International Flight Upgrade Awards
Sometimes on international flights, a bigger seat or access to the lounge can make all the difference. Flight Upgrade Awards are a great way to use your available Qantas Frequent Flyer points to fly in one of the premium cabins on a Qantas service. You can request an international Flight Upgrade Award for Qantas operated services with a QF flight number from 1 to 199 on your ticket any time after you have paid for your ticket and received confirmation, up until 24 hours before your flight leaves.
You may request an international Flight Upgrade Award from:
- Discount Economy# (excluding E, N, O, Q and X class) to Premium Economy (where available+)
- Economy# to Premium Economy (where available+)
- Discount Economy# (excluding E, N, O, Q and X class) to Business
- Economy# to Business
- Premium Economy (where available+) to Business
- Business to First
If you request a Flight Upgrade Award for an itinerary that includes an international and a domestic leg with the same flight number, this will be treated as an international Flight Upgrade Award.
Here are a few things you need to know about international Flight Upgrade Awards:
- You need to have an eligible paid and confirmed ticket on a Qantas operated service (with a QF flight number from 1-199 on your ticket).
- Flight Upgrade Awards may be requested on certain international Qantas Any Seat Awards but are not available on Qantas Classic Awards or international airfares booked in E, N, O, P, Q or X class, which includes some Qantas Any Seat Awards and some international Red e-Deal fares.
- You will earn points and Status credits for the fare class you originally purchased.
- The fare conditions applicable to the fare originally purchased will apply.
- Special meals may not be available in the upgraded class of travel.
- Flight Upgrade Awards are subject to capacity controls and availability (which is limited).
- Members must have enough points for the Flight Upgrade Award at the time they request it and when the upgrade is confirmed. Family transfers may assist in ensuring that sufficient points are available.
- All PIN changes between the time a Flight Upgrade Award is requested and the time of confirmation must be advised to Qantas reservations. Otherwise the Flight Upgrade Award request will not be processed.
- If there are multiple people travelling in your booking and all passengers are eligible family members, your online request for a Flight Upgrade Award will apply to each passenger. If your booking includes passengers other than eligible family members, you will need to contact Qantas Telephone Sales to split the booking and then you will be able to request an upgrade.
For full details on Flight Upgrade Awards and cancellations, see terms and conditions.
How do I register?
To register for an international Flight Upgrade Award using your points:
- Log in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account at qantas.com
- Go to 'Your Bookings'
- Select 'Upgrade' for your desired booking
- Opt-in to be eligible for a Flight Upgrade Award
up to the gate (see next section) - Alternatively, you can contact Qantas Telephone Sales
Your request for an international Flight Upgrade Award will be considered in accordance with the following timetable:
- Platinum One Frequent Flyers, from 7 days prior to the scheduled flight departure;
- Platinum Frequent Flyers, from 48 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure; and
- Other Frequent Flyers, within 24 hours of the scheduled flight departure.
International Flight Upgrade Award requests are always prioritised according to your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership level: Platinum first, followed by Gold, Silver and then Bronze.
It may not be possible to confirm your international Flight Upgrade Award according to the timetable above even if seats are available for sale in the upgrade cabin due to expected future commercial passenger demand.
If your upgrade is confirmed, it will be noted in 'Your Bookings' at qantas.com, and where possible we will notify you with an SMS†. Or you will also be informed when you check-in to your flight at the airport. Points will be deducted from your account at the time that a request is confirmed.
International Flight Upgrade Awards up to the gate
Qantas is committed to providing international Flight Upgrade Awards wherever we can. In some cases an upgrade may become available on your flight at the last minute due to cancellations, no-shows or missed connections. To increase your chances of obtaining your upgrade we have introduced an additional process where your request can be further considered at the airport. To be eligible for this process you will need to opt-in to 'upgrade at the airport' when you register for a Flight Upgrade Award.
Before opting-in to be eligible for an upgrade up to the gate, please note:
- For upgrades at the airport, if you are travelling continuously on a flight that stops in one or more ports (with the same flight number), you will only be eligible for an upgrade on the last leg and only if that last leg has a flying time longer than three hours. Points will only be deducted for the portion of your flight that was upgraded.
- Upgrades at the airport will only be awarded for bookings containing one passenger.
- If you are unable to accept all of these conditions, then you should not opt-in to be eligible for an upgrade up to the gate when you register for an international Flight Upgrade Award.
- Flight Upgrade Awards are subject to capacity controls and availability (which is limited).
- If your upgrade is confirmed at the airport, you may not be able to use some of the benefits that you receive with the upgrade such as your additional baggage allowance (or lounge access if your upgrade is confirmed at the gate).
- An upgrade at the airport requires the same amount of points as an upgrade prior to arrival at the airport regardless of whether or not you are able to use some of the benefits that you receive with the upgrade such as additional baggage allowance and lounge access.
- If a request for an upgrade at the airport is successful, it cannot be refused. You will be required to travel in the upgrade cabin in the seat you have been allocated. This is because the upgrade may be awarded as your flight is due to depart and airport staff will not be able to re-seat you on the aircraft.
Upgrading and your Family
If you are travelling with your family, your request will include all passengers in your booking who are eligible family members. If your booking includes passengers other than eligible family members, you will need to contact Qantas Telephone Sales to split the booking and then you will be able to request an upgrade.
If you are not travelling but use your points to request an upgrade for an eligible family member, the upgrade will be awarded according to the eligible family member's priority, not the status of the Qantas Frequent Flyer whose points are being used. An exception is made when Platinum One members, though not travelling, redeem points for an upgrade on behalf of eligible family members. In this case the eligible family members will enjoy the same high priority as a Platinum One member.
Cancellations
You may cancel an unconfirmed request for a Flight Award Upgrade without forfeiting your points at any time prior to the scheduled flight departure. Should your upgrade request be confirmed and you choose to cancel your upgrade request more than 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure your Flight Upgrade Award may be refunded subject to a fee. If you cancel your upgrade request or fail to board a flight for which you have redeemed points for a Flight Upgrade Award within 24 hours of the scheduled flight departure, you will forfeit the points used and a seat may no longer be available in your original booked class.
If you cancel or change your flight before your upgrade is confirmed, the Flight Upgrade Award request will be cancelled, and a new request must be made.
Flight Upgrade Award Tables
| Points needed for a Flight Upgrade Award to Premium Economy+ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone | One-Way Miles | Discount Economy^ | Economy# |
| 1 | 0-600 |
5,000 |
2,000 |
| 2 | 601-1,200 |
7,500 | 3,000 |
| 3 | 1,201-2,400 |
10,000 | 4,000 |
| 4 | 2,401-3,600 |
15,000 | 6,000 |
| 5 | 3,601-4,800 |
25,000 | 10,000 |
| 6 | 4,801-5,800 |
30,000 | 12,000 |
| 7 | 5,801-7,000 |
35,000 | 14,000 |
| 8 | 7,001-8,400 |
45,000 | 18,000 |
| 9 | 8,401-9,600 |
50,000 | 20,000 |
| 10 | 9,601-15,000 | 60,000 | 24,000 |
| Points needed for a Flight Upgrade Award to Business Class | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone | One-Way Miles | Discount Economy^ | Economy# | Premium Economy+ |
| 1 | 0-600 |
8,000 |
5,000 | 5,000 |
| 2 | 601-1,200 |
12,000 |
7,500 | 7,500 |
| 3 | 1,201-2,400 |
16,000 |
10,000 | 10,000 |
| 4 | 2,401-3,600 |
24,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| 5 | 3,601-4,800 |
40,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| 6 | 4,801-5,800 |
48,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| 7 | 5,801-7,000 |
56,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
| 8 | 7,001-8,400 |
72,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 |
| 9 | 8,401-9,600 |
80,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| 10 | 9,601-15,000 | 96,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 |
| Points needed for a Flight Upgrade Award to First Class | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone | One-Way Miles | Business Class | |
| 1 | 0-600 |
5,000 |
|
| 2 | 601-1,200 |
7,500 | |
| 3 | 1,201-2,400 |
10,000 | |
| 4 | 2,401-3,600 |
15,000 | |
| 5 | 3,601-4,800 |
25,000 | |
| 6 | 4,801-5,800 |
30,000 | |
| 7 | 5,801-7,000 |
35,000 | |
| 8 | 7,001-8,400 |
45,000 | |
| 9 | 8,401-9,600 |
50,000 | |
| 10 | 9,601-15,000 | 60,000 | |
Flight Upgrade Awards are subject to capacity controls and availability (which is limited).
# For international flights: a) Discount Economy includes classes B, G, H, K, L, M, S and V; and b) Economy includes class Y.
+ Premium Economy is available on all Qantas A380 aircraft and selected B747-400 aircraft.
† SMS notification of a confirmed international Flight Upgrade Award is available only to Qantas Frequent Flyers who are travelling on the upgraded segment, and who have a valid mobile telephone number in their membership profile. Some members may not receive SMS notification due to operational reasons.
