Is bidding for business class upgrade better than paying upfront at check-in?
Would anyone know if bidding for a business class upgrade would be better in terms of saving more money than paying for an upgrade at the check-in desk?
Best Answer
The answer depends on the bid quantum and the delta in the paid fare vs available upgrade fare.
Intra Europe the difference in full fare economy and full fare business is usually under 50 EUR. Whereas the bid-for-upgrade rate might be 100 EUR. Of course if you paid deep discount economy it could be a good deal.
On the other hand repricing a deep discount economy ticket on London-New York on the day could be (from O to J class on BA) over 4000 GBP, but if "airport upgrade offers" are available then they will be about 1000 GBP each way, as I recall, so in that specific case, it might be a good deal, depending on your resources.
If you are asking, "How much should I bid for an upgrade in an auction with limited seats, given prices X, Y and Z?", it sounds like the sort of question they ask at a quant analyst interview for a small hedge fund. There's an answer as to what is logically reasonable but really it depends on how much you value the upgrade.
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Is it cheaper to upgrade during check-in?
If the business class still has a few remaining seats left, airlines will offer discounted upgrades to passengers at the check-in desks. Honestly, this happens somewhat rarely \u2013 only once every 5-10 flights, because airlines usually find enough passengers through online upgrades.Is it worth to bid for flight upgrade?
It's always worth it when you're bidding. A large number of airlines around the world offer bid-to-upgrade options for premium economy or even business class. The best part of bidding is that you get to decide how much you're willing to pay.How much should I bid to upgrade to business class?
A good rule of thumb for bidding is to figure out the difference between the cost of your ticket and the cost of an upgraded ticket and bid 20% to 40% of the difference. There's no guarantee you'll win your bid, but if you get lucky it's an upgrade at significant savings.Is it cheaper to upgrade to first class at check-in?
Upgrade at Check-In If there are seats available, airlines will often offer them at a discounted rate\u2014since there are only 24 hours before takeoff at this point. If you don't mind the gamble, ask the gate attendant what they're charging for the upgrade. It might be even cheaper than the reduced online rate.Air Canada Upgrade Bidding Explained
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