1. Concentrate on one airline: Very frequent flyers get more free upgrades, often pay less to buy upgrades, and get preferred treatment on standby upgrade lists.

2. Sign up for e-mail offers and read your frequent flyer mail: Airlines often advertise upgrade specials this way.

3. Fly in the morning: Many people save their precious few upgrade coupons for afternoon and evening flights to take advantage of a free dinner and cocktails, but lots of first class cabins are only partially full in the morning.

4. Favor foodless flights: If you can't fly in the morning, pick a flight where food is not served in first class. Many flyers won't "waste" their upgrades unless they are assured of a meal.

5. Fly at non-business hours: Saturdays, holidays, mid-day and late evenings are times when business travelers are scarce. You'll have fewer competitors for first class seats.

6. Fly planes with larger first class sections: The more first class seats on an airplane, the better your chances for upgrading. Know thy airplanes and check seat maps on airline and frequent traveler Web sites.

7. Pick less crowded flights: It doesn't hurt to check the seat map in coach as well. Flights that aren't crowded in the back will provide less competition for upgrading, plus, if you end up in the back it's still a lot more comfortable.

8. Avoid hub airports: Most frequent flyers live in hub cities. The more you can avoid flying dominant airlines in or out of their hub, the less competition you will have for a first class seat.

9. Fly at "reverse commute" times: If you cannot avoid hubs, try the "reverse commute". Business travelers may start their trips in the morning or evening, but will usually come home in the evening. On a trip from Chicago to Salt Lake City, for example, I would try to fly Delta out of Chicago in the morning and fly back in the morning again on United to minimize competition on both legs of the trip by avoiding peak travel times for Delta frequent flyers based in Salt Lake City and United frequent flyers based in Chicago respectively.

10. Upgrade early: Seats set aside for upgrades are limited. Try to upgrade as soon as you book your flight or as soon as you are allowed to upgrade according to the frequent flyer programs rule. Airline reservations phones are often busiest at midnight Eastern time as many savvy frequent travelers make their upgrade call as soon as the new day begins.

11. Get voluntarily bumped: Those who volunteer to give up their seats in oversold situations not only get discounted tickets or other compensation, but will often end up in first class on the next flight out if coach is also oversold on that flight.

12. Find a good travel agent: Many travel agencies receive complimentary upgrades from airlines as a reward for sending a lot of business their way.

13. Be charming and polite: Airport personnel are often empowered to make decisions as they see fit. Being nice and friendly to these folks could make all the difference. If you fly to the same places all the time, get to know these people

14. Dress nicely: Casual dress might be widely acceptable today, but I have seen and personally experienced many situations where the guy in the suit got the first class seat.

15. Don't take no for an answer: Ask everyone you see. I usually start asking about an upgrade from the moment I book the flight. And never stop asking until all the first class seats are gone and the airplane door is closed. I have been refused by reservation agents only to be upgraded at the ticket counter, refused at the ticket counter only to be upgraded at the gate, and refused at the gate only to be upgraded by a flight attendant.