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Unless you’re a true road warrior and travel every week, the spending requirements for elite status with airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines are probably out of reach. Also, status is less valuable than before. Gone are the days of complimentary upgrades for elite members, along with countless other exciting benefits.

If you buy an economy-class ticket after exiting the airline status merry-go-round, you might think you’re stuck in coach — but there’s still hope for an upgrade.

What has changed? Airlines have become more aggressive in selling upgrades even on international flights. And, in some cases, you can even use your airline miles for that upgrade.

Here’s how to check out cheap upgrades using miles or cash on your next flight with some of the world’s biggest airlines.

Upgrade on American Airlines

American Airlines has long offered upgrades that can be purchased with miles, and they often come with a cash copay.

Maintains American charts Which lists the fees you can expect to pay for upgrades using miles (as well as the cash portion). Unless you’re buying a very expensive economy-class ticket, you can expect copays to apply on virtually all flights. Even with that copay, using your miles to upgrade on certain routes can be a really good use of AAdvantage miles.

Unfortunately, unless you upgrade your account systemwide, you won’t be able to see upgrade inventory on the American Airlines website. The best way to find out is by using ExpertFlyer (a product owned by Red Ventures, TPG’s parent company).

Recently, American has also begun offering heavily discounted cash upgrades, even on international and award flights. However, scoring one of these upgrades isn’t as easy as we’d like. The most reliable way to find an upgrade is to check your reservation after booking on the AA website or in their app. You will often see cash upgrade offers listed under your flight details.

Prices for these upgrades may vary and fluctuate on a daily basis. So if you don’t like the first upgrade offer you see, don’t forget to check back.

Related: How to Upgrade Your American Airlines Flight Using Miles

Upgrade on Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is more straightforward about using your miles to upgrade flights. Whether you choose to do so during the booking process or after making your reservation, Delta will display the cash and miles prices for upgrading your flight. Unlike American Airlines, they won’t charge you a cash copay when using your miles to upgrade.

Unfortunately, you usually won’t find a better deal with miles versus cash. Generally speaking, Delta will offer upgrades at 1 percent per point, as in the example below.

You can usually find these offers on both Delta’s website and their app. Note: You can see the upgrade offer after opting in Takeoff 15% discounted award flight, it’s really just Delta trying to get you to spend more miles. It’s the same total price as a premium seat, whether you book it directly or opt for a “buy-up” offer after selecting a more affordable cabin.

Like American Airlines, Delta often offers some pretty incredible cash upgrade offers. These are usually listed very close to booking, meaning you may need to gamble a bit to find the best deal.

Related: Secure a Better Seat: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Upgraded on Delta Flights

Upgrade on United Airlines

Of the three major domestic airlines with premium cabins, United Airlines is currently the stingiest when it comes to cheap upgrades — there are fewer recent reports of affordable upgrades on United Airlines than on American and Delta. That’s a stark contrast to previous years when United often sold upgrades to non-elite members at rock-bottom prices, often lower than what they offered to elite members.

Unlike American and Delta, United Airlines will sometimes offer a valid cash upgrade deal right after you book a flight. United sometimes gives a pop-up on the final confirmation screen with a ridiculous cash upgrade offer. We say “ridiculous” because each will upgrade, often More More expensive than the cash price of buying a cabin upgrade. Other times, there will be almost a difference between the price of the ticket you purchased and the seat in the upgraded cabin. But, occasionally, you can get a very good deal.

Here’s the catch (there’s always a catch, isn’t there?): the offer will disappear when you navigate away from the page and usually never reappear.

United is even more complicated than its competitors when it comes to using your miles to upgrade to a better seat. It is also worth noting that if you are using With United’s Mileage Pool feature, you cannot use pooled miles for upgrade purchases.

Many routes require a cash copay along with miles, and the copay will vary depending on the fare class of your ticket. combined It has a page on its website which allows you to determine the fee.

United Premier members are exempt from copays – except when they’re not. It’s a bit complicated, so United has a chart to walk you through it:

United makes it easy to browse upgrade options on a specific flight you’ve already booked. Select the flight in question from “My Trips” on their website or app (this functionality works better on the website). You should see an option labeled “Upgrade Cabin” on the top left. Click on that, and United will display all available upgrade options in one place.

However, if United MileagePlus or PlusPoint upgrades are not available, you will need to check this page regularly to see if availability has changed.

One last thing. If you’re a United Airlines Premier member, there are some routes on which you can upgrade to a Premium Plus seat for free.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Upgraded on United Airlines

Upgrade to JetBlue

JetBlue has a fantastic premium cabin on select flights called Mint. Mint cabins feature lie-flat seats, upgraded meals and snacks, on-demand movies and other amenities. You’ll usually find mint cabins on flights to Europe and some transcontinental routes.

Unfortunately, JetBlue doesn’t offer a true way to upgrade to Mint using your points. You can use your TrueBlue points to purchase Mint seats, but there is no way to upgrade Mint.

However, there is a way to get cheap cash upgrades in Mint. On the day of your departure, find an agent at check-in and/or at your gate to ask about a cash upgrade to Mint. Typical cash prices for a last-minute upgrade to Mint are in the $500 range, which can be a screaming bargain!

Related: JetBlue TrueBlue Program: Earn and redeem points, transfer partners and more

Upgrades on other airlines

There are a few other airlines (some more ambitious than others) where you can get a good deal by using miles or cash to upgrade your next flight. A great example is Air France. Air France already offers incredible bargains on premium flights. Also, the airline recently decided to lower the minimum number of miles required to book business-class award flights. Air France will allow you to upgrade flights with miles, although you must call their customer service department to do so.

Lufthansa, a Star Alliance member, allows upgrades with miles from other Star Alliance partners. The system is a bit confusing but still achievable. There is no waiting list option, so your best bet is to check their website frequently if you want to upgrade.

Lufthansa is also one of a number of airlines that allow you to carry cash Bid for an upgrade. This is part of a growing trend that allows airlines to make extra money from seats that might otherwise be vacant while allowing customers to upgrade to a premium cabin for much less than the full price of a ticket. The trick to a successful bid for an upgrade is finding that sweet spot above what everyone is willing to spend, which can be challenging.

Virgin Atlantic and Etihad Airways will also allow you to bid for upgrades, but one airline (which is admittedly less ambitious than others) that offers affordable upgrade options through the bid process is … Spirit Airlines. No one would ever accuse an airline of dishonesty in their marketing of the Big Front Seat. Spirit undoubtedly offers a larger seat … wait for it … at the front of the plane. Offer does not include free drinks, checked bags or bells and whistles. You get a big seat at the front of the plane. And, like some major international airlines, you can bid for a cheap upgrade to one of these seats.

Bottom line

Airlines are working hard to monetize every empty seat on every flight. While that’s bad news for elite travelers hoping for a free upgrade, investing some hard-earned cash (or miles) can be the best way to get a better seat. Savvy travelers can still find some good deals by using miles or cash to upgrade flights.

However, some upgrades are just bad deals, whether it’s due to outdated technology or algorithms that don’t work in your favor. If your travel plans have some flexibility, a little knowledge and digital legwork can help you get a better deal. Since American, Delta, and United have essentially eliminated cancellation and change fees, you may want to try a different departure date for your next flight if the cost of an upgrade skyrockets.

Finally, bidding for upgrades has quietly gained popularity among airlines. Don’t sleep on the chance to gamble for a better seat on the plane, and the odds can always be in your favor.

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