Forget the free upgrades:
Airlines are auctioning off
their expensive empty seats
More than 30 airlines around the world now hold auctions to sell upgrades to first class or business class.
Some even auction off the chance to have an empty seat beside you in coach.
Airlines know who their frequent travelers are and which ones pay for the most expensive seats. Those very elite fliers have typically had the right to upgrade using cash or miles. Many times they qualified for free upgrades. That left a slim chance for a lower-level business flier ever to luck into an upgrade but it also left the airline giving away revenue.
That may be changing as airlines experiment with auctions, giving people a chance at upgraded seats for less money.
Mobile app Seatboost.com, offers passengers an auction right at the gate. Passengers on the flight bid against each other via the app to win the upgrade.
Virgin America uses SeatBoost auctions at the gate an hour before boarding on Las Vegas flights. Bidding starts at $10, $30 or $50, depending on the length of the flight and whether passengers are also bidding on extra leg-room seats in coach or a first-class seat.
Meanwhile Virgin Airlines and many others use Plusgrade to offer passengers a path to an upgrade 72 hours before a flight. This works right from the airline website.
