If you've ever dreamed of turning left when boarding your British Airways flight without paying full whack for business class, there's now another option on the table. BA has quietly been rolling out a bid-for-upgrade system powered by Plusgrade, and it's gradually expanding to more routes. Here's everything you need to know about how it works, what it costs, and whether it's actually worth your time.
What Is Plusgrade and How Does BA's Bidding System Work?
Plusgrade is a Canadian company that runs upgrade auction systems for dozens of airlines worldwide, including Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and Qantas. They've now partnered with British Airways to offer passengers the chance to bid for upgrades on select routes.
The process is straightforward: after you've booked a BA flight, you may receive an email inviting you to submit a bid for an upgrade. Alternatively, you can proactively check your eligibility by entering your booking reference on the BA Plusgrade portal.
If your flight is eligible, you'll see a slider showing the minimum and maximum bid amounts you can offer. You choose an amount within that range, enter your payment details, and wait to see if your bid is accepted.
Real-World Pricing Examples
Data points are still limited since BA is taking a cautious approach to the rollout, but here's what we've seen reported for a one-way World Traveller Plus (premium economy) flight from New York JFK to London Heathrow:
Upgrade to Club World (business class): £500 to £700
Upgrade to First Class: £1,110 to £1,500
For an upgrade from Club World to First, you can expect the range to be roughly £600 to £800 one way. These figures will vary significantly depending on route, demand, and how close to departure you're bidding.
Key Rules and Restrictions You Must Know
Before you get too excited, there are several important caveats to understand:
All passengers on your booking must upgrade together – you can't just upgrade yourself and leave your travel companion in economy. This might lead some savvy travellers to book tickets separately so they can bid individually.
Your baggage allowance does NOT change – bizarrely, if you've booked a Hand Baggage Only fare and successfully upgrade to Club World, you're still restricted to hand baggage only. Only BA would implement something this frustrating!
You cannot use Avios to bid – it's cash only, paid via credit card through Plusgrade (not BA directly).
No bonus Avios on BA Amex cards – since Plusgrade processes the payment (not British Airways), you won't earn the bonus Avios you'd normally get for spending on BA via the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card.
Lounge access IS included – if you successfully upgrade to Club World or First, you'll have access to the relevant British Airways lounges.
The Timeline: When and How Bids Are Processed
Understanding the timing is crucial for managing expectations:
Your bid is binding once submitted (you must provide payment details upfront)
You can modify or withdraw your bid at any point until BA accepts it
Bids close 6.5 hours before departure
You'll receive an email within 48 hours of departure letting you know the outcome
If your bid is rejected, you cannot resubmit
You can still bid even after checking in online, which is handy if you only discover the option late.
Strategic Tips for Successful Bidding
Based on experiences from other airlines using Plusgrade, here are some strategies that might help:
Check 'Manage My Booking' first – one person discovered that BA was offering a fixed-price upgrade for £505 in Manage My Booking while the Plusgrade minimum bid was £540. Always compare both options before bidding!
Consider cabin availability – if the premium cabin on your flight has lots of empty seats (you can often tell from seat maps when selecting seats), your chances of a lower bid being accepted improve significantly.
Bid slightly above minimum – many travellers report success by bidding just 10-15% above the minimum rather than the maximum. The 'bid strength' indicator is designed to encourage higher bids, so don't put too much stock in it.
Off-peak routes work better – flights with heavy business traffic (like morning departures to European hubs) will have more competition. Weekend leisure routes or red-eyes may offer better value.
Elite status may help – on other airlines using Plusgrade, frequent flyer status can increase your bid weighting. Whether BA applies similar logic isn't confirmed, but it's another reason to ensure you're logged into your Executive Club account.
What About Last-Minute Avios Availability?
Here's my honest concern with this system: it could mean fewer last-minute Avios award seats becoming available close to departure. If BA can sell those premium seats via paid upgrades, there's less incentive to release them for points.
For those of us who regularly hunt for last-minute award space using tools like Award Travel Finder or Seats.aero, this is worth monitoring. Time will tell whether it significantly impacts availability.
Other Important Considerations
Seat selection refunds – if you've already paid for seat selection in your original cabin, you can apply for a refund after upgrading. This effectively reduces your upgrade cost.
Meal logistics – on rare occasions (particularly at outstations), you might receive the meal from your original cabin if BA can't accommodate the catering change at short notice. From Heathrow this shouldn't be an issue.
Flexible tickets – if you've paid for an upgrade and later change your flight using a flexible ticket, you forfeit the upgrade fee. It's also non-refundable if you cancel, even if your underlying ticket was refundable.
Oneworld partners – BA mentions they'll be adding more routes and partner airlines. If your booking includes segments operated by oneworld partners, you may eventually be able to bid for upgrades on those too.
My Take: Is It Worth It?
Honestly, this system has the potential to be genuinely useful – but it comes with caveats. The pricing examples we've seen aren't dramatically cheaper than booking business class outright, especially when you factor in that you're taking a gamble on acceptance.
Where I think it makes most sense:
You've already booked economy/premium economy and fancy a punt at something better
The route has known availability issues in Club World (looking at you, New York)
You're flying at off-peak times when premium cabins are likely underbooked
You want the upgrade but don't want to commit to premium prices at booking
Where it makes less sense:
If you need certainty – you won't know until close to departure
If you can find a good Avios redemption in Club World – likely better value
If BA is already showing a cheaper fixed upgrade in Manage My Booking
How to Check If Your Flight Is Eligible
Head to the BA Plusgrade portal and enter your booking reference and surname. If your flight qualifies, you'll see the upgrade options and bid ranges available. If not, you'll simply be told the route isn't currently eligible.
BA is still in the early stages of this rollout, so don't be surprised if your next flight doesn't show up. They're clearly testing carefully before expanding more broadly.
The Bottom Line
British Airways' partnership with Plusgrade adds another tool to the upgrade toolkit, alongside Avios upgrades, cash upgrades via Manage My Booking, and the occasional operational upgrade at the gate.
It's a positive development overall – more options for passengers to potentially enjoy premium cabins is always welcome. Just go in with realistic expectations, check all your options before bidding, and don't get swept up in the gamification of the 'bid strength' slider.
Have you tried bidding for a BA upgrade? I'd love to hear about your experience – drop me a message on Instagram or reply to this email with your data points!
Until next time,
Jack
