Any advice on the best ways to get Qantas business upgrade for a group of 3?

Advice for business upgrade.
I have two separate bookings in economy for PERTH-AUCKLAND one way which I’m trying to work out the best way to upgrade to business. I’m thinking to use points (I have enough for only 2pax on the one booking) and then use cash to upgrade the other booking.
The booking for one pax was made using a qantas credit and was the cheapest available fare at the time. We are a party of 3 all travelling together and I dont want to leave it to chance as per who gets upgraded…
Thoughts?

Presuming these are all Qantas bookings.

  1. You can't upgrade on cheapest economy fare
  2. You can't use cash to upgrade a Qantas flight.  The only exception is if you're invited to bid for an upgrade.  But that is invitation only

Hi Johnsy,

Mark is absolutely right in the sense that if these are all Qantas bookings, you can’t upgrade if they were the cheapest available fare at the time, then Qantas won’t allow you to upgrade them. Qantas discount and sale economy fares aren’t eligible for upgrades using points; you need to be booked in a higher ticket class.

However just in reference to your specific question, every frequent flier program that I’ve ever dealt with or heard of will dish out upgrades giving priority to status first. They’re rewarding people who travel with them most often to stay loyal, so the status you hold with the relevant program is what’s going to get you up the front of the plane.

If you’re using your points to upgrade family members you’re flying with (regardless of if they’re on the same or different bookings) their priority is according to their own status (if any) within the program. The airline will never bump up the travel companions of say a gold member who themselves have no status, at the expense of a silver member requesting an upgrade.

So if you’re the one with the status you’d get first bite at the upgrade, and then the family members/friends or whoever it is you’re looking to upgrade would be added to the bottom of the list for upgrade eligibility.