Want to upgrade to Business Class on your next flight?
Upgrading with frequent flyer points could be one option. But if you don’t have enough points or your fare isn’t eligible for a points upgrade, bidding could be another way to score an upgrade.
Many airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand and even Rex let you bid for an upgrade in an online “auction” for spare Business class seats. You can name your own price – within a minimum and maximum bid range – and won’t pay anything unless your upgrade is confirmed.
You’ll be notified of the outcome a few days (or sometimes hours) before the flight. If there are still empty seats available in Business Class, the upgrade will be yours!
How much does it cost to bid for an upgrade?
The beauty of online upgrade auctions is that you can offer any amount you like between the minimum and maximum amounts set by the airline.
As an example, minimum bids on short-haul domestic flights could be anywhere between $50-$400 depending on the airline and route. Virgin Australia and Rex typically let you offer lower amounts than Qantas, and the minimum bid will likely be higher on longer flights.
If you’ve paid more for a flexible ticket, the minimum bid price may be lower than it would be if you’ve booked a cheaper Qantas Red e-Deal or Virgin Australia Economy Lite fare.
When choosing an amount to bid, it’s often a good idea to bump-up your offer slightly above the minimum bid. Except with Rex, you generally won’t know how many other people have placed an upgrade bid for the same flight – nor how much they’re prepared to pay. But many people simply bid the minimum amount and hope for the best. So, increasing your bid – even by $5 above the minimum – could increase your chances of success.
When upgrading you’ll typically receive most of the benefits associated with a Business Class ticket, including lounge access. But some airlines might not give you a higher baggage allowance. You’ll still earn the points and status credits that apply for your originally-booked Economy fare.
Each airline’s processes are slightly different, so here’s how it works on Qantas, Virgin Australia, Rex and Air New Zealand…
Qantas Bid Now Upgrades
Qantas Bid Now upgrades previously required passengers to bid a combination of money and frequent flyer points. This has now changed, and you can place a Bid Now upgrade request without outlaying any points if you want.
Frequent flyers requesting Classic Upgrade Rewards receive priority over Bid Now upgrades. Classic Upgrade Rewards are also generally better value when using points, so it’s generally better to submit a Classic Flight Upgrade request rather than using Bid Now if you want to upgrade with Qantas points. But bidding could be a good option if you’ve booked a non-upgradeable fare or don’t have enough Qantas points.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll receive an offer to submit a bid on every Qantas flight. Qantas offers these on an invitation-only basis.
If you receive an offer by email, bidding closes 24 hours before departure. You’ll be notified of the outcome of your request shortly thereafter.
You can discuss Qantas Bid Now upgrades on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Successful QF ‘Bid Now Upgrades’ data thread
Virgin Australia UpgradeMe Premium Bids
All Virgin Australia passengers can bid for an upgrade any time from booking until 72 hours before departure using the UpgradeMe Premium Bid platform. This can be excellent value as the minimum bid amounts are usually very reasonable!
If you’ve already paid extra for an Economy X seat and your upgrade offer is accepted, you are entitled to a refund of the Economy X seat selection fee. Upgrade bids are not possible from Economy Lite tickets.
Read more in our guide to Virgin Australia upgrades.
You can discuss Virgin Australia UpgradeMe Premium Bids on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: UpgradeMe pricing and success
Air New Zealand OneUp Upgrades
Many international airlines also offer similar upgrade auctions, including Air New Zealand.
The Kiwi national carrier offers everyone the chance to bid for an upgrade on flights where Premium Economy or Business Premier cabins are available. (Note that Air New Zealand’s narrow-body aircraft offer Economy Class only.)
OneUp upgrades can be paid for using money or Airpoints Dollars. Upgrades are allocated to the highest bidders first, although frequent flyers with Air New Zealand status have their bids “up-weighted”. Bidding closes 3 days before the flight.
As the name suggests, upgrades are one-class only. So you cannot upgrade from Economy to Business class if there is a Premium Economy cabin on the aircraft.
You can discuss Air New Zealand OneUp upgrades on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: AIR NZ One Up success
Bid for an upgrade on other airlines
Many other airlines offer similar upgrade options, utilising the Plusgrade platform.
These include Air Canada, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Fiji Airways, LATAM Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, TAP Air Portugal – and plenty of others!
