Are you getting first-class treatment? How to get better service and value when you're on the go.

On a recent trip, New Jersey businesswoman Tonya Payton found herself in the middle of an airplane aisle arguing over a seat assignment with a flight attendant. The carrier had assigned Payton and another man the same seat. Instead of offering Payton an upgrade for her inconvenience, "the flight attendant asked the other passenger, a white male, to give up his seat for me, then upgraded him," recalls Payton, owner of S&S Associates, a Piscataway, New Jersey, corporate communications firm.

Was Payton's incident an isolated one? "As with almost everything else, blacks don't receive the same standard of service as others," declares Caletha Powell, president of the African-American Travel & Tourism Association. Despite spending $4.2 billion on travel and lodging last year, African Americans often don't receive the same level of service as white male travelers. Much of this is due to a presumption that blacks and women don't travel, particularly for business--or sit in first-class unless they're an athlete or entertainer. This unfamiliarity leads to impudence.

When buying travel services, as with other consumer items, you must demand appropriate treatment. Asserting your rights means knowing where and how to lodge your complaint and what to ask for as compensation.

* What Payton should have done, advises Nancy Dunan, coauthor of Travel Smarts: How to Get the Most for Your Money, was insist upon seeing the headlight attendant. "Gate agents and flight attendants pretty much call the shots on a flight," says an African American flight attendant for Delta Airlines. If you're not satisfied, ask to speak to the gate supervisor, if possible, before taking off or when arriving at your destination.

* If that doesn't resolve the situation, report it to the carrier by writing a letter. The complaint letter should be short and succinct, noting the flight number and stating exactly what happened and the parties involved. If you're a frequent flyer, make sure to state so. The consumer affairs office for the airline will follow up and make a notation in your file which may lead to better service.

* Make your complaint known even if it'; a month later, especially if you fly that airline often. "The travel industry is dependent upon repeat business," notes Ernest Boger, an expert on African American travel trends and director of hospitality management at Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida.

* Know who and what to ask for, and what it will take to satisfy you, within reason. "State your case and how you think it should be resolved," advises travel consultant Christopher McGinnis. If an attendant has spilled something on you, ask for a cleaning voucher. If you're unhappy with the meal, talk with the head flight attendant about a meal voucher for when you get off. "We have all kinds of 'fools' for inconvenience," notes a Delta Air Lines flight attendant, explaining that they range from coupons for free cocktails to bonus miles to monetary certificates worth cash off another ticket on that airline. "But don't ask for a free ticket for something minor," she cautions.

On a recent flight in first class, George Fraser, publisher of the Success Guide, noticed that passengers were not being served a meal. "We didn't even get a donut. So I asked if this was standard policy." He was told that food service was dependent on the time of day and length of the flight. But he reminded the airline that the ticket price was the same as a flight at any other time during the day, so passengers should get the same service. His complaint earned him a $10 food voucher to use when he landed.

* Don't be afraid to ask for an upgrade. But don't assume it's discrimination if you don't get one. Ninety-five percent of business travelers purchase full-fare coach tickets, usually because they're traveling without advance notice. If you're a member of that airline's frequent flyer program, use your earned-mileage points to upgrade your seat to first class. And, if you've been severely inconvenienced, have missed a connecting flight due to a delay, for example, ask for an upgrade--without using your points.

Norma Pratt, owner of Rogers Travel in Philadelphia, says that if you really want an upgrade, to call the airline prior to your flight and request one. Most airlines have a standby list for upgrades of frequent fliers, but rules differ. For some airlines you must call as much as 24 hours before your flight; for others, as little as two hours. "If you wait until you check in at the airport, you're least likely to get one," she says.

If you are denied an upgrade while others receive one, ask for an explanation before you assume discrimination, advises Pratt. "If the reason isn't satisfactory, follow up with a supervisor. Counter people have a lot of control over where you sit, and sometimes their decisions are arbitrary."

* If that's unsatisfactory, follow up with the customer relations department. "The airlines are so customer-focused, they must be responsive," adds the Atlanta flight attendant.

* If you frequently come across discrimination with the same companies, whether airlines, hotels or car rental agencies, f le an action with a consumer advocacy agency. These agencies include the Better Business Bureau and the Office of Consumer Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (C-75, Washington, D.C. 20590;202-366-2220).

Finally, use a travel agency to book your tickets, cars or stay. You can and should go back and complain to them. "Always tell the travel agent who can step in and inform the vendor that they will no longer be recommended by the agency," advises Pratt. "That can cost them [the vendor] a lot of money."