Receiving a complimentary upgrade remains one of the most sought-after travel perks in aviation. In the end, who wouldn’t want to fly on a long transatlantic flight in business class for the price of an economy class ticket? However, airlines are making it increasingly difficult for regular passengers to receive a free upgrade, preferring to earn additional revenue using paid upgrades rather than giving them away.

Often, only the highest status members who have more than proven their loyalty still receive complimentary upgrades. Typically, US airlines are the most generous when it comes to free upgrades. However, for non-elite members, airlines rarely hand out free upgrades. Instead, they provide options for loyalty program members to use accrued miles or pay discounted cash rates for cabin upgrades. On most European and Asian carriers, complimentary upgrades tend to be unavailable altogether.

Unless it involves operational reasons, such as an overbooking in economy class. At the same time, US carriers are also limiting free upgrades, with these often only available after paid upgrades have cleared and availability limited to domestic flights and short international services. Furthermore, most airlines do not offer complimentary upgrades for their most premium routes and products, such as Delta One, United Polaris, or American’s Flagship business class.

Southwest Airlines

Rapid Rewards A-List & A-List Preferred

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Southwest Airlines was well known for its ‘open seating’ concept, which the airline pioneered and used for decades. However, at the beginning of 2026, the airline switched to assigned seating, introducing more premium extra-legroom seating options. This also allowed the Dallas-based carrier to introduce complimentary upgrades to its most loyal passengers.

These upgrades are exclusively available to the airline’s so-called ‘A-List’ and ‘A-List Preferred’ Rapid Rewards members. If there are still seats available, lower-tier A-List members can select extra-legroom seats up to 48 hours before the flight using the Southwest App. A-List Preferred members can select any seat on board for free at the moment of booking, including extra legroom seats.

Rapid Rewards members can achieve an A-List status when flying on 20 qualifying one-way flights or when earning 35,000 tier-qualifying points. However, passengers holding certain Southwest co-branded credit cards receive the same benefits and can upgrade to extra legroom seats for free starting 48 hours before departure. For both, up to eight companions who are booked on the same reservation can be assigned an extra legroom seat if available.

American Airlines

AAdvantage Gold, Platinum & Executive Platinum

Credit: American Airlines

American Airlines also still provides complimentary upgrades to some AAdvantage members. In order for members to receive a free upgrade, they must hold an elite status, meaning Gold or higher. Most basic economy ticket holders and lower-tier members are typically not eligible for an upgrade at all. However, as American is increasingly preferring paid upgrades using cash or points, it is also becoming more difficult for these elite members to receive an upgrade.

As these paid upgrades clear first, many seats never even reach the free upgrade waitlist. Free upgrades are generally limited to flights within and between North America, including the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, and Central America. On long-haul international flights, no complimentary upgrades are available, and all passengers need to pay for an upgrade regardless of loyalty tier.

Upgrade priority is determined first by AAdvantage elite status, followed by the type of upgrade being requested, the number of loyalty points earned in the past 12 months, the fare class purchased, and finally the date and time the request was submitted. It is important to note that the upgrade request is automatically submitted by the airline’s system.

United Airlines

MileagePlus Premier

Credit: United Airlines

Similar to American Airlines, United Airlines offers members of its loyalty program, MileagePlus, the chance to receive a free upgrade to a higher cabin class. These complimentary upgrades are only available for the program’s highest-ranking Premier members. However, United is increasingly preferring paid upgrades over complimentary ones, making free upgrades highly competitive. United follows a structured upgrade hierarchy.

Indeed, Premier status is the most important aspect, after which factors such as fare class, co-branded credit card eligibility, and whether a traveler has spent at least $25,000 annually with the airline decide which members receive an upgrade. United automatically requests your upgrade and begins clearing seats within specific confirmation windows before departure. For Premier 1K members, clearing starts up to four days before departure, while Premier Silver upgrades only clear on the day of departure itself.

Passengers traveling on basic economy tickets do not qualify for an upgrade. However, Premier members traveling on an award ticket, paid for using miles, remain eligible for an upgrade. On long-haul flights, no free upgrades are available, and also several premium heavy transcontinental routes, such as from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are excluded.

Typically, it is only possible to receive an upgrade to the next cabin class. Even when passengers do not receive an upgrade to domestic first class or business class, elite members and their companions are still eligible for a free upgrade to an extra-legroom Economy Plus seat. For Premier Gold members and above, these are available at the time of booking, while Premier Silver members can select them during check-in.

Delta Air Lines

SkyMiles Medallion

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Delta Air Lines‘ approach to complimentary upgrades is in many ways very similar to competitors American and United. Free upgrades are only available to its highest tier, SkyMiles Medallion members, and, much like its competitors, it has prioritized paid upgrades. This means fewer available empty seats are left for the free upgrade waitlist.

Similarly, when a free upgrade becomes available, they clear automatically based on a wide range of criteria, including loyalty program status and cabin purchased, among others. Furthermore, complimentary upgrades are not available on long-haul flights, and basic economy ticket holders are also completely excluded regardless of loyalty program status.

When an upgrade clears depends on the specific Medallion level a member holds. Diamond level upgrades begin clearing five days before departure, while Silver level upgrades up to 24 hours before departure, for example. Members can bring one travel companion onto the free upgrade list when booked on the same reservation. Passengers without Medallion elite status can still be on the free upgrade list by holding a co-branded credit card.

Alaska Airlines

Atmos Rewards Titanium

Credit: Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines changed its loyalty program to Atmos Rewards last year and now offers unlimited complimentary upgrades to both Premium Class, the airline’s extra legroom economy class seats, and First Class for elite status members on domestic flights. Other than most competitors, Alaska Airlines does not require members to wait until a few days before departures for upgrades to clear.

Instead, Alaska Airlines allows its most elite, Atmos Titanium members, to clear for an upgrade at the time of booking as long as they book a standard economy fare. If a cheaper ‘Saver Fare’ is purchased or no space is available, elite members are moved to a waitlist, which auto-clears based on pre-defined criteria and hierarchy.

On the airline’s new long-haul routes, Atmos Titanium members qualify for free upgrades as well. However, different from domestic flights, these upgrades only clear on the day of departure itself. Since Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are both members of oneworld, status transfers mean that the carrier’s elite members also qualify for complimentary upgrades on American and vice versa.

JetBlue Airways

TrueBlue Mosaic

Credit: JetBlue

Another airline still offering complimentary upgrades to its loyalty program members is New York-based JetBlue. Mosaic elite members, the highest tier in the airline’s TrueBlue loyalty program, are eligible for upgrades to extra-legroom ‘Even More Space’ seats. Depending on a member’s Mosaic tier, they might also qualify for an upgrade to the carrier’s Mint business-class product.

JetBlue tends to do things slightly differently, and the carrier’s frequent flyer program is an example of this. The airline’s TrueBlue program uses tiles, with members able to earn one tile per 100 dollars spent on JetBlue products. After collecting 50 tiles, a member receives Mosaic status, which is divided into four different tiers. All of these tiers are eligible for an upgrade to an ‘Even More Space’ seat, either at check-in for the lowest tier or during booking for the three higher tiers.

For Mosaic tier three and four members, the airline also offers complimentary upgrades to business class, but not in the traditional sense of being waitlisted to be assigned an empty business class seat at the gate. Instead, the carrier provides its highest-tier members with four ‘Move to Mint’ certificates that allow a member to book an economy-class seat and upgrade to a lie-flat Mint seat on eligible routes with availability. Tier-four passengers can earn additional certificates as they collect more tiles.