UPDATE on KLM Upgrade Bidding

IMPORTANT NOTE 23 December 2016 : The “Upgrade Yourself” link is WORKING AGAIN! THERE IS A NEW LINK :
NEW LINK | Upgrade Yourself LINK to Bid on a possible upgrade.

Upgrade Bidding Temporarily Unavailable

If you have recently tried to access KLM Upgrade Bidding via the “Upgrade Yourself” portal (see : KLM Upgrade Bidding “Upgrade Yourself” ) you probably have noticed that this service is not available. After a few inquiries, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has confirmed that the link is “temporarily unavailable.”

My limited observations have provided very few data-points with regard to upgrade bidding for KLM flights over the past months. I have also not noticed links to bid for upgrades in the “My Trips” section when reviewing future itineraries.

Currently upgrading via OLCI (online check-in) offers, “phantom” My Trip seat selection offers, and the DOD (Day of Departure) upgrade program are all still options that are available to upgrade your intra-Europe or long-haul flights.

The Future of KLM Upgrade Bidding

So, will upgrade bidding return soon? It seems it will, according to the tweet from KLM. I am cautiously optimistic that “we’ll proceed with an improved version of this concept soon” means that we will be able to experience the next generation in upgrade bidding for KLM flights. A more transparent and consistent system would be welcome. Of course, part of the concept behind upgrade bidding is “gambling” for you upgrade. In a sense, “gambling” and “transparency” are not always complimentary concepts. With any “luck” TravelZork will be sharing metrics regarding a new bidding system shortly.