Airlines are offering passengers a way to upgrade tickets on quieter flights, and it could save you hundreds of pounds.
It’s as simple as telling the airline how much you’re willing to pay — in other words, submitting a bid. While you’re not guaranteed to win an upgrade, the chance to nab a cheap business class flight is worth the punt.
Whether you’re in search of some winter sun or looking ahead to your summer getaway, bidding to upgrade is one way to make your trip feel extra special without splashing out.
Here’s everything you need to know…
Which airlines allow you to bid for an upgrade?
The following airlines allow passengers to bid for a business class seat — check their websites for further details:
How to bid for a seat upgrade
After you’ve bought an economy class ticket, keep your eyes peeled for an email from the airline offering you the chance to bid for an upgrade. This will often arrive within a week before departure.
You can also go to the airline’s website to see if your booking is eligible for an upgrade.
Airlines will set a minimum and maximum price for a bid. Most passengers will bid close to the minimum amount, so bidding around 20-40% above this gives you a good chance of securing an upgrade.
Tips for bidding on a seat upgrade
- Bid 20-40% above the minimum amount to gain a better chance of winning an upgrade.
- Consider bidding more if the flight is busy or has gone up in price. You can find this out by trying to book a new ticket and seeing how many seats are left.
- Bidding may be less competitive on leisure routes rather than business routes (think the Maldives instead of New York).
- Similarly, flights that depart later in the day — when most business travellers have already flown — may be less competitive.
- Check the airline’s website for details on when and how to bid
Not all airlines allow you to bid for seat upgrades, and those that do may only allow it on specific routes or have a certain time window in which to do it — less than 72 hours before departure, for example.
If you win the auction, the airline will let you know and your ticket will be upgraded. Passengers can usually enjoy all the benefits of the upgraded travel class too.
This may include fast-track check-in, a separate lounge in the airport, and complimentary food and drink.
Remember that your bid only counts for one segment of your journey. If you have booked a round trip and want to upgrade your return seat as well, you will need to place two bids.
It might sound too good to be true, but travellers on Reddit have been sharing their bidding success stories.
One user who calls themself doineedaname42069 flew with Air New Zealand and said: ‘We did the lowest bid to get into Premium Economy and got accepted. Was a 787 plane and the late night flight during the weekday, so that might have been why we were accepted.’
Another user, Francisandhismates, wrote: ‘I’ve had my offer accepted two times now on Air NZ, once for business and once for premium economy. The business one was just straight lowball. And the other time I committed a little bit more. It certainly happens!’
Aer Lingus passenger Elbion said: ‘Done it once before and stuck the minimum on it, got the seat and it was subjectively worth it’.
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Meanwhile, Icelandair passenger New-Adhesiveness-289 said: ‘[I] bid the minimum and got it. I personally found it to be worth it.’
lizlizliz645 added: ‘I bid just barely over the minimum and got it’.
Remember that bidding to upgrade is a method airlines use to make money from unsold seats.
While it’s a nice perk, you should never bid more than you are willing to pay or can afford. Good luck!
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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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