Unlock the Secrets to Snagging Flight Upgrades for Premium Seats

First- and business-class seats are highly coveted by travelers searching for award availability and elite flyers hungry for upgrades. Reflecting the popularity of these fare types, many airlines now offer an additional method to access unsold premium cabin space: bidding for it.

Here's what you need to know about the bidding process and which airlines offer the service. We also offer tips to help you sit in premium economy, business class or first class at much better prices on some of the most popular airlines.

The bidding process

The upgrade bidding process is more or less the same from one airline to another. After completing your booking and receiving your e-ticket, one of two scenarios will likely initiate your bid: In one case, you will receive an email offering you the chance to bid on an upgrade. Otherwise, the airline's website will prompt you to bid when you check your flight — you'll often see a pop-up offer or a tab to begin a bidding process.

Terms and conditions for bidding on upgrades vary between carriers, but some standard rules generally apply:

• You can only submit a bid once you've secured a ticketed reservation.
• Each flight segment has a defined minimum and maximum allowable bid amount. Simply bidding a small sum won’t suffice; you must consider others' potential bids as well.
• You have to provide payment details when making the reservation, however, your card will only be charged if your offer is approved. Once an offer is accepted, it cannot be refunded except in cases where the flight gets canceled.
• Upon successful upgrade, most programs provide you with the advantages and features associated with your new travel tier, such as lounge access and additional luggage allowances. Below we have outlined certain exemptions.

It’s crucial to remember that although an airline may provide upgrade bidding, not every route qualifies for this option. Certain carriers explicitly list which routes are eligible, whereas some require you to input your booking reference number to check whether your specific flight can be upgraded.

Moreover, upgrade bids typically apply per individual traveler for each leg of your journey. So, if you're traveling from Los Angeles to Paris and continuing on to London, you'll need to place an upgrade bid specifically for both segments: first, the Los Angeles to Paris route; secondly, the Paris to London portion. Should more than one person share the same reservation, your total bid amount would reflect this collectively. Thus, with two individuals sharing the booking and bidding $200 for just one segment’s upgrade, the combined bid value effectively becomes $400.

Based on the specific airline, there are particular time frames during which you can submit your bid. Typically, most airlines demand that all online bids must be submitted at least three days prior to the departure date.

Airline companies that permit auctioning for upgrade enhancements

Numerous airline bidding systems are managed by the very same corporation. Plusgrade However, each airline might have its own particular restrictions regarding this procedure. Below you'll find some general details about the auction systems used by leading airlines. Keep in mind that numerous additional global air carriers provide bid opportunities as well.

Aer Lingus Enables certain flights from Ireland to the U.S. or Canada to be considered for upgrades, although not all of them qualify right away. Upgrades can only be requested on trips arranged through Aer Lingus directly. Suitable participants will get an email requesting their bid amount.

Air Canada offers the AC BidUpgrade program, enabling passengers to place bids for premium economy and business class seats up to 48 hours prior to departure. Customers have the option to submit their bids through this service. Aeroplan Points and cash; should their offer win, the payment will be deducted from either their credit card, bank account, or loyalty program balance.

Air New Zealand's The OneUp program enables travelers on international routes to advance by one cabin class. This means you could go from economy to premium economy, or from premium economy to business premier. In cases where there are just two travel tiers available, upgrades would be permitted directly from economy to business class. Bids for this service can be placed via email within your Air New Zealand profile, as early as three days prior to your scheduled departure, or over the phone at their contact center. Those whose offers have been accepted will get an alert about a week ahead of time. Payment options include using cash or redeeming Airpoints Dollars.

Hawaiian Airlines It is the sole domestic airline with an auction-style upgrade system. Through the "Bid Up For First Class" feature, passengers have the opportunity to place bids for first-class lie-flat seating options and subsequently modify or retract their offers up until 28 hours prior to departure. Should your bid succeed, confirmation will reach you within a timeframe of 24 to 48 hours ahead of takeoff; conversely, should it fail, notification will occur at least 24 hours beforehand.

Etihad Airways' Eligible upgrades have no restrictions based on your destination. Nevertheless, specific ticket types such as those obtained through promotional rates, guest seat awards, redemption tickets, complimentary tickets, upgrades made with miles, reservations involving multiple passengers, and bookings that include infants do not qualify for bidding on an upgrade. You can only upgrade by one class at a time—for instance, transitioning directly from economy to business class or moving up from business to first class. Keep in mind that when upgrading this way, you'll still accumulate mileage credits. Etihad Guest Miles at the standard rate plus a 10% boost for class of service if your bid succeeds.

Lufthansa enables customers to upgrade from economy to premium economy or business class on long-distance trips. Passengers in premium economy have the option to place bids for business class, and those traveling in business class can do so for first class. Travelers in economy on shorter routes can also make offers for business-class upgrades. To participate, you need to sign in at Lufthansa’s website and enter your offer. You'll get an alert within 24 to 36 hours prior to takeoff informing you whether your bid has been approved.

Related: Ways to Upgrade to First Class Without Breaking the Bank

Singapore Airlines' MySQUpgrade enables you to place bids for an upgrade using U.S. currency (dollars). KrisFlyer Miles within a set distance for trips reserved and managed by Singapore Airlines. You have the option to create, modify, or cancel an offer up to 72 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure. If you wish to use KrisFlyer miles for upgrading, you may move up only one class level. For certain routes, first-class upgrades can be purchased using cash through MySQupgrade.

Virgin Atlantic Enables you to place a bid for upgrading to the subsequent higher class of service from what you initially booked—this might allow you to transition from economy to premium, or perhaps from premium to upper-class seating. To participate, you must purchase your tickets directly through Virgin Atlantic, and should your flight qualify, they’ll send you an email inviting you to submit a bid. With Virgin Atlantic, you can enter such bids up until 48 hours prior to your planned departure time.

Airline companies that do not provide bidding options for upgrades

These airlines don’t provide the option to place a bid for an upgrade with a custom amount, but they might permit upgrades at a predetermined price through payment of cash and/or miles.

• Air France
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Delta Air Lines
• Emirates
• KLM
• Qatar Airways
• United Airlines

Tips

There isn’t a guaranteed approach to secure the winning bid at the most favorable price. Nonetheless, these suggestions can enhance your likelihood of success:

• Use ExpertFlyer Owned by TPG's parent company Red Ventures) or a comparable tool to check the availability of remaining premium class seats on your flight.
• Use this formula to determine your bidding price: First, figure out the standard cost of a business-class ticket. Then subtract the amount you spent on the economy class fare, and target setting your bid at approximately 20% to 40% of the difference.
• Consider bidding just over the minimum amount to get ahead of the competition because many individuals typically opt for the lowest possible bid.

A lot of elite-status members aren’t fond of their preferred airline’s bid offers since they perceive it as putting up for sale the upgrade opportunities they’ve worked hard to gain through status. This sentiment intensifies when airlines provide flat-rate upgrades at both the check-in desk and boarding gate, adding further hurdles for premier-level elites who rank highly on the upgrade waitlist yet consistently get passed over. Striking this balance proves challenging for airlines; they must juggle increasing revenues while ensuring their most dedicated customers remain content.

TPG contributor Melanie Lieberman successfully bid For a Scandinavian Airlines trip departing from the New York City area to Oslo, Norway, Lieberman managed an upgrade through their auction-style system. This allows customers to place bids for upgrades up until 25 hours prior to takeoff on both domestic and European routes. She secured herself a seat in business class for €450 (approximately $440 at the time of booking). According to her investigation, numerous flyers have successfully obtained upgrades with minimal bids. An ExpertFlyer analysis revealed ample availability in the business-class section for this particular SAS journey.

Several of our readers shared their thoughts on the TPG Lounge Facebook page. One mentioned that they often managed to secure flight upgrades using Plusgrade. This tool is utilized by many airlines for their upgrade systems, and passengers can explore potential bidding chances as well.

Bottom line

Ultimately, participating in auctions for upgrades could lead to significant savings. By putting down just a few hundred dollars, you might secure seats in premium economy or business class at a fraction of what your fellow passengers in those classes originally paid.

Next time you travel with one of these carriers and get an opportunity to place a bid, assess if a bid that has a high likelihood of success provides sufficient benefit to justify it. Perhaps the methods mentioned earlier can assist you in enjoying first-class comfort without paying full First Class fares.

Related reading:

• Best airline credit cards
• Boost your flight bookings with these top credit card options.
• The top credit cards for attaining elite status

Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the opinions of banks, credit card issuers, airlines, or hotels. These organizations have not reviewed, approved, or supported this content in any way.