How to get an upgrade

Unless the flight is full and you agree to get bumped (take a later flight) or you know someone at the airline, getting an upgrade will be a tough task.

There are a few strategies that will maximise your chances:

1. Be smartly dressed. Airline staff look for people who will fit in with other business class travellers.
2. Pay the full economy fare or book 'premium economy'. You are unlikely to jump more than one 'class' (economy to premium economy, premium economy to business, etc.). If a flight is overbooked, airlines look first at upgrading passengers who have spent the most with them.
3. Sign up for frequent flier programmes. Airlines value loyalty and keep a record of how often you travel with them. They are more likely to upgrade a regular customer than an occasional one.
4. Single travellers usually stand the best chance.
5. If you are genuinely on honeymoon / an anniversary trip / it's your birthday, let the check in clerk know.
6. If you are a frequent flyer, get to know the check-in staff. They recognise regular customers and remember the ones who are courteous and friendly. If you have made a good impression, ask about the possibility of an upgrade. At worst, you will receive a polite refusal, at best you will be top of the upgrade list.
7. Leave it late. Arrive at check in with minutes to spare before it closes. The flight might be full by then, putting you in line for an upgrade. Hang back from the rush in the boarding lounge, too. If two people have been allocated the same seat on a flight, the first through the gate will get it, while the second may be offered a more luxurious alternative.
8. If you know someone that works for the airline, see if they can put in a good word for you.
9. If you meet people you know who are in a higher class, try to stick with them. If you haven't got an upgrade by the time you get to the plane, but there is a space and the stewards have discretion, they will often use it to your advantage.