Long-haul flights can end up very expensive very quickly, but there’s a little-known hack that could grant you access to a champagne experience on a lemonade budget.
Sharing her discovery on TikTok, 24-year-old lifestyle and travel influencer Maddie Borge (@maddieborge) realised that she could effectively unlock a ‘business class’ experience through Etihad for as little as £200.
Maddie is visiting Australia in February and booked her tickets a few months ago.
This week, she received an email inviting her to upgrade – and so she decided to peruse the offers available when she found a hack she’d never seen before.
‘I never really click on these emails, but I was like, you know what, let’s just see what they have,’ Maddie tells her 328,000 followers in a TikTok video.
‘So, I log in, and it’s the basic choose your seat, extra baggage, upgrade to business.’
Out of curiosity, Maddie wanted to see how much it would cost her to upgrade to business class – and she ended up with an offer of £842. It was then that she came across an offer right next to it called ‘neighbour free.’
‘It allows you to buy out the seat next to you or the entire row for £200,’ Maddie shares.
‘You’re telling me I can upgrade to business class for £1,000, or basically get business class in economy for £200? I’m in shock, this is so cool.’
Everyone in the comments was just as impressed – and some had even tried it for themselves.
‘I paid to upgrade my Etihad flight [from] Istanbul [to] Sydney with this feature and damn that business class was SOOO worth it,’ @reee.eeeef wrote.
Using the same trick, @caitlyn.eliizabeth managed to get a whole row to herself for a four-hour flight.
‘I was able to stretch my legs and was so comfy! I can imagine it would be even better on a long haul,’ she wrote, while @pilotisabelle and her husband tried a similar hack on their trip to New Zealand.
‘I did this when I flew from the Philippines to Chicago and it was the best. I called it poor woman’s business but hey, worth it for your own space!’ @jocelynsavoie0 laughed.
Meanwhile, @irraelevant penned ‘ur better than me I did that trip once and I will never do it again no matter the price. That 14-hour flight is not for the weak.’
This isn’t the only travel hack that sees airlines offer boujie experiences on the cheap.
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Elsewhere, airlines are offering passengers a way to upgrade tickets on quieter flights, and it could save you hundreds of pounds.
It’s as simple as telling the airline how much you’re willing to pay — in other words, submitting a bid. While you’re not guaranteed to win an upgrade, the chance to nab a cheap business class flight is worth the punt.
Tips for bidding on a seat upgrade
Bid 20-40% above the minimum amount to gain a better chance of winning an upgrade.
Consider bidding more if the flight is busy or has gone up in price. You can find this out by trying to book a new ticket and seeing how many seats are left.
Bidding may be less competitive on leisure routes rather than business routes (think the Maldives instead of New York).
Similarly, flights that depart later in the day — when most business travellers have already flown — may be less competitive.
Check the airline’s website for details on when and how to bid.
While not all airlines offer this service, Air Canada, Aer Lingus, Etihad, Lufthansa, Vueling and Virgin Atlantic are among those on the list.
After you’ve bought an economy class ticket, keep your eyes peeled for an email from the airline offering you the chance to bid for an upgrade. This will often arrive within a week before departure.
You can also go to the airline’s website to see if your booking is eligible for an upgrade.
Airlines will set a minimum and maximum price for a bid. Most passengers will bid close to the minimum amount, so bidding around 20-40% above this gives you a good chance of securing an upgrade.
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