Virgin Atlantic’s Your Bid lets eligible passengers offer extra money for an upgrade to the next cabin on selected Virgin Atlantic-operated flights. It is an optional auction, not a confirmed upgrade: the airline decides whether to accept an offer, and a successful bid is charged in addition to the original ticket price.
Who can bid for a Virgin Atlantic upgrade?
Your Bid is available only on flights, dates and destinations selected by Virgin Atlantic. To be eligible, you need a valid, confirmed ticket issued by Virgin Atlantic for a flight operated by the airline, be at least 18, and be able to enter a binding contract. The offer is for the next cabin of service, not a chosen cabin several steps above yours. See Virgin Atlantic’s Your Bid terms for the full conditions.
Check eligibility by signing in to My Booking and looking for “Bid for an upgrade,” or follow the link in a pre-flight service email. If the option is not shown for your booking, the flight may not be included in the service.
How to submit, change or cancel an offer
- Open My Booking or the Your Bid link in a Virgin Atlantic pre-flight service email.
- Select “Bid for an upgrade” and choose the eligible flight sector.
- Enter the amount you are willing to pay per passenger and review any applicable taxes, fees, charges and surcharges shown during submission.
- Check the total before confirming. One bid covers all passengers in the booking; to seek upgrades on multiple sectors, submit a separate bid for each sector.
The terms permit you to submit, amend or cancel an offer up to two days before travel, provided Virgin Atlantic has not already accepted it. The amount displayed in your booking is flight-specific; Virgin Atlantic does not publish a universal minimum, maximum or guaranteed winning amount.
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How the per-passenger amount works
Your entered amount is multiplied by the number of passengers covered. Virgin Atlantic’s terms give the example of four passengers bidding £100 per person: the total offer is £400. Because each bid applies to everyone in the booking, do not assume you can bid for only one person within a shared booking.
How Virgin Atlantic decides whether to accept a bid
Virgin Atlantic says it considers four factors: the amount offered, the number of seats available in the next cabin, the number of passengers included in the offer, and when it receives the bid. It also reserves discretion to accept or reject any offer. The airline does not publish a formula, weighting for these factors, acceptance odds or a threshold that guarantees success, so no particular bid amount can be treated as a sure thing.
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When you will hear back and when payment is taken
Virgin Atlantic’s Your Bid terms, Revision 5 dated 17 February 2025, say offers are assessed between seven and two days before scheduled departure. A successful bidder may be notified by email during that period; unsuccessful bidders are to be notified at least two days before departure.
If the offer succeeds, Virgin Atlantic takes full payment no later than two days before departure. The bid is additional to the original ticket price, and applicable taxes, fees, charges and surcharges are payable as shown during submission. An unsuccessful offer is not charged. If payment is rejected, the upgrade is lost.
What happens if your bid succeeds—or you cancel your trip?
A successful Your Bid upgrade applies to the sector you bid on. If you win Upper Class, the terms permit access to the Clubhouse or an applicable third-party lounge at the departure airport for that upgraded sector, subject to space availability. You receive the upgraded cabin’s baggage allowance for that sector; connecting sectors may have different allowances.
A Your Bid upgrade does not earn additional Virgin Points or Tier Points. The upgrade amount is generally non-refundable after acceptance and payment, even if your original ticket is refundable. The terms provide exceptions if Virgin Atlantic changes or cancels the flight and cannot honour the upgrade on the rebooked flight, or if the flight departs without the upgrade for a reason attributable to Virgin Atlantic. If you change or cancel your own travel, the upgrade cannot be transferred to another flight or passenger; the upgrade amount is non-refundable, with applicable taxes refunded. Check the full terms for how they apply to your situation.
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How bidding compares with other upgrade routes
Your Bid is one of several options. Virgin Atlantic also describes paid upgrades, upgrades using Flying Club points, and voucher upgrades. Flying Club points upgrades depend on seat availability and require applicable points and taxes or fees. Compare the route available for your booking by checking what cabin and sector it covers, what you will pay, how certain the price and availability are, and whether it earns loyalty points. Virgin Atlantic’s upgrades overview outlines the alternatives.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
