Editor’s Note: This has been updated with new information.
First and business class seats are highly coveted, both by elite passengers hungry for an upgrade and by bonus travelers on the hunt for reward availability. However, many airlines now offer another way to compete for unsold premium cabin space: bidding for it.
Here’s what you need to know about the bidding process and which airlines provide the service. We also offer tips to help you sit in premium economy, business or first class for much better prices on some of the most popular airlines.
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Bidding process
The upgrade bidding process is essentially the same from one airline to another. After completing your booking and receiving your e-ticket, one of two scenarios can initiate your bid:
1. An email will arrive giving you the opportunity to bid on an upgrade.
2. You can visit the airline’s website and see if your booking is eligible for upgrade bidding (you’ll often see an offer pop up or a tab to click to get started bidding process).
The terms and conditions for upgrade bidding vary somewhat between service providers, but some standard rules seem to apply:
1. You can only bid after you have booked a ticket.
2. There are minimum and maximum bids allowed for each flight sector. You can’t bid $1 hoping no one else will bid.
3. Not all routes are eligible. Some airlines specify which routes are eligible, while others require you to enter your booking confirmation code to see if your flight is eligible.
4. Upgrade bids per segment and per passenger in your journey. For example, if you are flying from Los Angeles to Paris to London, you must bid for a flight from Los Angeles to Paris and then a flight from Paris to London. Your bid will be interpreted as per person if there are multiple people on your ticket. If there are two people in your journey and you bid $200 for a segment upgrade, your bid is interpreted as $400.
5. Depending on the airline, there are certain times when you can place your bid. Most require all online bids to be placed at least 72 hours prior to departure.
6. You must enter payment information at the time of booking, but you will not be charged unless your bid is accepted. All accepted bids are non-refundable unless your flight is cancelled.
7. If successfully upgraded, most plans offer you all the perks and benefits of a new travel class, including lounge access and additional baggage allowance. We list the exceptions below.
Airlines bid for upgrades
Most airline tenders appear to be run by the same company, plus. However, each individual airline has set its own set of limits for the program. Below is a list of some basic information about the bidding process for each process.
Aer Lingus makes some flights between Ireland and North America or Canada eligible for the upgrade, although not all of these flights are automatically eligible. You can only bid for an upgrade on flights booked directly with Aer Lingus. Eligible customers will receive an auction request email.
New Zealand Airlines The OneUp program allows passengers on international flights to upgrade in one class. You can switch from economy class to premium economy class or from premium economy to premium business class. If there are only two classes on the flight, you can upgrade from economy class to business class. You can submit bids via email, which you can receive up to three days before departure, in your Air New Zealand account or via the airline’s call centre. Successful bidders are notified seven days before departure. You can pay with cash or your Airpoints Dollars.
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Etihad Select Upgrade unrestricted by destination. However, tickets booked with promotional fares, guest seat awards, redemption tickets, free tickets, tickets upgraded using miles, multiple tickets and infant bookings are not sufficient conditions for bidding for upgrade. You can upgrade a tier from economy class to business class or first business. You’ll earn Etihad Guest miles on the base level plus a 10% service class bonus if your bid is successful.
Lufthansa allows an upgrade from economy class to premium economy or business class on long-haul flights. Premium economy flyers can bid for business class, and business class travelers can bid for first class. Economy class passengers on short or medium flights can bid to upgrade to business class. You must log in to the Lufthansa website and submit your bid. You will receive a notification 24 to 36 hours before departure if your bid is accepted.
Related: How to secure an upgrade on your next flight
Singapore Airlines’ mySQupgrade allows you to bid for an upgrade in cash (US dollars) or KrisFlyer miles, within the reservation range for flights booked through and operated by Singapore Airlines. You can make, change or cancel your bid up to 72 hours before your flight departs. You can only upgrade to one class higher if you’re paying with KrisFlyer miles. First class upgrades are available for select routes if you pay in cash via mySQupgrade.
Atlantic allows you to bid to upgrade to the next higher class of service from the ticket you have booked; this means you can go from economy class to premium or premium to luxury class. You must book directly with Virgin Atlantic and if your flight is eligible, you will receive an email invitation to bid. Virgin Atlantic allows you to bid up to two days before your scheduled departure date.
Airlines don’t bid for upgrades
These airlines do not offer the ability to set your own amount to bid for an upgrade opportunity, although they may allow a fixed-price upgrade using cash and/or miles. :
- Air France/KLM.
- American Airlines.
- Airline British.
- Delta Airlines.
- The Emirates.
- Qatar Airways.
- unified airline
Give advice
There is no definitive strategy to ensure you are the winning bidder with the best price. However, these tips will improve your chances:
- Use ExpertFlyer or a similar tool to see how many premium seats are left on your flight.
- Follow the following equation for a bid price: Calculate the typical cost of a business class seat. Subtract what you paid for the economy fare and aim for around 20% to 40% of the remaining price.
- Bid slightly above the minimum to beat the crowd, as most people will choose the minimum.
Many members of elite status are angry about the bidding decision of their preferred airline; they feel the opportunity to upgrade their hard-earned activity is being auctioned off. That becomes even more complicated as airlines offer flat-fee upgrades at check-in counters and boarding gates, creating even more obstacles for the top elite. , who are high on the upgrade list, but never explicitly. It’s a tough move, as airlines must balance maximizing revenue streams with pleasing their most loyal passengers.
Melanie Lieberman of TPG successful auction on an upgraded SAS flight from the New York City to Oslo area. SAS allows passengers to bid on upgrades up to 25 hours before departure for domestic and European flights. Melanie upgraded from economy class to business class for 450 euros (equivalent to 440 USD at the time). From her research, she found that many travelers can win upgrades by bidding at the minimum price. ExpertFlyer told her that business class on her SAS flight was very empty.
Some of our readers have considered the TPG Lounge Facebook group, and one reader said they can upgrade their flight with PlusGrade quite often. PlusGrade, which many airlines use for their upgrade programs, also allows travelers to check out bidding opportunities. Another reader successfully bid to upgrade Ethiopian Airlines’ 2021 round-trip flight from the East Coast to Africa.
bottom line
Finally, bidding for upgrades has the potential to deliver great value. By giving out a few hundred dollars or pounds, you can find yourself in the high-end economy or business for much less than what your new neighbors pay up front.
The next time you fly one of these airlines and find yourself with an auction opportunity, assess whether a potentially successful auction offers enough value to be worth it. Hopefully the strategies above can help you fly in premium classes for less than premium prices.
ExpertFlyer is owned by Red Ventures, the parent company of TPG.
Additional reporting by Ben Smithson.
