Everyone wants to experience the front of the plane, yet many of us CANNOT really afford it. This is why we churn credit cards and fly cheap tickets or go on “mileage run”, to sit up front without paying for. Now, Austrian Airline is offering you a chance to fly upfront for only a few extra dollars! That’s right, Austrian is now allowing passengers to make an offer and fly business class for less!
To take advantage of this program, book a ticket on Austrian Airlines and then at least 72 hours before departure, bid on an upgraded seat. There is no monetary maximum or minimum requirement, and if Austrian finds the bid acceptable you’ll be notified of your new seat in the front of the plane! Bidding is 100% free, but does require you to provide your credit card information because if the airline accepts your bid, your credit card will be charged and no refunds are provided.
So how does it work? It’s easy, just follow these simple steps found on the Austrian Airline webpage:
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Book your flight at austrian.com
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At the end of the booking process there will be an automatic notification suggesting an upgrade
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Submit your offer
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Enter your credit card details for general verification and confirm your offer
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You will receive an offer confirmation by email
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You may change or cancel your offer up to 72 hours before departure
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After that time, all offers received will be assessed and the remaining Business Class seats available will be assigned. If your offer has been accepted, you will receive an email confirming your upgrade within 72 hours before departure.
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You may then check-in for Austrian Business Class directly online. You will receive an information email regardless of whether your offer has been accepted or not.
Smart Upgrade is an option for travelers to bid their way to Business class and save money! Once your upgrade is accepted you will receive all the travel benefits of business class and be booked in “P” class. Buyer beware, “P” class does NOT earn miles on United, but does earn 100% of flown miles into the Miles & More program. Ready to fly upfront? Check out Austrian’s new business class seat and bid bid bid!
Bidder beware, EVERYONE on the plane can bid for a seat upfront. So any low bids will probably not be accepted. However, if you’re flying on a full price ticket, a low bid may be “worth” more than a bid by someone on a discount ticket because their total ticket cost is still lower than yours. In addition, know that it does not matter if you make an offer a month in advance or 7 days in advance, the timing of the bid does not increase or decrease the likelihood of your bid being picked. The system will pick the “winners” 48-72 hours before departure. Finally, if you’re traveling in a group, you can either bid as a group or individually, but the system will use such information to ensure that everyone in your group is upgraded together, if everyone bids.
Still have more questions about this amazing upgrade opportunity? Visit the FAQ website to find more answers! If you use this service please let me know how it works for you, I’d love to see what the threshold is for an upgrade offer.
