Busting the upgrade myths
Myth: It’s impossible to win an auction
Busted: Definitely not true! Sure, some of our auctions are super-popular and there’s a lot of competition, but there’s loads of chances to win.
Being prepared can boost your chances, so here’s our top tips to help:
Make sure your notifications are on
Stay in the loop with push notifications. Enable Seatfrog notifications in your phone settings to receive updates on your auction progress and never miss a chance to upgrade.
Bid early, and bid your maximum
Seatfrog will bid on your behalf up to your highest bid. Your maximum bid is hidden from other bidders, so it’s good to bid your maximum early and let Seatfrog do the hard work for you.
You could snag an Instant Win
Another bonus of bidding early at your maximum - it increases your chances of an Instant Win. There are a few of these available on our auctions, and if you’d bid enough, when the auction opens you’ll snap up an instant upgrade.
Make sure your payment details are up to date
Don’t let expired cards derail your plans. Double-check your payment details and ensure your default card is up to date.
Myth: The upgrades are expensive
Busted: Seatfroggers save up to 60% on First Class upgrades.
Them’s the facts. If you’re bidding on peak trains, at busy hours or on holidays, then there will be more competition and that will push the prices up - but they’re still cheaper than buying direct. To make the biggest savings, look at travelling during off-peak hours—after 7 pm or between 9 am and midday—to score upgrades at prices 10%-20% lower on average.
Myth: You have to buy a ticket from Seatfrog to upgrade
Busted: Nope! You can upgrade a train ticket bought from anywhere.
As long as it’s valid for the journey you’re upgrading - and you remember to bring it with you on the day along with your upgrade - you’re good.
Seatfrog do sell train tickets as well, though. Just saying.
Myth: Seatfrog manage the First Class service
Busted: Not true, and probably for the best if we’re honest. We’d be insisting on giant golden lilypads and ponds full of champagne.
We just do the tickets and upgrades - then your onboard experience is all up to the train operators. You can take a look at what to expect on their websites.
Myth: Instant wins aren’t real
Busted: They really are. Like the princess who kissed the frog (let us dream, OK?).
In fact, you can see how many Instant Wins are available on each auction. We can’t tell you how much to bid to get one - that would ruin the fun - but make sure you bid early and go to your maximum for your best chances.
Myth: You only need to bid a small amount to win
Busted: It doesn’t work like that, we’re afraid.
Just adding increments of £1 to the reserve price isn’t going to get you anywhere fast, and other bidders will overtake you pretty quickly. It’s always best to pop in your maximum amount, then Seatfrog will automatically bid for you up to that price. It also massively boosts your chances of an Instant Win.
What's Next
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