If it feels impossible to get a Qantas upgrade at the moment using points, you’re not alone. This frequent flyer shares his top tips to cracking the pointy end.
“I’m finding Qantas points becoming too hard to use. Every time I try for an upgrade, they never seem to be available. Am I better off using them to buy something from the store?”
Firstly, Qantas knows this. The change of guard with Alan Joyce exiting and Vanessa Hudson starting as CEO has seen a number of pain points acknowledged.
Just this week Qantas Group announced a $80 million investment for customer improvements in FY24 including an increase in the number of seats that can be redeemed with Frequent Flyer points.
The thing with upgrades on Qantas is that it’s fiercely competitive. Most Aussies focus their points efforts with Qantas or Virgin rather than overseas airlines.
If you choose to be loyal to Qantas, you’re up against something like 13 million other members and unless you have serious status, the chances are slim of scoring an upgrade on points.
Qantas business class is a sought after commodity, so to get an upgrade using just points, you’ll need to play your cards right.
Travel expert from Finder, Angus Kidman, says Qantas points upgrades are tough to get, especially to popular destinations such as London or New York.
“Upgrades are worth more than almost any other points usage, so it’s always worth trying for them if you have a Qantas flight booked.”
With Qantas, it’s a long game
It’s best to keep saving your points and trying for an upgrade instead of buying a blender or vacuum cleaning from Qantas Marketplace. While you might not get an upgrade, by continuing to save, you could increase your status and your points stash. Eventually you could instead get a fare completely on points which can be more lucrative than using them for upgrades.
How do upgrades work?
Everyone wants an upgrade. But how do they work, exactly?
Airlines earmark a limited number of seats for upgrades and reward fares. Why? There’s only so many seats in premium economy, business and first class. Airlines prefer travellers who can pay the whole fare in cash rather than points – it’s a business after all.
Let’s say you’ve booked a flight from Brisbane to Perth in economy. You paid for the fare using cash and you’d like to upgrade to business using your points. There are a couple of ways you can upgrade.
Classic Upgrade Rewards
Log into your Qantas account, go to bookings and request an upgrade. Upgrades can be requested up to 10 hours before departure on international flights and up to five hours on domestic flights. On some international flights you can opt-in to be eligible for an Upgrade Reward up to the gate. Monitor the status of your upgrade online or through the app. Generally Qantas will notify you via SMS.
Bid now
On selected flights, you might be invited to bid for an upgrade. You need to have an eligible fare (cheap sale fares don’t make the cut) and you need to be quick. Qantas allows members to make an upgrade offer using points, cash or a combination. If you don’t have quite enough points, you can top it up with some cash.
Domestic On Departure Upgrades
Platinum One, Platinum, Gold, Qantas Club and Points Club Plus members can use points for a last minute upgrade after checking in. Three hours before your flight, log into the Qantas App and check if there’s the possibility of an upgrade. If you’re successful, your upgrade will be confirmed on the spot.
First in, best dressed
When it comes to getting bumped up to the pointy end, it pays to be organised.
With using points, the early bird gets the worm. The earlier you try for an upgrade, the better your chances.
Kidman adds flexibility is important.
“You might miss out on Business but get Premium Economy, which is still a nice boost. That happened to me on a UK trip earlier this year. Apply for an upgrade as soon as you’ve made your booking. That maximises your chances.”
The status factor
While many focus on how many points they have, status is a massive factor. Qantas has five membership tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One. If you’re bidding for an upgrade as a Silver member but there’s a Platinum One flyer also going for it, it’ll go to them.
“The higher your status tier, the closer to the front of the upgrade queue you are. Bronze fliers are unlikely to get an upgrade to Business on popular routes,” says Kidman.
The airline will also look at the fare type. After status, the upgrade will go to the traveller who has the most flexible, highest tier fare type.
