How to Move Up While on the Go : Upgrades: While traveling, there are many ways to obtain a better seat, room or rental car. It might cost something extra, but it never hurts to ask.

Getting upgrades to better airline seats, hotel rooms, ship cabins and rental cars can be a tricky business, and travelers often have misconceptions about their chances.

Upgrades can come through a variety of ways--various frequent traveler or corporate programs, use of promotional coupons, overbooking situations and problems with the room/cabin such as plumbing.

In some cases, upgrades are complimentary. Often, however, travelers are asked to pay the difference. And in some cases with hotels and car rental companies, simply asking for an upgrade may produce surprising results.

One example of a misconception stems from the mistaken belief that if a traveler is in an overbooked situation on a cruise, he or she will wind up with a more expensive cabin.

“There’s usually some upgrading on every one of our cruises as we complete the berthing process,” said Diane Moore, vice president of reservations for San Francisco-based Royal Cruise Line.

“If a cabin category is oversold, we offer complimentary upgrades, but these better staterooms may go to other passengers who have sailed with us before or booked very early. Overbooked passengers then would get the same type of cabin they purchased.”

Another misconception comes when passengers decide that the original cabin they bought isn’t for them, pay for an upgrade and then decide that their new stateroom isn’t the improvement they expected.

“We contact their travel agent to make sure the passengers know what they will get, since passengers tend to think the upgraded cabin will always be better in every way and on the same location on the same deck,” Moore said.

“For example, a passenger has an inside cabin on a higher deck and gets upgraded to an outside cabin but on a lower deck. Or a passenger could go from an inside cabin on a lower deck but midship, to an outside cabin on a higher deck but more forward.”

Several weeks before sailing, lines may also try to sell unsold higher-priced cabins at a discount to already-booked passengers.

“On our Crown Odyssey, for example, we might sell 10 or 15 cabins in this type of category per cruise out of a total of 60 to 70 cabins,” Moore said. “It depends on the ship and the specific sailing. We contact passengers in the next-lowest cabin category and offer them a special rate.”

Repeat passengers and early bookers might get the first crack since the offers are made on a selective basis, Moore said. Once you’re aboard ship, paid-for upgrades depend on availability of cabins. However, you would pay the exact difference between the cabin rates, Moore explained.

Airlines can provide upgrades, but this is generally done just prior to the flight. “We have a stand-by upgrade list by which you can be upgraded if a seat is available in first class,” said Agnes Huff, a spokeswoman for USAir. However, you pay the difference between the classes of service.

Upgrades can also come about through frequent flier programs and various airline promotions, such as with financial institutions and supermarket chains. Another possibility for an upgrade can come from the station manager at an airport.

“Station managers have the authority to upgrade someone if there has been a significant amount of inconvenience to a passenger,” Huff said.

If you think your situation warrants an upgrade, broach the subject to one of the carrier’s agents.

Some tour operators may offer consumers upgrades on the air portions of their packages. New York-based Perillo Tours is an example. The tour operator offers 10-night packages from Los Angeles to Hawaii starting at $2,199 per person, double occupancy, and including round-trip economy-class flights as well as accommodations, meals and a helicopter tour.

However, consumers can obtain an upgrade to first class for $659. The flights are on American Airlines. American’s current regular LAX-Honolulu round-trip economy fare (without any restrictions) is $1,018. First-class fare will set you back $1,716.

Occasionally, people on package tours also seek upgrades of their hotel rooms. “Sometimes people in Hawaii may decide they want an ocean-view room after seeing the room they have,” said Steve Perillo, vice president of Perillo Tours.

In such cases, if space is available, the traveler is likely to pay the difference between the room rates. However, there is still a savings since travelers would pay the tour operator’s rate--wholesale rather than retail.

Hotels will generally upgrade guests on a complimentary basis if rooms in the category booked aren’t available. If it was just a matter of seeking a better room, travelers would probably have to pay the difference.

However, chances of getting an upgrade at no extra cost can still come about, depending on the hour of day and the policy of the property. If a guest is checking in fairly late in the day, some hotels might be more willing to negotiate and not risk the possibility of losing any revenue.

“There’s no harm in asking,” said Tony DiRaimondo, vice president of sales for L’Ermitage Hotels. “But people think upgrades can happen easier than they do.”

Repeat guests, of course, have a better chance of being upgraded. Indicate if you have stayed at the hotel previously.

Car rental companies also offer upgrades. Consumers can request an upgrade at the time of the reservation, and a note will be made on the booking order.

“The best time to ask for an upgrade is at the counter,” advised Brian Baker, a spokesman for Dollar Rent A Car. Baker added that it’s sometimes possible to get an upgrade at no extra cost.