Southwest and Continental Airlines Seat Upgrade

Here are some strategies to obtain a good southwest airline seat upgrade.

Because Southwest Airlines don’t have designated seats, but provides boarding areas on the idea of how soon you board your flight, it’s long been known that an early check-in (preferably online) is the key to getting a good seat.

Purchase a first- or business-class airfare on a low-cost airline: Some domestic budget airlines offer business- or first-class airfare at a better discount than what the legacy lines charge (or would charge, absent the competition).

Right now, AirTran, America West, Spirit, and Sun Country offer (relatively) low-budget business- or first-class choices.

Purchase the premium economy ticket: A few overseas-based airlines provide a premium economy seat on transatlantic and transpacific planes. Also, check for United’s new premium “p.s.” service, which came on select transcontinental routes this fall.

Purchase smart

Purchase a ticket for a good coach seat: No, “good coach seat” is not an oxymoron; one small domestic line, Midwest, provides them on flights designated “Signature Service.” Seating in DC9s and 717s is four-abreast, and legroom—while a bit tight, is better than what you would find in most other coach cabins.

Purchase a coach ticket with a built in upgrade: A few airlines, like Continental and Northwest, provide no-cost, confirmed upgrades on higher-priced domestic coach tickets.

In some situations, those upgrades are confined to connecting routes through the airlines and major hubs.

Purchase with miles

Apply the frequent flyer status upgrade: The frequent flyer status upgrade of many legacy lines, including Alaska and America West, makes way for upgrades that rely on your status in the program.

Upper-level frequent flyers receive unlimited free or cheap upgrades on most coach tickets, while upgrades for mid-level frequent flyers are limited by some combination of their status in the frequent flyer hierarchy and what they pay for their coach ticket.

Upgrade a coach ticket that has frequent flyer miles: The legacy lines, plus Southwest airlines and America West, all offer upgrades that can be purchased with frequent flyer miles.

Normally, you need twice as many miles to upgrade a low cost coach ticket as to upgrade one of the two or three most expensive categories. And, a few lines don’t allow upgrades to some of the cheapest coach tickets at all or, like Continental, charge fees up to several hundred dollars to do so.

southwest airline seat upgrade