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Sunday, 2 March 2025

When is it worth bidding for a flight upgrade?


You know those emails you get when you have booked an economy class seat?

If you are like me you just delete them. Who needs to pay heaps more to enjoy a bigger seat for a one- or two-hour domestic flight?

But a Virgin Australia UpgradeMe offer dropped just before a recent trip from Sydney to Hobart.

"Make an offer to sit in Business Class and you could be experiencing second-to-none space and comfort. Benefits include:
#Pre-departure access to the Virgin Australia Lounge. Available at selected domestic airports
#Priority check-in and boarding, where available
#Food and drinks from our Business Class menu"

OK, I was just a little bit tempted. We were checking out of our hotel too early for breakfast. And early morning flights are often delayed.

Sitting in a comfortable lounge with barista coffee, food and fast free wifi sounded appealing.

Obviously, the higher your bid the better your chances of winning an upgrade. The lowest bid available was $65 per person. The highest, I think, $300+.

There was a kicker: Remember, if your bid isn’t successful, you don’t pay anything.

Why not risk a $65 bid? Particularly given the cost of food and drinks at Australian airports.

A coffee and breakfast can easily cost you $30, a newspaper (free in the lounge) a few bucks more.

Then there is that priority check-in, rather than wrangling your suitcase, printing your baggage tag and then taking it to the conveyer belt.

There's the welcome drink when you sit down on the plane, a full hot breakfast if you want it, and those bigger, more comfortable seats.

Nobody felt like splashing out $300+ plus, it seems, because our $65 bids were successful.

"Congratulations, your UpgradeMe Premium Bid offer has been successful!. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in our Business Class cabin."

A bit of a snooze in those comfy seats, a free orange juice, breakfast and first off the plane in Hobart with bags first to arrive because the Priority tags.

That's a win. I reckon it is worth putting in a minimum bid sometimes. 

Lots of people won't bother and the benefits can be well worth it - particularly if your departure is delayed an hour or two.

# Availability of Business Class seats is subject to change, which may impact upon your chance of a successful upgrade.

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