If you haven’t heard, the latest way to score an upgrade is to purchase an economy ticket, and then bid against other passengers.
While bidding for upgrades on flights isn’t exactly new, more and more airlines are now offering this service, and making the most of extra seats available in business and first class.
Let’s face it: free upgrades are becoming a thing of the past,
Lufthansa has become the most recent airline to offer the opportunity to bid for upgrades, and they join a wide range of airlines including Virgin, Etihad, KLM, American Airlines, Air New Zealand, KLM, and Aer Lingus.
If you’ve never flown business class before, or simply have a long-haul flight in economy that you’ve been dreading, bidding for an upgrade may be the answer you’ve been looking for.
So how does it work?
After purchasing your economy class flight, you’ll usually be sent an email anywhere from one week to 48 hours before your flight. If you’re not sent an email, here’s a list of airlines that offer the opportunity to bid for an upgrade.
Simply set the amount you’re willing to bid, and if you’re successful you’ll have your new seat. Make sure you’re committed though, since if you win the business class fare your credit card will be charged immediately.
You’ll be notified around 24 hours before flying if you’ve been successful.
Source: Flickr
Tips for bidding:
Before you buy your economy class ticket, check if your airline actually offers the bidding service.
It’s also a good idea to make a fake booking, and see how full the flight is before you commit. This will give you an idea of your chances of winning the upgrade.
Before bidding, it’s important to figure out how much you would have paid for the flight if you had purchased your ticket in business class. You can expect to pay anywhere from 20-40% of this fare, so make sure you have a realistic idea of what you’ll need to spend.
Try to bid a little bit over the minimum bid, as other people are more likely to bid the minimum, and you’ll have a higher chance of being successful.
Keep in mind that some fares will be ineligible for upgrades. Certain sale fares won’t have this option, so if in doubt, talk to your travel agent or airline.
Also remember that if it comes down to two identical bids, the seat is probably going to go to the passenger who is a member of the airlines frequent flyer program.
Bethaney Davis of Flashpacker Family has bid three times, and been successful twice. When asked what her biggest tip is for potential bidders, she said the best idea is to do your research and pick the right flight: “Look for flights that are not fully booked in business class, book an economy class ticket and then bid for the upgrade”.
Have you tried bidding for an upgrade? Do you think you will in the future? Leave a comment in the box below and let us know!
