An upgrade is the move into a higher cabin or room category than the one booked, paid for with miles, cash or granted as an elite benefit.
An upgrade is the move into a higher cabin or room category than the one booked, paid for with miles, cash or granted as an elite benefit.
Also called: Complimentary upgrade.
How it works#
Complimentary upgrades are allocated from a waitlist sorted by status tier, fare paid and booking date, not by asking at the desk. Understanding that explains why a top tier clears less often on a busy route than a middle tier on a quiet one. Cheap fare types are frequently excluded from upgrades altogether.
Not to be confused with#
An upgrade is not the same as an award ticket: with an upgrade the paid ticket stays in place and only the cabin jump is bought.
In German#
The German term is Upgrade. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Operational upgrade: An operational upgrade is a move to a higher cabin made by the airline for its own reasons, because the booked cabin is oversold or the aircraft changed.
- Upgrade certificate: An upgrade certificate is an elite benefit that lifts an existing booking into the next cabin, provided the airline has released upgrade inventory.
- Fare class: A fare class is the single letter on a ticket that identifies the fare and decides mileage earning, change rights and upgrade eligibility.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onStatus and lounges.