Why You Should Upgrade Your Flight

To upgrade, or not to upgrade? This *is* a blog for travelers who are looking for a high-end experience on a middle class budget, so the answer is always “YES UPGRADE”, but I think you should know what you’re getting before you humble yourself at the ticket counter or frantically refresh your app to see if first class seats are available.

What you’ll usually get:

-free checked bags

-free alcoholic drinks and better food

-more legroom and a better experience

-friendly, seasoned flight attendants

It’s worth it.

If the upgrade is $50 or less and you are checking one bag or more, the upgrade will offset that cost and the value difference in the service you receive from the moment you step on the plane will cover the remainder.

Why NOT to upgrade:

-Getting a refund on your upgraded seats can be tricky if your flight is cancelled (recently I had to publicly shame an airline on Twitter to get it done).

-If the upgrade is 100 dollars or more, you may not be saving much money in the end.

Why upgrade? Why not just buy first class up front?

That’s the easy way, but a $1200 plane ticket for a destination a few hundred miles away may not be worth it to a lot of travelers. Upgrading online before you get to the airport is the most cost effective method and the easiest. Upgrading at the ticket counter may only result in a curt “No upgrades” from the ticket agent, or at best a sympathetic smile as they show you the names on the full upgrade list.

What do you think? Post your pros and cons for upgrading a coach ticket to first class in the comments!