Marisa Garcia Hawaiian Airlines is offering passengers the option to Bid Up for a First class flying experience on flights between Hawai’i and North America.
The airline’s Bid Up service, managed by ancillary software provider Plusgrade, is available to all passengers holding main cabin tickets and is made simple through an invitation sent by email to fliers on qualifying routes approximately ten days prior to the flight. Winning bidders are notified 48 hours before departure.
A winning bid qualifies passengers for all the services of Hawaiian’s First class experience, including two free checked bags with Priority Baggage handling, priority check-in lines, access to Hawaiian Airlines Premier Clubs, and priority pre-boarding.
“We’re extremely excited to introduce Bid Up to our guests,” said Miranda Scott, managing director—travel products for Hawaiian Airlines. “We understand travellers have different options when planning trips to Hawaiʻi, which is why we’re committed to providing each guest with unique offerings and exceptional benefits.”
The airline has recently launched its first A330 Premium Cabin with fully lie—flat seats on A330-200 aircraft.
It’s nice to see the bid to upgrade option taking off.
The advantage to passengers is the option of purchasing the service at an affordable price for whatever portion of a flight the passenger prefers.
For airlines, it’s a much better option than flying empty premium seats or offering the seats up for non-revenue upgrades.
Finnair has long offered the service. SAS introduced this ancillary booster earlier this year.
[…] the past few years, the airline has launched a new upgraded cabin and expanded its international routes with flights from Scandinavia to Hong Kong, Los Angeles and […]
[…] The airline recently unveiled a wholly custom Premium Cabin, featuring lie-flat seating and luxury amenities, additional Extra Comfort seating, and a first-class auction upgrade service called Bid Up. […]