Getting an upgrade in business has never been easier. How seatboost works
We have talked before about Plusgrade the service used by many airlines, such as Alitalia and Lufthansa, which allows [...]
Tap Air Portugal
Star Alliance
LIS
We have talked before about Plusgrade the service used by many airlines, such as Alitalia and Lufthansa, which allows people to participate in an auction to win "unsold" tickets in classes higher than the one purchased.
In this article:
Plusgrade is definitely the most widely used platform, But it has some limitations. For example, it allows travelers to bid within 48 hours of departure, so when the auction is closed, the company informs the any winners of the auction with an email.
There is, however, a second service, much less widespread and used in Europe only by Tap Portugal, which is called Seatboost and unlike the former enters the scene only in the last 24 hours.
How it works: detailed instructions for using seatboost
Operation is equally simple and it all passes through a dedicated app that can be downloaded from the various stores.
- Log in to the TAP app and select "Flight."
- Check to see if an auction is available. If so, click on "Place a bid for an upgrade" and you will be redirected to the SeatBoost app;
- In the SeatBoost app, select the flight and/or auction and bid using a credit card;
- After you have made your first bid, a number of "palettes" with higher bid values will be displayed on the screen: this way you will be able to understand the quality of your bid, compared to the other participants;
- Toward the end of the auction, the top 10 bidders will be able to make a final bid;
- If you are the winner, immediately after the auction, you will receive a message and the new Business Class Boarding Pass (payment will be automatically charged to the credit card used to launch the bid);
- If you do not win the auction, you will not be charged anything and you will keep the original ticket.
Not all routes are eligible for SeatBoost auctions, so your flight may not be available for an upgrade auction.
Important information
- Upgrade depends on the availability of seats. Availability is determined at the end of each auction and cannot be guaranteed.
- There is a separate rod for each flight segment.
- Eligibility restrictions may apply.
- Some services are excluded from this upgrade.
- Payments must be made in EUR for airports in Europe and Morocco. For the rest of the world, the currency is in USD.
Why "betting" has never been so convenient
Before the pandemic, finding a place in the premium classes was a hard task, and so there were very few places in the auction as well.
But tomorrow, when we slowly return to travel, it will be much easier since, according to all analysts, it will be the business customers that the companies will miss. So there will be a much better chance to make a class jump, and Seatboost has just that goal: to allow unsold business to be sold.
Generally, airlines allow only one class jump. So from economy to premium economy, from premium to business, and from business to first. It is important to remember that you will get all the physical benefits provided from the upgrade (unless otherwise specified) such as lounge access, extra baggage. Conversely you will not receive extra points/miles but will remain those provided in the originally booked flight class. Last but not least it is offered by flight segment, not the entire itinerary.
