✈ Bidding on Seat Upgrades, Where to Stay for Cherry Blossoms This Year & More News From TPG ✈

March 7, 2025

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It’s a gamble, but you might just win an upgrade

by Tanner Saunders, Senior hotels reporter

Look, I always want to sit in the front of the plane in a fancy business- or first-class pod (or room, on some airlines). Who wouldn’t? Luckily, some airlines offer travelers the chance to bid, using cash or points, on an upgrade to a better class, like premium economy or business.

Last year, I had an economy seat booked on an Air Canada flight between Toronto and Tokyo and was offered the chance to bid on an upgrade with cash. The process was simple: I was presented with a sliding monetary scale where I had to set the maximum I was willing to pay for the upgrade. The process showed me a minimum amount and had a handy visual tool to show whether my current bid was “too low,” “strong” or somewhere in between.

In the days leading up to my trip, I kept an eye on how many empty business-class seats there were on the flight using ExpertFlyer and how much they were going for, and guessed at what I thought my chances were. Around the time the bidding process was closing, there was still a good number of empty seats and I thought my $1,000 bid was sufficient — but then I panicked and let the seed of doubt grow until, stupidly, I cranked it up another few hundred bucks and waited.

I won that bid and had a great flight — but I did wonder if I overpaid.

In April, I have a Qantas flight from New York City to Sydney in premium economy and, once again, have the opportunity to bid on an upgrade to Qantas’ business-class product. Since I’m crediting my flight to American Airlines’ AAdvantage program to help earn some Loyalty Points, my only option is to bid cash — and the middle number is $1,980.

Worth it for nearly 24 hours of travel? Well, the current price for that ticket in cash is over $8,000. So, potentially yes. But, like a lot in the points and miles game, it’s a bit of a gamble.

Here’s everything else you need to know about bidding on seat upgrades — and other ways to sit up front without breaking the bank:

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Photo Credit: ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY.

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