Whether you are coming home from school for spring break or going to the World Series of Poker it never hurts to travel in style. After all why should you be sitting back in coach with the schmucks when you can be sitting up in the buissness class with the schmucks who have more money. Here are some of the best ways to get an upgrade.

1. Ask for it.
This is the simplest way. When you are purchasing your ticket or at the counter simply ask if there are any cheap or free upgrades. You never know what the representative will say, at worst they will say no.

2. Dress Smart
When airlines get overbooked they generally fill up in the economy section first. And it is much more profitable for the airlines to put the extra passengers up front than to have a bunch of ticked off customers who didn't get a flight. So when they have to offer someone an upgrade the people that they are most likely to upgrade are the snazzy looking ones. After all it is better to keep first class classy.

3. Join their Program
It's always a good idea to join the frequent flyer program of an airline that you are flying with. Airlines are more likely to give good deals to their better customers.

4. Use Your Miles
Along the same line, if you have miles with an airline you can use them to upgrade from ecomony for much less than it would cost to buy a ticket. When you get to the counter ask the representative if you can use your miles to upgrade. There is a good chance you can get one on the cheap.

5. Lose the Brats
Finally, if you want any chance of these working then don't travel with children. Airlines don't like having to deal with children more than they have to, and the last thing that they want to deal with crying children sitting in first class. It would be much better for them to have a bunch of $200 coach passengers ticked off than to have $2500 business class travelers upset with their service.