“Mi Mi Chloe Park, also suggests flying into smaller airports to your final destination. “For example, when flying from New York to Paris, I always choose to fly into Orly rather than Charles de Gaulle,” Park says. “This can boost your chances of getting an upgrade since you are flying into a less popular airport.”

“If you have ample time before your flight, you can increase your chances of an upgrade by talking to a desk associate rather than checking in via kiosk or online,” Park says. “Be friendly with the airline employee issuing your ticket and ask about upgrade options. Depending on availability, a certain number of discretionary operational upgrades are handed out per flight.”

“Using an OTA or a third party often results in being issued a lower level of an airline fare class,” Park says. “If flights are empty or if there is space in business or first, you’re more likely to get bumped up even before you check in.”