I’ve thought for some time that it was only a matter of time before an airline implemented a system like this. Unfortunately, when it comes to technology, 95% of airlines out there might as well be dinosaurs, but over the next few years I think we’ll see that change…

On QF you can now bid for upgrades with points (and cash). And why not? The reality is that there are still empty J and F seats on most flights out there, so why not let people bid on this inventory with a mix of points and cash as the departure nears? Here’s how it works:

• Bid Now Upgrades is available by invitation only for selected Qantas flights. If you receive a Bid Now Upgrade invitation, you have the opportunity to make an upgrade offer to Business using a combination of Qantas Points and money.
• Around seven days before departure, you may be emailed an invitation to make an upgrade offer. Upgrade offers will be considered after requests for Classic Upgrade Rewards (previously called Flight Upgrade Awards) have been processed and confirmed.
• You’ll need a minimum of 3,000 Qantas Points for a domestic upgrade, and 5,000 Qantas Points for an international upgrade. A minimum amount of money will also be required.
• You can make, change or cancel your upgrade offer up until 24 hours before your scheduled flight departure time. Qantas may accept an upgrade offer at any time between 24 and 12 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time. They’ll send you an email to let you know whether your offer has been accepted or not.

So it’s still very definitely a bit of a black box, but it’s the start of something that I predict will become a mainstay in the upgrade world. Good for Qantas for being the first major carrier to launch such a program!

Now that we’ve established that you might be able to get an upgrade on Qantas at a discounted rate via Bid Now, how do you get those points? Probably the best bet is Citi ThankYou points, which transfer at a 1:1 to Qantas and currently (as of this posting) there is a 50k point signup bonus when you spend $3k in 3 months after signing up.

Click the logo below for details on the program…