It's a good idea to upgrade to a better seat for your next flight. It can be difficult to upgrade your flight if you want more space or better service. There are different ways to get an upgrade with some airlines.

To help you understand how to upgrade to first class, or just a better seat, here's a list of our airline specific upgrade guides.

You will get a lot to compare from these airline specific guides. There are still ways to get an inexpensive upgrade even if you can't get a free one. There are ways to get an upgrade to first class, an exit row or a seat with more legroom.

Use your miles for free upgrades on flights

JetBlue Mint. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

You can use your miles to upgrade. Every airline has a different way of handling upgrade with miles. American and United charge a co-pay on most mileage upgrades, but they waive the co-pay for elite members. Delta offers mileage upgrades at a fixed rate.

The number of miles you need to upgrade your seat is less than what you would need to redeem for an award flight. If you only have a small mileage balance with the airline, you can redeem your miles for an upgrade.

Transferring the amount you need to top off your account is possible with Bilt rewards or Chase Ultimate rewards.

It's possible to upgrade to first class without using a lot of cash.

Consider a bundle for a free upgrade

You could buy an upgrade to the exit row. SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY

You can choose better seats on low-cost airlines if you purchase a bundle. It's not a good idea to purchase a bundle just for a seat with more space. Purchasing items a la carte is more expensive than purchasing a bundle of add-ons.

Frontier's "The Works" bundle includes items such as a carry-on bag and a checked bag and allows you to select any seat on the plane. There are similar bundles offered by Allegiant and Spirit. Think about the add-ons you might purchase and how that decision might help you get a cheap upgrade to a better seat.

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Take advantage of elite status for a free upgrade

KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

It was common for domestic first-class cabins on American, Delta and United to be used for business travelers. It was possible to get a free upgrade on a flight.

The airlines made money off the seats they gave away for free. Today's first class seats are less expensive than in the past. Customers who booked a first-class fare are the ones filling the first-class seats.

There are still many ways to upgrade to first class. If you fly unpopular routes, this is even more true. If you use services like Expert Flyer, you can increase your chances of getting a free upgrade.

It can be better to have elite status on one airline than on multiple airlines. The upgrade wait list is organized by status level.

Airline miles can be used for a first class upgrade.

Pay for the seat you want

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Business travelers begrudgingly admit that a new slogan is in play when it comes to airline travel: buy the seat you want. It's an acknowledgement that complimentary upgrades are harder to come by than ever and someone else is willing to pay for the first class or exit row seat you used to get for free

Annual travel credits are available on a few credit cards. It is easy to use a $300 travel credit per account anniversary year. You have to use the Capital One travel portal to get the $300 travel credit on the Capital One Venture X rewards credit card.

Upgrading from economy to premium economy without breaking the bank is related.

Bottom line

Make sure you do your research before buying a ticket if you want to get more comfort on the plane. There's a wide range of upgrade procedures on domestic U.S. airlines. Before you click the purchase button, learn about airline upgrade policies and procedures.