Bid for your upgrade

What is the difference between upgrades you bid for and purchasing a Premium Economy Class or Business Class ticket directly?

If you purchase a Premium Economy Class or Business Class ticket, you will be guaranteed a seat in that cabin. This is the only way to be sure that you will actually fly in this travel class.

With bid upgrades, passengers can decide how much it would be worth to them to upgrade to a higher travel class and make a bid up to 49 hours before departure. Based on the submitted bids and the booking situation, Discover Airlines will decide whether it will accept these bids. So it's not certain until just before departure if you will actually get a seat in the travel class you want.

What will I get if I am selected for an upgrade? What is included in the upgrade?

When you upgrade to Premium Economy Class, you can enjoy the following benefits on this flight:

• A comfortable Premium Economy Class seat that gives you more space and significantly-enhanced onboard service compared with Economy Class
• An 11-inch monitor and a power supply at each seat
• Priority check-in at the airport
• Optional lounge access (to selected Lufthansa lounges for a fee; for HON Circle Members, Senators and Frequent Travelers, lounge access rules apply according to the respective Miles & More member status)
• Higher or equivalent mileage and Points credit (since individual Economy or Premium Economy booking classes may have the same miles and Points values as those of lower-priced Premium Economy Class or Business Class booking classes)³
  

When you upgrade to Business Class, you can enjoy the following benefits on your flight:

• Lounge access
  
• Check-in or baggage check-in at the Business Class check-in counter
• The use of Priority Lanes at security control, if available at the airport
  
• Priority boarding via a passenger bridge
  
• Higher or equivalent mileage credit (since individual Economy or Premium Economy booking classes may have the same number of miles as those of lower-priced Premium Economy Class or Business Class booking classes)³

On long-haul flights, you can also enjoy the following benefits when upgrading to Business Class:

• Superb inflight service
  
• Exquisite menus and fine wines
• A very comfortable seat that can be converted into a fully-flat bed

On short-haul flights, you can enjoy the following services when upgrading to Business Class:

• A seat in the front rows of the aircraft
  
• More freedom and privacy as the middle seat always remains unoccupied
  
• A full meal served on high-quality porcelain
• A selection of newspapers and magazines (as an eJournal)

How many miles and Points can I earn?

You will be credited award miles and status miles when you upgrade to the respective higher travel class. For detailed information on how to calculate your award miles, visit ​Miles & MoreThe link will be opened in a new browser tab.

How do bid upgrades work?

You will not be able to upgrade until you have booked your flight ticket.

1. Go to discover-airlines.com.
2. Access your current booking by logging in or entering your booking code. Select the booking for which you want to make an upgrade bid.
3. The "My bookingsThe link will be opened in a new browser tab" page will check in the background if your flight is eligible for a bid upgrade. If so, you will see another link on the right.
   
4. Make your bid.
5. Complete the payment information. Of course, your credit card will only be charged if your bid is successful.
6. Review your entries, accept the terms and conditions of participation, and submit your bid.
7. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your bid.
   
   

You can edit or withdraw your bid at any time up to 49 hours before departure using the link provided in the confirmation email.
About 48 hours before departure, we'll notify you by email if your upgrade bid has been accepted or not.

1. If your upgrade bid has been accepted, we will charge your credit card with the amount you bid. Your flight will be rebooked for the applicable travel class, and you will receive an updated ticket.
2. If your upgrade bid is not accepted, you won’t pay anything and will travel in the class you booked originally.

Are there any upgrade options for each of my flights?

As a general rule, upgrade bids can be made for all Discover Airlines flights up to 49 hours before departure.

However, for technical or legal reasons, an upgrade is unfortunately excluded for the following:

• Tickets that have not yet been issued
  
• Tickets that are part of a group booking
  
• Tickets including an infant (up to 2 years) in the booking
  
• Tickets from other airlines or tickets not issued on a Discover Airlines document
• Passengers with animals (pets in the cabin and/or hold)
  
• Extra seats for more comfort and/or medical reasons or for carry-on baggage (e.g. musical instruments)

When will I be charged?

As part of the selection process, we may authorize the respective amount on your credit card. However, the charge will not be made until your upgrade is confirmed. You will receive an email notification about 24 hours before the scheduled departure time of the respective route segment.

Do I have to pay for the upgrade immediately on submitting my bid?

No, you will not pay for the upgrade until your bid is actually accepted. This is done up to approximately 24 hours before the scheduled departure time of the respective route segment.

Can I pay with two different credit cards?

No, payment can only be made as one transaction and with one credit card.

Can I also bid for an upgrade without a credit card?

 To participate, you will need a valid credit card. Unfortunately, there are no alternative payment options.

Can I settle the amount with miles?

Payment is only possible by credit card. Please request mileage upgrades through the known channels.

Will there be any additional taxes or fees when I receive the upgrade?

The amount you bid includes all applicable and prepaid taxes and all applicable fees for that upgrade.

Excluded from this are:

• possible additional costs for the use of your credit card abroad as the service is handled by the provider Plusgrade L.P. based in Canada and
  
• potential foreign currency fees if you make your bid in a currency other than the currency of your credit card account.

Whether additional charges are incurred, depends on the terms and conditions of your credit card contract. This also applies to the amount of any such charges. The bank that issued the card can provide further information.

Do I have to pay to bid for an upgrade?

We do not charge booking or registration fees for upgrade bids.

What do I need to check before making the bid?

Please check the amount of the bid and the total amount for each route segment. Please also ensure that you have entered the correct payment and contact details and that you have read the terms and conditions of participation before accepting them.

What are the terms and conditions of participation?

The terms and conditions regulate all details of the program. You can find them on the “Review & Submit” page. You must accept the terms and conditions of participation before making your bid.

Why do I have to accept the terms and conditions of participation?

The terms and conditions of participation form the framework of the entire program. Therefore, we can only process your bid if you have read and accepted the terms and conditions of participation.

What can I do if I do not receive an email after making my bid?

Please wait for four hours as it may take a while for the email to be generated. Please also check the spam folder of your email account.

Can I also call Discover Airlines to make my bid?

No, upgrade bids can currently only be submitted online.

What do I need to do if I want to change or cancel my bid?

You can change or cancel your bid up to 49 hours before departure by clicking on the link in the email you received as a bid confirmation. Alternatively, you can log in via “My bookingsThe link will be opened in a new browser tab” and cancel your bid up to 49 hours before departure.

I forgot to make my bid before the 49-hour deadline. Is there any way to make a bid afterwards?

All bids must be received no later than 49 hours before the departure time of the relevant route segment. After this period, you will no longer be able to make a bid.

When does Discover Airlines decide who will receive the upgrade?

You will be notified by email 24 hours before the scheduled departure time to hear if your bid has been accepted or not.

What criteria does Discover Airlines use to evaluate my bid?

We consider different criteria when evaluating upgrade bids. This includes, but is not limited to, the amount of your bid and the amount of other bids, the number of seats available and the number of passengers included in the booking.

How and when will I know if I am getting an upgrade?

If your bid is accepted, you will be notified via email 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. We will also notify you by email if your bid has been declined.

Can you send me a confirmation by SMS if my bid has been accepted?

All communication related to your bid will be done exclusively by email.

What happens if I don’t get an upgrade?

Approximately 24 hours before departure, we will notify you via email that your bid was unsuccessful. Your credit card won’t be charged, and you will be traveling in the originally booked travel class.

Will I be informed of the reason why my bid was not accepted?

No. There are many factors involved in the selection process, so we cannot indicate why individual bids were unsuccessful.

How can I get information about the current status of my bid?

In the confirmation of receipt for your bid, there is a link for viewing all information. By clicking this link and selecting the appropriate flight, you can see the status of your bid in the upper right corner of the window.

What does it mean if I see an authorization for the upgrade amount on my credit card?

As part of the decision-making process, we may verify the coverage of your credit card account. However, this is not a guarantee that you will receive the upgrade, only a step in the assignation process.

Can I transfer the upgrade to another flight if my bid is accepted?

Accepted upgrade bids are only valid for the specified flight, for the passengers included in the booking and on the specified date. They are not transferable to any other person or flight and are not refundable.

Can I increase my bid if I find out I am not getting the upgrade?

No, if your bid has not been accepted, you will not be able to place a new bid. In order to have the best chance of upgrading, it is important to place the best possible bid from the start.

What do I need to do when I have received my upgrade?

You don’t have to do anything. Remember, however, that the upgrade only applies to the specified route segment. The fare conditions for your original ticket will continue to apply, including cancellation conditions, rebooking fees and baggage regulations.

What fare conditions apply to the upgraded ticket?

If your bid for an upgrade has been accepted, the ticket conditions will continue to apply to your originally booked fare, including the conditions for length of stay, cancellation and rebooking as well as the baggage regulations.

What do I need to do if I change my mind and no longer want the upgrade?

It is not possible to receive a refund just for the bid upgrade.

What do I need to consider if I want to cancel a ticket that includes an upgrade?

According to the fare conditions of the originally booked ticket, a refund for the bid upgrade is only possible in connection with that ticket. The bid upgrade cannot be refunded on its own.

What happens to my upgrade if I want to rebook my flight?

If you want to change your flight after your bid has been accepted and if the originally booked fare allows rebooking, you will be entitled to a full refund for the bid upgrade after the rebooking has been processed. A new bid can be made for the modified flight.

What happens to my upgrade if I miss my flight?

If you are to blame for missing a flight, your upgrade will be void. The upgrade amount is non-refundable.

If you are rebooked on an alternative flight by Discover Airlines due to flight irregularities, you will of course still be fully entitled to a seat in the new travel class after a successful upgrade. If you cannot be offered a seat in the new travel class due to the flight irregularity, please contact Discover Airlines Customer Relations to get the amount you paid for the upgrade refunded to the credit card you used to pay for the upgrade.