Originally Posted by
Dogmatick
I wonder also what cut Plusgrade gets from the upgrade which could have had it lower than you paid at the airport, I've generally had a good airport and onboard upgrade track record for less than the bidding prices
In theory, yes: at low bid levels carriers are better off accepting airport or onboard upgrades, because they can cut out the middleman (= Plusgrade); this would also help explain the empty cabin: passengers just didn’t bother asking for an upgrade at the airport (possibly assuming that the price would be higher than their failed bids), or they were restricted due to catering. But I am sure Plusgrade is wise to this, and the contracts with the airlines are such that this should not really be happening (as Plusgrade would lose out); and Plusgrade is in control of the bid process, so has no incentive to direct people to airport upgrades. So go figure…