Iberia launches auction site offering round-trip flights starting as low as €20
There's nothing like the thrill of an online auction to make you feel ridiculously engaged with something you didn't even know you wanted. If someone outbids me for a Van Halen OU812 t-shirt, I'm guaranteed to shout "No you DIDN'T" at my computer screen, while frantically trying to time my next bid just right. Iberia Airlines hopes that impulsive – and competitive – travelers will be willing to battle each other for flight deals on their own recently launched auction site. A flight from Madrid to Marrakech for €28? Sure, I'll click Iberia's red gavel icon for that.
The 15 flights that are currently listed on the auction site all originate in Madrid and depart before the end of June to destinations in five European countries and Morocco. Bids can be increased in €1 increments and each auction does have a Buy-It-Now option, which is helpful just so bidders can decide whether they're getting a serious bargain or just an OK one. For example, flights from Madrid to New York were auctioned for €445 - €515; a similar weekday flight booked through Iberia's website would be €772 or more.
Iberia's first 20 auctions – which featured flights to New York, Miami, Paris and Rome – all sold in 24 hours, a frenzied day-long period that racked up more than 300,000 page views. The auction format proved so popular that additional destinations have been (and will continue to be) offered. Miguel Henales, Iberia's e-Business director, told Skift:
Our objective is to have an auction portal on which we can gradually offer tickets to various destinations every day. One of the reasons for starting the auctions has been to attract young people who are more flexible about when they travel, and who are interested in finding good fares with a bit of fun on the side. This way, we hope to attract new users who will fly with us and return as repeat customers.
He's right about the appeal to a younger demographic. The majority of users – 78.5% – were under 45, with a full 45% in that oh-so-attractive 25-34 age range. That demo could help Iberia continue to attract new would-be bidders through their willingness to engage and share their experiences on the site; every auction winner is prompted to share their good news (or just rub it in) on Twitter and Facebook.
Although this is a cool idea – and one that seems targeted to people who aren't trying to throw together a family vacation in less than two weeks – it would be even better if an airline auctioned off really last minute flights. I'd love to have the chance to bid on flights leaving tonight, tomorrow night or this weekend. The airlines could make money on empty unsold seats and the consumer wouldn't have to pay the otherwise unreasonable price of a same-day or next-day flight. But that's another dream for another day.
Until then, if I do make it to Morocco, I'll be the one in the vintage Van Halen shirt.