A popular practice among travelers is to book flight tickets in economy class with cash and then upgrade that ticket to premium economy, business or first class using points or miles. Right off the bat, we should disclose that this is typically not the best way to maximize the value of your points or miles. Instead, it’s typically a better idea to book a ticket in the cabin class you want to fly with points or miles initially.

Nonetheless, booking in economy class and then upgrading to a higher cabin class may appeal to travelers who don’t have enough points or miles to book a premium-cabin award ticket outright but still want to fly in a premium cabin.

So, let’s discuss how to use points to upgrade flights, the value of upgrading with points or miles and much more.

Calculating the True Value of Your Upgrade Options

In determining whether you should purchase an upgrade with cash or with points/miles, you should calculate the value of each upgrade award by comparing the cash price of that upgrade to the number of points or miles required.

For example, if an upgrade from economy to business class cost $200 or 25,000 points, purchasing an upgrade award with points would yield a value of 0.8 cent per point (cpp) ($200 x 100 / 25,000 = 0.8), which is poor. On the other hand, if upgrading from economy to business class cost $200 or 16,000 points, purchasing an upgrade award would yield a value of 1.25 cpp ($200 x 100 / 16,000 = 1.25), which isn’t bad.

These are the types of calculations that you should perform in deciding whether to purchase an upgrade with cash or points/miles. If the cpp value is low, then you’re probably better off upgrading with cash, saving your points for a future redemption. However, if the cpp value is high, then purchasing an upgrade award is a good idea.

Airplane cabin with passengers seated during a full flight.

Which Airlines Offer the Best Options for Upgrading with Points?

In terms of the value offered by upgrade awards, not all airlines are the same. Upgrade awards from certain airlines offer far more value on average than other airlines. This is largely determined by whether each airline uses a dynamic pricing model or an award chart to price upgrade awards (which will be explained in greater detail later).

Likewise, the process of upgrading a flight using points or miles is far more complicated with some airlines than it is with others. And some airlines have policies that restrict when you can and cannot use points to upgrade.

Comprehensive Comparison of Major Carriers’ Upgrade Policies

In the following sections, we’re going to break down the rules surrounding upgrade awards from some major airlines from the U.S. and around the world, including their upgrade policies and pricing.

American Airlines AAdvantage

American Airlines is one of the “Big Three” U.S. airlines, and its AAdvantage frequent-flyer program is popular among U.S. travelers. When upgrading to a higher cabin class on American Airlines-operated flights using AAdvantage miles, the price of your upgrade is determined by a fixed award chart. This means that you should actually be able to find decent value per point on mileage upgrades on American Airlines flights that have particularly high cash prices.

It’s worth noting that basic-economy fares on American Airlines aren’t eligible for upgrades with AAdvantage miles.

Through the AAdvantage program, you can also redeem miles for upgrades on flights operated by British Airways or Iberia. These upgrades are also priced according to fixed award charts.

United Airlines MileagePlus

United Airlines is another one of the “Big Three” U.S. airlines, and its MileagePlus frequent-flyer program also prices upgrade awards using a fixed award chart. This means that members can find outsized value for their MileagePlus miles by redeeming them for upgrade awards on United.

You should be aware that certain upgrade awards require a cash co-pay. In these cases, you’ll rarely get good value out of your points. But if you can find upgrade awards without a co-pay (which are available for upgrades from certain fare classes) on flights with high cash upgrade prices, you should be able to get good value in exchange for your miles.

You also can redeem MileagePlus miles for upgrades on almost all Star Alliance flights, and these awards are also priced using a fixed region-based award chart. Basic-economy reservations aren’t eligible to be upgraded.

Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

Hawaiian Airlines operates a number of routes between the continental U.S. and Hawaii, between the Hawaiian islands, and from Hawaii to Asia and the South Pacific. If you want to fly in a premium-cabin class on one of these routes, the best way to do so is often to purchase a ticket with cash in the main cabin and then upgrade to a higher cabin class with HawaiianMiles miles. This is because the HawaiianMiles program prices upgrade awards on Hawaiian Airlines flights according to a fixed award chart.

For instance, on one-way flights from North America to Hawaii, an upgrade from the main cabin to business Saver or first class (depending on the aircraft type) costs 25,000 miles. This can be a great deal depending on the cash prices of each cabin.

Delta SkyMiles

Unlike the other loyalty programs mentioned above, Delta SkyMiles uses a dynamic pricing model to price upgrade awards. This means that it’s much more difficult to find outsized value for your miles when upgrading Delta Air Lines flights with SkyMiles miles.

Nonetheless, there are times when redeeming SkyMiles miles for upgrade awards can provide decent value, and finding upgrade award availability through the SkyMiles program is typically no problem.

Since Delta SkyMiles upgrade awards are priced dynamically, the miles required will vary depending on the cash price of that upgrade. In most cases, upgrade awards purchased through the Delta SkyMiles will provide around 1 cent per mile in value. So, for example, an upgrade with a cash price of $200 would likely cost about 20,000 Delta SkyMiles ($200 x 100 / 20,000 miles = 1 cent per mile).

Emirates Skywards

Dubai, United Arab Emirates-based airline Emirates operates its own frequent-flyer program called Emirates Skywards, which is known to offer good rates on upgrade awards. Additionally, Emirates is known to offer some of the best business-class and first-class products in the airline industry. So, by redeeming Skywards miles for upgrade awards through Emirates, you may be able to get good cpp value while also experiencing the finest in airborne luxury.

To see the mileage required for a specific upgrade on an Emirates-operated flight, you can use the Miles Calculator tool on the Emirates website. You can simply enter your origin, destination, operating airline, original booking class and status in the Emirates Skywards program. Then, the Miles Calculator tool will tell you how many miles are required for an upgrade to the next cabin class.

For instance, on an Emirates-operated flight from Dallas (DFW) to Dubai (DXB), an upgrade from Economy Saver fare to business class would require 305,000 miles.

Emirates-operated flight from Dallas (DFW) to Dubai (DXB)

If you compare this to the cash price of upgrading from the same fare, you can calculate the cpp value of that redemption.

Step-by-Step Guide to Upgrading a Cash Flight with Points

Now that you’re aware of the rules and rates involved with upgrade awards for each of the airlines listed above, let’s talk about the actual process of how to upgrade flights with points or miles.

The first thing you’ll need to do is book a flight with cash. You can’t request an upgrade award until you have a flight booking confirmed and you’ve received a confirmation number. You also need to make sure that you have enough points or miles in your account to afford the upgrade that you want.

Booking the Right Fare Class for a Points Upgrade

You should also be aware that not all fare classes are eligible for upgrade awards. With certain airlines, some economy fares may be eligible for upgrade awards while others may not. For instance, American Airlines basic-economy fares aren’t eligible for upgrade awards to any other fare class. However, if you’re booked in American Airlines main cabin economy class, then you’re most likely eligible for an upgrade award.

Also, with many airlines, you can upgrade only a single cabin class. For example, if you want to upgrade your American Airlines flight to first class, your original cash booking needs to be in business class. You can’t upgrade an AA flight to first class directly from economy class.

How to Request an Upgrade Using Points

Once you’ve made a cash booking in the appropriate class, you can purchase flight upgrades with points or miles by logging in to your frequent-flyer account and viewing the page with your upcoming flight information. You may have to enter your name and/or your confirmation number to find your flight booking.

When you find your booking, you should see the option to upgrade your fare class somewhere on that page. Then, select the option to pay for your upgrade using points or miles instead of cash.

Finally, confirm your upgrade, and you may receive a new confirmation number (depending on the airline you’re flying with), which you’ll use to check in for your flight. If you aren’t issued a new confirmation number, then you can use your original confirmation number to check in for your flight.

You can typically request an upgrade with miles when checking in for your flight at the airport. Simply ask the check-in agent to upgrade your ticket with miles and then provide them your frequent-flyer credentials. It’s worth noting that upgrading at the airport can be cheaper if the airline uses a dynamic pricing model (such as when asking to join the Delta upgrade list). However, your chances of successfully getting an upgrade at the airport may be slimmer.

Maximizing Elite Status for Better Upgrade Chances

Having elite status with certain loyalty programs can also make it easier to get upgraded on flights. In some cases, elite members get first priority to upgrade availability. Additionally, with certain status tiers, members may get a certain number of complimentary upgrades per year.

So, if you’re in the habit of upgrading your flights often, then you may want to look into the elite status programs offered by whichever airlines you fly with as they could ease the process of getting upgrade awards.

Elite Status Upgrade Windows and Benefits

The following table includes the upgrade-related benefits available with elite status tiers from some of the major U.S. airlines:

Frequent-flyer programUpgrade benefits
American Airlines AAdvantage
  • Gold: 
    • Complimentary upgrades as early as 24 hours before departure*
  • Platinum: 
    • Complimentary upgrades as early as 48 hours before departure*
  • Platinum Pro: 
    • Complimentary upgrades as early as 72 hours before departure*
  • Executive Platinum: 
    • Premium cabin upgrades and 100-hour upgrade window*
Delta SkyMiles
  • Medallion Silver: 
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta One on day of departure**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Premium and First Class up to 24 hours prior**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Comfort+ up to 24 hours prior**
    • Complimentary Clase Premier upgrades on Aeromexico-operated flights up to 24 hours prior
  • Medallion Gold: 
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta One on day of departure**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Premium and First Class up to 72 hours prior**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Comfort+ up to 72 hours prior**
    • Complimentary Clase Premier upgrades on Aeromexico-operated flights up to 72 hours prior
  • Medallion Platinum: 
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta One on day of departure**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Premium and First Class up to 120 hours prior**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Comfort+ shortly after ticketing**
    • Complimentary Clase Premier upgrades on Aeromexico-operated flights up to 120 hours prior
  • Medallion Diamond: 
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta One on day of departure**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Premium and First Class up to 120 hours prior with Priority**
    • Complimentary upgrades to Delta Comfort+ shortly after ticketing**
    • Complimentary Clase Premier upgrades on Aeromexico-operated flights up to 120 hours prior with priority
United Airlines MileagePlus
  • Premier Silver: 
    • Free access to Economy Plus at check-in for member and one travel companion
    • Complimentary upgrades to next class of service on day of departure
  • Premier Gold: 
    • Free access to Economy Plus at booking for member and one travel companion
    • Complimentary upgrades to next class of service up to 48 hours prior
  • Premier Platinum: 
    • Free access to Economy Plus at booking for member and up to eight travel companions
    • Complimentary upgrades to next class of service up to 72 hours prior
  • Premier 1K: 
    • Free access to Economy Plus at booking for member and up to eight travel companions
    • Complimentary upgrades to next class of service up to 96 hours prior

*All complimentary upgrade benefits for AAdvantage elite status members are eligible on both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines and can be used for the member as well as one traveling companion (space available).

**All complimentary upgrades for elite status on Delta Air Lines-operated flights can be used for the member as well as one traveling companion (space available).

So, as you can see, if you frequently upgrade your cash flights when flying with American Airlines, Delta or United, you could save yourself a lot of miles or money by earning elite status and gaining access to complimentary upgrade benefits.

Advanced Strategies to Upgrade with Points More Effectively

In general, the process of upgrading a flight with points or miles is pretty straightforward. However, there are certain times when it’s better to upgrade your flight than others. For instance, upgrade awards may offer higher value when a frequent-flyer program uses fixed award charts, when a program is offering special deals, on certain routes and at certain times of the year. You can also often get great deals on upgrade awards by using partnerships between airlines. In the following sections, we’ll look at a few strategies for getting the best possible rate for an upgrade award.

Best Routes and Times to Use Points for Upgrades

The best time to upgrade a flight with points or miles is going to be just after booking if that option is available. The earlier you submit your request for an upgrade award, the greater the chance that your request will be approved.

If you’re trying to book an upgrade award through a frequent-flyer program that prices its upgrade awards using a fixed award chart, then there’s no advantage to waiting because the upgrade award will cost the same number of miles no matter what.

If you’re trying to purchase an upgrade with miles through a frequent-flyer program that prices upgrade awards dynamically, then you may be able to get a lower rate by requesting an upgrade at the airport or even at the boarding gate. However, your chances of finding availability will be lower, and they also may not let you pay with points.

Using Airline Partnerships to Expand Upgrade Opportunities

In some cases, booking an upgrade on your cash ticket through a partner airline can be the best option. For example, British Airways Executive Club uses a dynamic pricing model to price upgrades on British Airways flights. However, American Airlines AAdvantage allows you to book upgrades with miles on British Airways flights, and they’re priced using a fixed award chart, meaning you can often find better rates through the AAdvantage program.

For example, the rate through American Airlines AAdvantage for an upgrade from economy to business class on a one-way British Airways-operated flight between North America and Europe is 25,000 miles.

British Airways-operated flight between North America and Europe

If you were to book the same upgrade through the British Airways Executive Club program, it would require at least 37,000 Avios, which is considerably more than the cost through the AAdvantage program.

So, if you want to book an upgrade on an upcoming cash flight, you should check to see if your airline has any partners through which you can book that upgrade as they might offer a better rate.

Your Path to Upgrade Success

If you want to maximize the value of your points or miles, we still recommend saving them to purchase award flights in the class you want rather than trying to upgrade a flight later. Nonetheless, there are still times when you can get outsized value for your points and miles by redeeming for upgrade awards.

By sticking to programs that price upgrade awards using fixed award charts and by leveraging airline partnerships, you should be able to get into a premium-cabin class on your next flight while still getting good value per point.