Flying can be one of the most stressful parts of traveling- we are all aware of this fact. It can be so uncomfortable- depending on how full your plane is, most of the time you are starving because lets face it those peanuts just aren’t cutting it anymore, stressed about being forced to check your luggage because there is no room in the overhead compartments, being stuck in the back of the plane when you are making a tight connection, long lines for the lavatory and the list just goes on and on!

 There is one ailment for this illness and that would be the glorious first class seat. More legroom, peace and quiet, easier access to a lavatory, first on the plane and first off so you aren’t worrying about your carry on luggage, all the snacks you can eat and depending on the length of the flight you even get a meal, and many many more perks! Totally worth it right? Well for most of us our only option is the coach seat based on our budgets… or is it? If you are like me and love to travel first class but can’t afford the pricey seat read this article from USA Today which talks about five ways to get a first class seat without paying for it.

It talks about looking for promotions, knowing when to pay for the upgrade, and offers other great informative tips. The article also mentions knowing what doesn’t work, for example feeding the gate agent some story and asking for an upgrade. You see it happen in airports all the time and let me tell you, gate agents are not authorized to upgrade coach passengers unless they have miles status or pay for an upgrade, rarely will they ever upgrade otherwise unless of extenuating circumstances- and even then it’s pretty rare. So leave them alone and do your research!