Securing an Upgrade on the Plane Is a Real Class Act

Today’s air travel confirms that familiar adage: The rich get richer, and the poor get squeezed into coach.

Over the past year, many airlines have enhanced their business and first class services with cushier seats, increased legroom, and more sumptuous meals and beverages. At the same time, many carriers have downgraded their coach services, cramming more seats into already-crowded cabins and trimming already-skimpy meals to the bone.

How can cost-conscious travelers escape the increasingly uncomfortable coach cabin without paying sky-high business and first class fares? Here are a few strategies for flying in style for less:

Frequent Flier Programs

“The best way to get out of coach and into one of the premium classes is using your accumulated frequent-flier miles,” says Ed Perkins, editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter. Each airline has its own rules and restrictions, but basically you can cash in your miles for a free business or first class ticket, or you can buy a discounted coach ticket and use your miles to upgrade into the next class of service. For flights within the continental U.S., the latter stratagem will cost 20,000 miles on most carriers; for flights to Europe, it’ll set you back 40,000 miles on American, Delta and United.

But be forewarned, Perkins adds. On many airlines, you cannot upgrade the very cheapest fares on some routes or tickets purchased as part of a tour group, or from a consolidator. Upgrades also are “subject to availability.” That means the airlines set aside only so many seats for mileage-based upgrades on each flight. So, book early.

Less Expensive Premium Class Options

A handful of low-fare airlines and charters offer less expensive premium-class seats. The newly relaunched Pan American World Airways offers a one-way first class fare of $450 from Los Angeles to New York, a substantial savings over other carriers’ first-class prices, which can top $1,200 one way. On Reno Air, which serves 10 states and Canada, you can upgrade most coach flights for $25 on the day of departure, subject to availability.

For international flights, some Europe-based charter-style airlines, such as Martinair Holland, offer reasonably priced business class options. Typically, those charter tickets are approximately twice the price of the charter’s usual coach seats, but half the price of business class on the major carriers.

Seniors Programs

Some airlines’ seniors programs offer outstanding discounts on business and first class seats, subject to availability. Through Delta’s Seniors Select Savings Program, for example, members (62 and older who have paid a $40 membership fee) can purchase a first class ticket between Los Angeles and New York for $598 round trip, a fraction of the published list price of $2,478.

Upgrades From Full-Fare Coach Tickets

Some carriers will upgrade full-fare domestic or international coach tickets on selected routes for no extra charge at the time of booking--a real plus for travelers who weren’t able to plan ahead and buy discounted coach tickets several weeks in advance. America West, Continental, Northwest TWA, and U.S. Air offer this no-cost upgrade option on many of their domestic routes, subject to availability.

A good travel agent often can negotiate other complimentary upgrades at the time of booking. On many international routes, if you purchase a full-fare coach ticket, the airline sometimes will upgrade you to business class at no additional cost if seats are available and unoccupied. By the same token, if you purchase a full-fare business-class ticket, the airline sometimes will upgrade you to first class.

Good and Not-So-Good Deals From Credit Card Companies

American Express offers its Platinum Card members a “two-for-one” deal: Buy one full-fare business or first-class international ticket on selected airlines and get a second companion ticket in the same section, for the same itinerary, free--an effective 50% discount. Some of the participating airlines include Air New Zealand, Alitalia, Iberia, LanChile, Lufthansa and Swissair.

Some credit card companies periodically dangle upgrade certificates as inducements for potential customers to sign up for a card. But most of these “special deals” aren’t so special. Typically, the upgrades are only good with a high-priced full-fare coach ticket. Although these certificates might make dollars-and-sense for business travelers for spur-of-the-moment midweek travel, they don’t help leisure travelers who usually purchase heavily discounted tickets.

Cyber-Deals

Within the past year, a few airlines (including American and Cathay Pacific) have offered premium class tickets at discount prices and via auctions on the Internet. These on-line offers give the airlines a way to make last-minute sales on seats that would otherwise remain empty. Although these Internet programs are still in their infancy, you can expect to see more such deals in 1997.

Around the World

One of the best premium-class discounts is an around-the-world ticket offered by a single airline or a partnership of two or three carriers. On United Airlines, for example, an around-the-world fare is $3,618 in business class, $5,020 in first. Thus, you can literally fly around the world for less than what a round-trip in that class would cost from Los Angeles to London. So go ahead, and fly from Los Angeles to London, then head to the Middle East or India. Stop off in Hong Kong or Hawaii (or both) on your way home. And you’ll earn frequent-flier miles along the way.

Lockwood is a Los Angeles-based writer who flies about 27,000 miles a year. Christopher Reynolds is on assignment.