Okay, let me tell you about this whole ‘bid for an upgrade’ thing I tried.
Had this long-haul flight booked way back, regular economy seat, the usual deal. Dreaded the thought of being cramped for hours. A few days before, maybe three days out, I got an email from the airline. Something like ‘Chance to Upgrade! Place Your Bid!’. Honestly, my first thought was, yeah right, another way to squeeze money out of us.
But, curiosity got the better of me. I clicked the link. It took me to this page where you could slide a bar to set how much you’d offer for a better seat, like business class. Looked slick, but still felt like a bit of a gamble.
Figuring Out the Bid
So, how much to offer? That was the tricky part. I did what some folks suggest:
- Checked the normal price for a business class ticket on that flight. Wow, expensive.
- Subtracted what I already paid for my economy ticket.
- Then kinda… guessed a number somewhere in between.
There was this little meter thing, showing if my bid was ‘weak’ or ‘strong’. I nudged it up a bit, just enough so it didn’t look totally pathetic, but not so much that I’d feel ripped off if I got it. Still felt like I was just pulling a number out of thin air.
Placing the Bid and Waiting
Put in my card details – they only charge if you win, supposedly. Hit submit. And then… nothing. Just an email saying they got my bid and would let me know. The wait was annoying. Kept checking my emails right up until I left for the airport. Still stuck in economy according to my booking.
Got to the airport, checked in, still economy. Boarding started, still economy. I was getting ready to just accept my fate in the back. I even thought about asking the flight attendant at the door, you know, make a final plea? Seemed kinda desperate though.
The Result
Then, just as I was about to board, my name got called over the loudspeaker at the gate. Heart jumped a bit. Went up to the desk, and they handed me a new boarding pass. Boom. Business class. My bid actually worked. Couldn’t quite believe it.
The seat was definitely better, way more space, better food. Made the long flight much easier to handle. But the whole process, the guessing game with the bid amount, the waiting and uncertainty… it adds a layer of stress. Glad it worked out this time, but I’m not sure I’d rely on it. It felt like pure luck more than anything.