Here are the route numbers that count for finding domestic bliss these days.
Of all the tips, tricks, traps, and travel trade secrets we cover, one that gets particular attention from FCF readers is the mysterious “in-class upgrade.”
Most people think that when they buy a premium seat, the experience is more or less the same across all airlines. But that is far from the truth. It’s like lumping Maserati and Mazda together because they’re both cars. Sure, they’re both cars, but they perform very differently.
In many cases, long-haul Premium Economy seats are more comfortable than domestic First Class seats. It might sound crazy, but it’s true.
But the twist in the tale is that some flights on domestic routes are operated with aircraft otherwise configured for international routes. Where to find the good seats is ever-changing, which is why we publish these reports every few months, and is subject to change after you book your ticket. (Here’s what I did when my aircraft last changed.)
So the seats cost the same, but they’re way more comfy.
And that’s where the idea of an “in-class upgrade” was born. So if you simply know which domestic flights are serviced with internationally configured aircraft, you can get an upgrade (seat improvement) for no extra cost.
In other words, if you buy a premium seat on a standard domestic aircraft, like an A321 or B737, versus an internationally configured aircraft, like a B767 or B777, the price will be the same but the experience will be night-and-day different.
Remembering the Definition of “Upgrade”
FCF defines an upgrade as an improvement in the overall value of travel. In other words, when the sum total of all the positives outweighs the sum total of any negatives for any other option available, relative to your baseline option, congratulations, you’ve got yourself an upgrade.
Examples of Free Domestic In-Class Upgrades
American Airlines’ Los Angeles-Miami service operates A321s, B787s and B777s where fares are the same, but the seats are not. Business Class seats on the B777s and B787s recline to 180 degrees, but First Class on the A321 (short haul/non-transcon) seats only recline a few inches. It’s the same on United’s San Francisco-Houston route, which flies B737s, B777s and B787s, all with the same prices.
Wide-Body Aircraft Configuration by Airline,
With Lie-Flat Seats
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So, to drill down further, here are the American flight numbers with those better seats, along with the days they operate. Because they are subject to change and often do, always check before booking. Use this as a guide for inspiration.
American Wide-Body Opportunities Within the 48 States
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Delta Wide-Body Opportunities Within the 48 States
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United Wide-Body Opportunities Within the 48 States
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[["Airline","Aircraft","Version","Number of Seats","Configuration","Seat Width"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com\/i18n\/travel-info\/experience\/planes\/planes.jsp\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">American<\/a>","B777-300ER","\n\n\n\n1","52","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1-2-1","20.5"],["#rowspan#","B777-200","#rowspan#","37","#rowspan#","21.9"],["#rowspan#","\n\nB787-800","#rowspan#","20","#rowspan#","\n\n\n21"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","2","28","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","B787-900","\n\n1","30","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/us\/en\/aircraft\/overview\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Delta<\/a>","B767-300ER (K)","#rowspan#","26","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\n\n\n20.5"],["#rowspan#","B767-300ER (L)","2","36","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","B767-300ER (Z)","3","26","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","B767-400ER","1","40","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","B767-400ER","2","34","#rowspan#","19.9-20"],["#rowspan#","\n\nA330-300","1","\n\n34","#rowspan#","\n\n19.7"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","2","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","A330-900","\n\n1","29","#rowspan#","22.5"],["#rowspan#","\n\nA350-900","#rowspan#","32","#rowspan#","20.46"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","2","30","2-2-2","23"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.united.com\/ual\/en\/us\/fly\/travel\/inflight\/united-airlines-fleet.html\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">United<\/a>","B777-300ER (77W)","\n\n1","60","1-2-1","22"],["#rowspan#","\n\nB767-300","#rowspan#","30","\n\n1-1-1","\n\n\n\n20.6"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","2","46","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","B767-400","\n\n\n\n1","39","\n\n2-1-2","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","B787-800","#rowspan#","28","#rowspan#","20.5"],["#rowspan#","\n\nB787-900","#rowspan#","48","2-2-2","20.6"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","2","48","\n\n1-2-1","\n\n20.5"],["#rowspan#","B787-10","1","44","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"]]
<small>*Aircraft subject to change</small>
[["Travel Between","Flight numbers*","Days of Operation","Aircraft","Return","Days of Operation","Aircraft"],["Dallas-Los Angeles","AA2318","Sat.","B777-300","","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["Dallas-Miami","AA2940","Thur.","B777-200","AA867","Fri.","B777-200"],["Dallas-Philadelphia","AA470","Mon.","\n\nB787-900","AA1752","Mon.","B787-800"],["Dallas-Phoenix","AA569","Mon., Tue., Thur. through Sat.","#rowspan#","AA569","\n\nMon., Tue., Thur. through Sat.","B787-900"],["\n\nLos Angeles-Chicago","AA2187","Tue., Thur. through Sun.","\n\nB787-800","AA374","#rowspan#","\n\nB787-800"],["#rowspan#","AA1598","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","AA2364","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["\n\n\n\n\nLos Angeles-Miami","AA340","#rowspan#","B777-300","AA2330","\n\nMon., Tue., Thur. through Sat.","B777-300"],["#rowspan#","AA2644","#rowspan#","\n\nB787-800","AA2675","#rowspan#","\n\nB787-800"],["#rowspan#","AA1228","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","AA1228","\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#","AA1536","#rowspan#","B777-300"],["Miami-Dallas","AA2940","Thur.","B777-200","AA1521","Tue.","\n\n\n\nB787-800"],["\n\nMiami-Philadelphia","AA375","Mon., Tue., Thur. through Sat.","\n\nB787-800","AA2439","Mon., Tue., Thur. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","AA2486","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","AA581","\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["\n\nNew York-Miami \n","AA449","Mon., Tue., Thur. through Sat.","\n\nB777-200","AA1247","#rowspan#","B777-200"],["#rowspan#","AA1351","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#"]]
<small>* Schedule through September 30. Flight number and aircraft subject to change.</small>
[["Travel Between","Flight numbers*","Days of Operation","Aircraft","Return","Days of Operation","Aircraft"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAtlanta-Boston","DL0422","\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\n\n\n\nB767","DL0504","Thur., Fri., Sun.","B767"],["#rowspan#","DL0493","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL1247","\n\nSun. through Sat.","A330"],["#rowspan#","DL0787","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0445","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\nB767"],["#rowspan#","DL9768","Wed.","#rowspan#","DL9768","Tue.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#","DL1644","Mon. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#colspan#","DL1457","Sun. through Sat.","A330"],["\n\nAtlanta-Cincinnati","DL0857","Tue., Sat.","\n\nB767","DL 2622","Tue., Sat.","\n\nB767"],["#rowspan#","DL2963","Thur., Sat.","#rowspan#","DL 2842","Thur., Sat.","#rowspan#"],["Atlanta-Detroit","DL0521","Tue.","\n\nA350","DL0441","Wed.","\n\nA350"],["\n\n\n\n\nAtlanta-Los Angeles","DL0383","Thur., Sun.","#rowspan#","DL0509","Thur., Sun.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0516","Sun. through Sat.","B767","DL2554","Sun. through Sat.","B767"],["#rowspan#","DL0498","Thur., Sun.","\n\nA350","DL0451","Tue., Wed., Fri., Sun.","A350"],["#rowspan#","DL2864","Mon., Sun.","#rowspan#","DL0548","Mon., Thur., Sun.","B767"],["\n\nAtlanta-Minneapolis","DL0469","Tue.","B767","","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL9765","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","A330","DL8786","Mon.","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB767"],["\n\n\n\nAtlanta-New York","DL0526","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB767","DL0482","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0517","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0793","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL2269","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0424","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["\n\n\n\nAtlanta-Orlando","DL1575","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL1575","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL1639","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL1639","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0859","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0859","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Atlanta-Seattle","DL0334","#rowspan#","A350","DL0869","#rowspan#","A350"],["\n\nAnchorage-Atlanta","DL0671","Mon., Thur. through Sun.","\n\nB767","DL0671","Mon., Thur. through Sun.","\n\nB767"],["#rowspan#","DL1249","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","DL1249","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["Detroit-Los Angeles","DL2737","Thur., Fri.","A350","DL2861","Thur., Fri.","A350"],["Detroit-Salt Lake City","DL1263","Sun. through Sat.","\n\n\nA330","DL1296","Sun. through Sat.","\n\nA330"],["\n\nMinneapolis-Seattle","DL9764","Tue., Thur.","#rowspan#","DL9764","Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL9761","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNew York-Los Angeles","DL0313","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB767","DL0323","\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB767"],["#rowspan#","DL0351","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0324","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0563","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0392","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0657","Mon., Thur., Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#","DL0436","Mon., through Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0808","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","DL0553","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL1348","Mon., through Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#","DL0554","Mon., Thur., Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL1379","\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","DL0562","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL1571","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL1095","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL2789","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL1640","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0326","Tue. through Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#","DL0328","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0353","\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","DL0426","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0355","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL2966","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0439","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL2233","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["\n\nNew York-Minneapolis","DL9758","#rowspan#","\n\nA330","DL9766","Sun. through Sat.","\n\nA330"],["#rowspan#","DL9763","Wed., Fri.","#rowspan#","DL9763","Sat.","#rowspan#"],["New York-San Diego","DL0350","Sat.","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB767","DL0350","Sat.","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB767"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNew York-San Francisco","DL0300","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","DL0388","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0314","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0487","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0487","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL0561","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL2229","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","DL1621","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","DL0325","Mon., through Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#","DL0325","Mon., through Fri., Sun.","#rowspan#"],["\n\nNew York-Seattle","DL0452","Mon., Sat.","\n\nA330","DL9762","Sun. through Sat.","\n\nA330"],["#rowspan#","DL0393","Mon.","#rowspan#","DL0348","Mon., Sat.","#rowspan#"]]
<small>* Schedule through September 30. Flight number and aircraft subject to change.</small>
[["Travel Between","Flight numbers*","Days of Operation","Aircraft","Return","Days of Operation","Aircraft"],["Chicago-Houston","UA2161","Sun. through Sat.","\n\nB777","UA503","Sun. through Sat.","\n\nB777"],["Chicago-Las Vegas","UA1888","Fri.","#rowspan#","UA1791","Fri.","#rowspan#"],["Chicago-Los Angeles","UA2095","Mon. through Sat., Sun.","\n\nB787","UA2145","Sun. through Sat.","\n\nB787"],["Chicago-Newark","UA2138","Mon.","#rowspan#","UA2138","Fri.","#rowspan#"],["Chicago-Orlando","UA2323","Fri.","\n\nB777","UA1962","Fri.","\n\nB777"],["Chicago-San Francisco","UA2242","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","UA2035","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["\n\n\n\nChicago-Washington, DC","UA1268","Mon., Thur. through Sun.","\n\n\n\nB767","UA2608","Mon., Tue., Thur. through Sun.","\n\nB767"],["#rowspan#","UA2627","\n\nTue.","#rowspan#","UA2338","Tue.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA2677","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["\n\nDenver-Chicago","UA1898","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\n\n\nB777","UA1821","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\n\n\nB777"],["#rowspan#","UA763","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA2224","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Denver-Houston","UA699","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA2229","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Denver-Newark","UA1572","#rowspan#","B787","UA1204","#rowspan#","B787"],["\n\nDenver-San Francisco","UA245","Mon., Thur. through Sun.","\n\nB777","UA2045","#rowspan#","\n\nB777"],["#rowspan#","UA2681","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","#rowspan#","UA1999","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Houston-Newark","UA1524","#rowspan#","B767","UA687","#rowspan#","B767"],["Houston-Los Angeles","UA1877","#rowspan#","\n\nB777","UA2410","#rowspan#","B777"],["Los Angeles-Denver","UA371","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNewark-Los Angeles","UA1190","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\nB787","UA1082","\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\nB787"],["#rowspan#","UA1499 \n","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA1990","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA1830","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA 2213","Mon.","\n\n\n\nB777"],["#rowspan#","UA2038","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\nB777","UA 2335","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA2434","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA 2473","Sat.","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA2674","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA 2614","Mon. through Fri., Sun.","B787"],["\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNewark-San Francisco","UA1126","Mon.","B787","UA1128","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\nB777"],["#rowspan#","UA1257","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB777","UA1428","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA1498","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA1666","#rowspan#","B787"],["#rowspan#","UA1829","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA2059","#rowspan#","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB777"],["#rowspan#","UA1904","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA2097","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA1978","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA2448","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA1991","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA2499","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA2632","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA1546 \n","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA682","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","UA336","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["\n\n\n\nSan Francisco-Chicago","UA0476","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","B787","UA2169","\n\n\n\n\nSun. through Sat.","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nB777"],["#rowspan#","UA1191","#rowspan#","B777","UA2333","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA2033","#rowspan#","B787","UA2678","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["\n\nSan Francisco-Houston","UA505","#rowspan#","B777","UA1948","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","UA636","Mon.","B787","UA547","Fri.","#rowspan#"],["Washington-San Francisco","UA424","Sun. through Sat.","B777","UA2002","Sun. through Sat.","#rowspan#"]]
<small>* Schedule through September 30. Flight number and aircraft subject to change.<small>