On my flight back from London I again inquired (the day of) about upgrading and was quoted £380 ($580). This time the flight was half full and both First Class and Premium Economy were absolute ghost towns. The $580 made no sense to me in the context of lower demand and it was higher than my willingness to pay, so again it was a no go.
So now my question: why on earth don't airlines allow interested customers to bid on available seat upgrades?
Benefits:
- More revenue from the same flight, those seats are going to go empty.
- Thrilled customers who get upgrades they weren't expecting for a price they're happy to pay.
Downsides:
- Less exclusivity, prices on some seats may be sold cheaply.
- Variable costs servicing fancier seats may be higher than add'l revenue gained.
- Fewer people may book early relying on playing the upgrade game at the airport.
Proposed Mechanism:
- Arrive at airport to check in
- Say you're interested in upgrades
- Enter a willingness to pay
- Find out at the gate whether you have an accepted bid
- Get your upgrade
So am I missing something? Why hasn't anyone tried something beyond just flat (but obviously inconsistent) pricing for upgrades?
