This Airline Elite Status Perk Is Amazing for Long Flights

I was recently on an international flight that was 100% full, and I was in basic economy. I didn't have enough leg room and I felt excessively cramped and crowded for the entire flight. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't work; it was not fun.

This experience made me wish I could get elite airline status perks like free upgrades -- even to a higher-class economy ticket with slightly more leg room. You can also get this perk by using airline frequent flyer miles/travel reward points to buy an upgrade.

Let's look at how to use airline elite status or credit card rewards to improve your in-flight experience.

Airline upgrades: What are they and how do they work?

When you buy a plane ticket, you're typically required to stay within a certain "class" or fare class of seat. Most major U.S. airlines offer different prices, with higher-priced seats like first class or business class at the front of the cabin, and no-frills tickets like basic economy toward the back of the plane.

But if you have elite airline status, you can move to a better seat, or "upgrade" your ticket, often at no cost. Having elite airline status can give you a better chance of moving to a higher-class economy seat with more leg room, or even getting upgraded to business class on some flights.

Exact rules vary by each airline's elite status program. You won't always automatically get upgraded if you have elite status with airlines, but having status improves your chances. The higher your status, the more likely you are to get moved to a more comfortable seat on the plane.

How to buy airline upgrades with credit card points

What if you don't have elite airline status and don't care to spend enough money (or enough time in the air) to get it? Good news: You can still get airline upgrades. The best travel rewards credit cards can help you improve your flying experience by buying upgrades.

Sometimes the best way to get value from your travel credit card reward points is not by purchasing an airline ticket, but by upgrading an existing reservation. For example, you could buy a full-fare economy ticket at a cost of $500 using your credit card, and then later decide to pay a bit extra to upgrade that ticket to premium economy or business class. Sometimes airlines offer special deals on upgraded seats, especially as the date of the flight gets closer and there are still empty seats available.

The best way to buy upgrades on airline seats is often to use travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which lets you transfer credit card points to partner airline frequent flyer programs.

For example, if you have 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your Chase Sapphire card, you can transfer those points to United MileagePlus® and automatically convert those 30,000 points into 30,000 frequent flyer miles on United Airlines. Then you can use United miles to buy upgraded seats on eligible United flights.

You can also use cash to buy airline upgrades. But sometimes, credit card points give you better value than cash. This can be a good way to use any unused credit card points you may have sitting around. Many airlines also let you book upgrades with a combination of cash and miles.

Bottom line

Getting priority treatment for free automatic airline upgrades could be one of the best reasons to get elite airline status. But even if you're nowhere near enough of a frequent flyer to qualify for elite status, you can still pick and choose your own "a la carte" airline upgrades by using travel credit card points and airline frequent flyer miles.

I might never fly often enough to be an elite-status airline customer, but from now on, I'm going to look for opportunities to pay a bit extra -- with cash, miles, or both -- to get more comfortable seats on long flights. The best credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, can help make this travel dream a reality.