rewrite this title How to Use Miles to Upgrade a Flight – NerdWallet

Upgrading your flight with miles can get you from economy to the front of the plane — but it’s often a poor deal. With limited availability, extra fees and confusing rules, you’ll usually get a better value from using your miles for other redemptions.

Still, there are a few scenarios where using miles to upgrade can pay off.

Using miles to upgrade can make sense when there’s a large gap between the cash price of economy and premium cabins, but the mileage cost to upgrade is relatively reasonable.

For example, let’s say an economy ticket from Los Angeles to Chicago costs $200 (or 20,000 miles) in economy and $400 (or 40,000 miles) in first class. If you book the economy ticket for $200 and then get an upgrade offer for 10,000 miles to first class, that can be a worthwhile redemption. However, if your upgrade offer is 30,000 miles, that can be a poor value.

While checking the math makes sense, there’s also a bit of a judgment call in this process. For example, let’s say you’re going on a work trip and your ticket was paid for by your employer. If you want to use your miles for the upgrade, you may give yourself more leeway on how many miles you’d be willing to spend for the more comfortable experience.

On the flip side, there are many instances when upgrading with miles is a bad idea. If you want a guaranteed premium cabin seat, it’s usually better to book an award ticket outright. This is especially true on popular routes where upgrade space is limited or unlikely to clear.

If you’re flying a short distance, upgrading your ticket with miles may not be worth it. Upgrades also aren’t available on all tickets. For example, basic economy fares are generally not eligible for upgrades, which means you won’t be able to use miles even if upgrade space exists.

Because upgrade pricing can be dynamic, the value you get can vary widely. In some cases, you may get a reasonable deal, but in others, you may end up overpaying in miles compared to booking an award ticket directly. If you get an upgrade offer that’s a poor value, you’re better off saving your miles for another time.

While each airline has its own rules, the general process typically includes:

United offers two main ways to upgrade a flight using miles: buying a confirmed upgrade (called a Paid Cabin Upgrade) or requesting one using miles (MileagePlus Upgrade Award).

Paid Cabin Upgrades

These upgrades are the most straightforward. To check availability, find your flight in the “My Trips” section of your United account and look for an available seat in a higher cabin. If there is upgrade space, you can use miles to book the upgrade.

These upgrades take priority over MUAs, and because they are confirmed immediately, they may require more miles than an MUA.

MileagePlus Upgrade Awards

Miles can typically be used for upgrades up to 24 hours before departure, while cash upgrades may be available anytime before departure.

Like other airlines, Delta allows you to upgrade eligible tickets with miles. If an upgrade is available, you can confirm it immediately using miles. For tickets that have already been booked, the upgrade option will appear in your reservation under “My Trips” when selecting your seat.

In most cases, booking an award flight outright will provide better value for your miles, especially for premium cabins on long-haul routes. You’ll also guarantee your seat and won’t have to hope and pray for an upgrade offer.

However, award tickets may not be available at the saver level in a premium cabin, so in those cases, purchasing a cash ticket and upgrading with miles can be a way to get into a premium seat.

The best option depends on availability, pricing and your travel flexibility.

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