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Hey there, smart travellers! Welcome back to Smart With Points. I'm Jack, and today I've got some news that'll make your ears perk up faster than a frequent flyer spotting an empty Club World cabin. British Airways has quietly rolled out a bidding system for upgrades, and honestly, it's equal parts exciting and frustrating. Grab your headphones and let's dive in, because I'm about to tell you everything you need to know about how to play this game wisely.
So, what's actually happening here? Well, BA has partnered with a Canadian company called Plusgrade to offer passengers the chance to bid for upgrades on select routes. Now, if that name sounds familiar, it's because Plusgrade already runs upgrade auction systems for dozens of airlines worldwide, including Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and Qantas. They're basically the behind-the-scenes wizards making this whole thing work.
Here's how it works in practice. After you've booked a BA flight, you might receive an email inviting you to submit a bid for an upgrade. But here's the pro tip: you don't have to wait for that email. You can proactively check your eligibility by entering your booking reference on the BA Plusgrade portal. If your flight is eligible, you'll see a slider showing the minimum and maximum bid amounts you can offer. You choose an amount within that range, enter your payment details, and then comes the waiting game to see if your bid is accepted.
Now, let's talk money, because that's what you really want to know, right? Data points are still pretty limited since BA is taking a cautious approach to the rollout, but here's what we've seen reported so far. For a one-way World Traveller Plus flight, that's premium economy, from New York JFK to London Heathrow, an upgrade to Club World, which is business class, costs between five hundred and seven hundred pounds. If you want to go all the way to First Class, you're looking at one thousand one hundred and ten to one thousand five hundred pounds. And if you're already in Club World and fancy upgrading to First, the range is roughly six hundred to eight hundred pounds one way. These figures will vary significantly depending on route, demand, and how close to departure you're bidding, so treat them as rough guidelines rather than gospel.
But before you get too excited and start dreaming of champagne and lie-flat beds, there are some seriously important caveats you need to understand. First up, all passengers on your booking must upgrade together. You can't just upgrade yourself and leave your travel companion back in economy. Now, this might lead some savvy travellers to book tickets separately so they can bid individually, which is honestly not a terrible strategy if you're willing to risk being separated.
Here's where it gets proper British Airways levels of bizarre. Your baggage allowance does not change. I kid you not. If you've booked a Hand Baggage Only fare and successfully upgrade to Club World, you're still restricted to hand baggage only. Only BA would implement something this frustrating! It's like winning the lottery but being told you can only spend it at Poundland.
Another key restriction: you cannot use Avios to bid. It's cash only, paid via credit card through Plusgrade, not BA directly. And here's the kicker that'll annoy anyone with a British Airways Premium Plus American Express card: you won't earn the bonus Avios you'd normally get for spending on BA. That's because Plusgrade processes the payment, not British Airways. So you're missing out on those sweet bonus points.
On the positive side, though, lounge access is included. If you successfully upgrade to Club World or First, you'll have access to the relevant British Airways lounges, which is something at least.
Let's talk about timing, because understanding this is crucial for managing expectations. Your bid is binding once submitted, and you must provide payment details upfront. However, you can modify or withdraw your bid at any point until BA accepts it. Bids close six point five hours before departure. You'll receive an email within forty-eight hours of departure letting you know the outcome. If your bid is rejected, you cannot resubmit, so choose wisely. Interestingly, you can still bid even after checking in online, which is handy if you only discover the option late.
Now, let me share some strategic tips for successful bidding, based on experiences from other airlines using Plusgrade. First, always check your 'Manage My Booking' section first. One person discovered that BA was offering a fixed-price upgrade for five hundred and five pounds in Manage My Booking while the Plusgrade minimum bid was five hundred and forty pounds. Always compare both options before bidding!
Consider cabin availability carefully. If the premium cabin on your flight has lots of empty seats, and you can often tell from seat maps when selecting seats, your chances of a lower bid being accepted improve significantly. Many travellers report success by bidding just ten to fifteen percent above the minimum rather than the maximum. The 'bid strength' indicator is designed to encourage higher bids, so don't put too much stock in it. It's basically there to make you second-guess yourself and bid higher.
Off-peak routes tend to work better. Flights with heavy business traffic, like morning departures to European hubs, will have more competition. Weekend leisure routes or red-eyes may offer better value. And if you have elite status with BA's Executive Club, it may help. On other airlines using Plusgrade, frequent flyer status can increase your bid weighting. Whether BA applies similar logic isn't confirmed, but it's another reason to ensure you're logged into your Executive Club account.
Here's my honest concern with this system: it could mean fewer last-minute Avios award seats becoming available close to departure. If BA can sell those premium seats via paid upgrades, there's less incentive to release them for points. For those of us who regularly hunt for last-minute award space, this is definitely worth monitoring. Time will tell whether it significantly impacts availability.
A few other important considerations. If you've already paid for seat selection in your original cabin, you can apply for a refund after upgrading. This effectively reduces your upgrade cost, so don't forget to do that. On rare occasions, particularly at outstations, you might receive the meal from your original cabin if BA can't accommodate the catering change at short notice. From Heathrow this shouldn't be an issue, but it's something to be aware of.
If you've paid for an upgrade and later change your flight using a flexible ticket, you forfeit the upgrade fee. It's also non-refundable if you cancel, even if your underlying ticket was refundable. So factor that into your decision-making process.
BA mentions they'll be adding more routes and partner airlines over time. If your booking includes segments operated by oneworld partners, you may eventually be able to bid for upgrades on those too, which could be interesting.
So, my take: is it worth it? Honestly, this system has the potential to be genuinely useful, but it comes with caveats. The pricing examples we've seen aren't dramatically cheaper than booking business class outright, especially when you factor in that you're taking a gamble on acceptance. Where I think it makes most sense is if you've already booked economy or premium economy and fancy a punt at something better, if the route has known availability issues in Club World, looking at you, New York, if you're flying at off-peak times when premium cabins are likely underbooked, or if you want the upgrade but don't want to commit to premium prices at booking.
Where it makes less sense is if you need certainty, because you won't know until close to departure, if you can find a good Avios redemption in Club World, which is likely better value, or if BA is already showing a cheaper fixed upgrade in Manage My Booking.
If you want to check if your flight is eligible, head to the BA Plusgrade portal and enter your booking reference and surname. If your flight qualifies, you'll see the upgrade options and bid ranges available. If not, you'll simply be told the route isn't currently eligible. BA is still in the early stages of this rollout, so don't be surprised if your next flight doesn't show up. They're clearly testing carefully before expanding more broadly.
The bottom line is that British Airways' partnership with Plusgrade adds another tool to the upgrade toolkit, alongside Avios upgrades, cash upgrades via Manage My Booking, and the occasional operational upgrade at the gate. It's a positive development overall. More options for passengers to potentially enjoy premium cabins is always welcome. Just go in with realistic expectations, check all your options before bidding, and don't get swept up in the gamification of the 'bid strength' slider.
That's it for today's episode! Thanks so much for tuning in to Smart With Points. If you found this useful, please subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms, or head over to our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk. And if you've tried bidding for a BA upgrade yourself, I'd absolutely love to hear about your experience. Drop me a message on Instagram and share your data points.
Before you go, here's a quick word about our sponsor. Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.
Until next time, happy travels!