| Flying is a necessary evil if you want to get from one | | | | Simple. You ask for it. On domestic flights, your |
| place to another. The level of evil you must submit to, | | | | chances depend on the flight. Is it late at night, a full |
| however, is directly proportional to the class of seating | | | | plane and so on? In general, you can expect to pull it |
| you have. First class seating on a long flight is simply | | | | off maybe 20 percent of the time. That 20 percent, |
| heaven on earth. | | | | however, will be well worth your effort. |
| First class. Ah…. People feeding you grapes | | | | On international flights, the stakes are higher. You are |
| and fanning you with big palm leaves. Okay, maybe | | | | going to sit on a plane for 8 to 25 hours depending on |
| not. Still first class is where you find seats made for | | | | where you are going. The difference between sitting |
| the human body and stewardesses that don't act like | | | | with the heard or riding in first class is extreme. Well, |
| French waiters. On a long flight, first class is where you | | | | you will be happy to learn it is easier to upgrade to first |
| want to be. | | | | class. For some reason, first class is rarely filled unless |
| Make no mistake, flying these days is nearly as | | | | it is a major city to major city flight such as New York |
| calming as a trip to the dentist. You don't want to go, | | | | to New York. Even then, you have a good chance. |
| but you know there is no avoiding it. From long security | | | | So, what are examples of such upgrades? Here are a |
| checks to late takeoffs to outright flight cancellations, it | | | | few I've pulled off. $75 to upgrade to first class on a |
| is enough to make anyone crabby. | | | | flight from Paris to Los Angeles. $56 for Bangkok to |
| As with many bad situations, there can be a silver lining | | | | Los Angeles, which is a very long flight with a stop in |
| found in the current joke that is known as the airline | | | | Japan. $90 for San Francisco to Seoul, Korea. $35 |
| industry. What is it? The last minute upgrade. It is the | | | | from Costa Rica to Houston. |
| stuff of legend and luxury. Pull it off and you will | | | | Can you do this? Yes. Almost nobody asks for |
| become that annoying person at the party that just | | | | upgrades at the gate. The worst that can happen is |
| can't shut up as you tell friends over and over how | | | | they say no. The best is you are eating grapes in first |
| you flew back from some destination in the lap of | | | | class with a breeze from the palm leaves moving |
| luxury. | | | | through you hair! |
| So, how exactly do you get a last minute upgrade? | | | | |