Northwest WorldPerks members who reside in the United States or Canada can now purchase a ticket and redeem miles for first-class upgrades in a single online transaction at http://www.nwa.com. The new enhancement should be beneficial to members looking to save a little time.

Northwest has made several other enhancements to its Web site, including an option that allows customers to search for surrounding airports in order to find lower fares, new features that allow group and meeting travel to be booked online, and the ability to book vacation packages.

A few instructions: On the “flight search” page, indicate whether or not you want to choose an upgrade from the lowest qualifying fare, or a full fare upgrade in the “search for mileage upgrade” drop-down menu. After a selection is made, the “flight selections” page will display fares and schedules, as well as the mileage needed to upgrade to first class.