Articles tagged “plusgrade”

No longer just a “nice to have,” ancillaries have become central to driving revenue for today’s airlines, hotels, cruises, and rail lines. But instead of adding more fees that travelers see as punitive — such as charging extra for carry-on bags — travel companies should focus on creating incredible add-on experiences that travelers are happy to pay for.

Plusgrade, a Montreal-based company that helps travel businesses persuade travelers to spend more, has acquired UpStay, a growing provider of upgrade and ancillary revenue solutions for hotels, Plusgrade said Tuesday.…

In Skift's top stories this week, Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali writes about the blending of work, travel, and personal lives, Ghana's decision to use celebrities to promote tourism emerges as problematic, and the labor shortage in hospitality enhances the need for robots in hotels.

PlusGrade and Points.com deal with some of the same partners, and they can now approach them with a collaborative pitch.

Expect more travel tech companies to mimic Plusgrade and get private equity backing to be able to do the acquisitions they need to grow during the recovery.

Those flush with American Express Membership Rewards points have a new tool for bidding on airline upgrades. Caveat emptor on the cost of the upgrades though.

A $150 million investment in Plusgrade may seem like a lot, given the scope of the market for the company's services. But we're not surprised that a business that specializes in drawing out the highest price from bidders in consumer markets would attract this level of funding.

Remember when airlines used to give away their best seats for free? Ha! The economy is strong, and airlines are offering fewer upgrades. Passengers who want to sit up front need to pay for it. But don't worry. Another recession will come, and the good days (for upgraders, at least) should return.

Airlines aren't in the business of giving stuff away for free any more, so expect more airlines to consider seat auctions or other ways to monetize items they used to give away to loyal flyers.

Targeted bidding on flight upgrades is a smart way for airlines to engage customers and offer value without inundating flyers with additional fees and packages. But it also adds a level of uncertainty that travelers may find off-putting.