long way in getting the answer they want when going to the airline for an upgrade.

A useful trick to determine the rough probability of an upgrade is as simple as checking the flight’s seat map prior to finalizing a booking. Plainly put, being able to visualize how busy an aircraft’s business class cabin is before departure will give a pretty good indication as to how competitive the upgrade pool will be for the specific flight. Such practice is important if actively attempting to book onto a quieter flight, as simply booking an unsociable time, obviously, might not be enough in itself.

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Winning a Bid Upgrade Doesn’t Always Include All the Perks

Reading the fine print is vital to understanding what the upgrade includes

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Now, the fact that an upgrade might not come with all the perks has been mentioned, but it is worth unpacking in detail. Namely, upgrades secured via airlines’ bidding systems can almost solely relate to a nicer seat and exclude the bells and whistles that a business ticket, say, would include if bought at face value.

In this case of auctioned upgrades, the terms of one’s original ticket usually remain the same. This means whether a refund is available, how many miles will be accrued from the flight, and the fees to change the time or date of travel will all depend on the rules laid out in the original booking. Access to lounges and whether the upgrade includes additional baggage then tends to vary on an airline-by-airline basis. Because of this, double-checking is vital in order to avoid any awkward situations when either checking in or attempting to swing by and check out a carrier’s lounge at the airport.

More broadly, pretty much any upgrade at any airline will come with some form of caveat. Lufthansa, for example, notes passengers’ “original ticket’s fare conditions” stand when moving up to business class. Air Canada more specifically clarifies that “Aeroplan points” are accumulated by upgraded passengers “per the original fare purchased,” a point also enforced by the likes of American and a score of others. All this to say, the fine print is worth a glance when seeking out an upgrade, as, more often than not, at least some of the bells and whistles attached to face-value premium tickets will be left out for those originally booked in a lower class.