Business Class for Less? Air Astana Launches MyUpgrade Tool

Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, has launched MyUpgrade, an online tool that enables existing Economy Class customers to bid for an upgrade to Business Class before their flight.

The tool allows passengers to name their own price, within a minimum and maximum range, to be considered for an upgrade to the premium cabin.

Air Astana customers who book an eligible flight at airastana.com will receive a pre-departure email inviting them to visit the online portal to make their offer. Those customers booking via ticket offices and travel agents can also check their flight eligibility and make an offer via the dedicated marketing page on the airline’s website.

Customer bids are accepted up to 72 hours before departure. The system reviews all bids and available capacity for each flight 48 hours before departure and sends successful bidders their upgraded tickets via email. The higher the bid, the more likely that passengers will be successful with their offer. Customers provide payment card details at the time of offer, but payment is only processed if bids have been successful.

Those passengers who successfully bid for an upgrade will enjoy a host of benefits and privileges including greater in-seat comfort, personal on-demand inflight entertainment systems, Air Astana’s renowned Business Class cuisine and beverage selection, access to International Business Class lounges, increased luggage allowance, priority boarding and priority luggage delivery.

“We expect that this new facility will be extremely popular with our customers. Our aim is to make better use of our cabin inventory, whilst ensuring the best customer experience. Whilst there are is no guarantee that customers will be successful every time they bid, it does provide an opportunity to enjoy Air Astana’s award winning Business Class cabin across a range of long and short haul flights. It is another example of the airline using industry leading technology to deliver new products and services to our customers” said Richard Ledger, Air Astana’s Vice President Sales Worldwide. 

Air Astana commenced regular flight operations on 15 May 2002 and currently operates a network of over 60 international and domestic routes from hubs in Almaty and Astana. The airline is a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s national wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, and BAE Systems, with respective shares of 51% and 49%.

See also: HD Video Interview with Peter Forster, OBE, President and CEO of Air Astana.