How to bid on premium-cabin upgrades

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While it's usually better to pay for premium airfare with miles over cash, that’s often easier said than done. Many flights have limited award availability to begin with, especially for business and first class. And if you need to fly on specific dates, finding awards is even more challenging.

While you can always pay cash for premium airfare if you can afford it, you may also get the chance to "bid" on a premium-cabin seat with certain airlines. The catch is, your bid may or may not be accepted — it's entirely up to the airline.

I recently did this exact thing for an 11-hour nonstop flight I'm taking on Fiji Airways in March of next year on my way to New Zealand.

I'll be flying from Indianapolis (IND) to Los Angeles (LAX) to Nadi, Fiji (NAN) for a three-night stay, with the second flight of the itinerary lasting a grueling 11 hours. Crazy enough, the entire itinerary from Indianapolis to Nadi, Fiji only cost me $610 through the Chase Travel portal.

Flying business in a lie-flat seat was going to set me back more than $5,000 for the same itinerary, which I just could not stomach. Instead, I opted to submit a Fiji Airways "Bula Bid" for the long haul leg of the itinerary. This option let me bid $2,760 for that part of the flight only (LAX to NAN), with the full knowledge the airline may or may not accept it.

Some (but not all) airlines let you bid on premium-cabin upgrades, although they all do it in a slightly different way.

There are airlines that only offer upgrade bid options via email for eligible flights, and there are others (like Fiji Airways) that have web pages where you can check your flight and bid on an upgrade if your flight is eligible. And some airlines only allow bids to premium economy, not business or first class.

Airlines typically confirm bids 24 to 72 hours before departure (so I’m still waiting to see if my bid is accepted). There are usually some exclusions, such as:

• Basic economy fares
• Codeshare flights
• Award tickets

Most airlines let you pick how much you want to bid for an upgraded seat, and they give you an idea of whether your bid is okay or not. With Fiji Airways, for example, my bid upgrade options range from $1,731 per person to $4,302 per person.

You’re typically only charged if your bid is accepted, but accepted bids are almost always nonrefundable.

Interestingly enough, Fiji Airways also lets you bid on a flight "bubble," which means you can bid to have seats next to you blocked off in economy class. This option is a lot more affordable, but it's not the same thing as flying business class in a lie-flat seat with premium dining, drinks and ultimate comfort.

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If award flights aren’t available and cash prices for the premium cabin are higher than you want, you may be able to save by bidding on an upgrade instead.

Just remember that airlines all have their own rules for upgrade bidding programs. For example, some only let you bid on an upgrade within 48 or 72 hours of departure, whereas others allow bids into certain premium cabins and not others.

Upgrade bidding tends to work best on long-haul flights with multiple premium cabins, especially when cash fares are sky-high and award space is nonexistent.

Several airlines offer some sort of upgrade bidding program, including:

• Aeromexico
• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Air New Zealand
• ANA
• Cathay Pacific
• Copa Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Fiji Airways
• Icelandair
• Kenya Airways
• Kuwait Airways
• LATAM Airlines
• Lufthansa
• TAP Portugal
• Qantas
• Singapore Airlines

Just make sure you’re really comfortable paying the upgrade bid amount before submitting.

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