Best Time to Fly If You Are Hoping to Upgrade to First Class
Even someone who frequently flies with elite status can barely make the transition to first class these days. If you want to increase your chances, you need to know when you should fly.
As Bloomberg’s Eric Rosen explains to Gary Leff, founder of the View from the Wing blog , the chances of getting an upgrade are less than ever before. And all because some things have changed, while others have not. The number of elite passengers is on the rise, and major airline mergers have led elite passengers to concentrate on fewer programs, but the number of premium jet seats has remained largely unchanged. This means that more people will try to fill the same number of seats.
Whether you’re an elite flyer, holding an airline credit card, or paying the full ticket price (another way to increase your chances of an upgrade), you can improve your chances by flying when business travelers don’t. … usually fly. Avoid early Monday morning flights or Thursday and Friday afternoon flights between 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm. The best time, according to Leff, is midday on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. And if you fly on vacation, there will be a lot of people and fewer business travelers. Thus, a holiday flight can increase your chances of an upgrade.
How to Get Upgrade to First Class Every Time | Bloomberg pursuits