Qantas frequent flyers allowed bidding for business class upgrade

If you are a Qantas Airways frequent flyer and don’t have enough points for booking a ‘classic award’, here’s new offering by the airline to make your business class travel dream come true.

Qantas Airways has decided to provide opportunity to its frequent flyers to bid for an opportunity to the remaining business class seats at least a week in advance before scheduled departure of a flight. The airline’s new initiative is aimed at increasing its passenger loyalty and boosting revenue as well.

Lesley Grant, Chief Executive of Qantas Loyalty frequent flyer program, said, “The new ‘bids now upgrade’ program is undoubtedly a great opportunity for the customers to enjoy luxurious flying in the business class.”

Grant said that select passengers would be offered ‘bid now upgrades’ on each flight. This will allow them to bid for an empty business class seat using a mix of cash and frequent flyer points. The airline will be confirming the upgrades to the lucky passengers 24 hours before their flights are scheduled to depart.

The frequent flyers who are lacking enough points for booking a “classic award” in order to get a business class seat or unable to place a request for a “classic upgrade award” to use points can make use of the new “bid now upgrades” program for travel on business class flights to both domestic and international destinations.

The frequent flyers will however not the able to use “bid now upgrades” during peak travel periods. The new program will be lower in rank when compared to “classic award” and “classic upgrade award”. Its poorer value in terms of rank will restrict frequent flyers in making use of their points.