Virgin Australia business class upgrades: all you need to know

Whether you normally book Choice or Flex economy class fares for your Virgin Australia travel, a great way to put your Velocity points to good use is by using them for a business class upgrade.

Upgrades to business class are available on most Virgin Australia flights featuring Boeing 737 aircraft (which make up the bulk of the fleet), and there are three avenues to do so: 

• UpgradeMe Points (using Velocity Points to upgrade from an economy fare)
• UpgradeMe Premiuum Bid (making a cash bid on unsold business class seats) 
• UpgradeMe Platinum Credits (a perk reserved for Velocity Platinum members)

Some fares require more points than others – it all depends on availability and often the type of fare you’re upgrading from. 

Virgin Australia has a simple economy fare structure, with just two levels able to be upgraded.

But, with only eight business class seats available per flight, it pays to be quick in requesting your upgrade to avoid being stuck further back.

Here’s what you need to know to turn those spare points into a business class seat on your next domestic or international trip with Virgin Australia.

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: The basics

Upgrades are only available when travelling on Virgin Australia, not any of Virgin’s partner airlines – including Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways, to name a few – even if you're booked on a codeshare service with a Virgin Australia (VA) flight number.

Here are the three ways you can upgrade to Virgin Australia business class: 

As for the number of points required, this is based on distance flown, with the Virgin Australia website providing a handy table: 

Based on the above, a business class upgrade from Sydney to Melbourne will cost you 4,900 Velocity points on a Flex fare, but 10,000 on a Choice ticket.

Taking a longer trip to a Virgin international destination? There's a table for that too:

For a trip from Sydney to Queenstown, you’ll be up for 16,000 Velocity points to upgrade from an economy Choice fare versus just 9,900 points from a Flex economy ticket. 

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: UpgradeMe Platinum

With Virgin Australia UpgradeMe Platinum, Velocity Platinum members receive four complimentary upgrade credits each year which can turn a Flex fare into a business class seat at no charge.

These upgrades can also be redeemed for accompanying guests – such as friends or family members – travelling on the same flight, as long as there are seats available.

Business class on Virgin Australia's Boeing 737 MAX.

They’re valid anywhere on the Virgin Australia domestic – excluding flights to Christmas Island and Cocos Island – and short-range international network, and are put to best use on those longer flights between Perth and the east coast.

Internationally, you could upgrade to destinations like New Zealand, Fiji and Indonesia (Bali). 

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: UpgradeMe Premium Bid

Don’t have enough points or upgrade credits  to relax at the pointy end? There’s one last hope – UpgradeMe Premium Bid.

Whether flying domestically or internationally, Virgin Australia UpgradeMe Premium Bid allows economy travellers to make a cash bid to upgrade to a business class seat – as long as they are booked on an economy Flex or Choice fare. 

To see what an upgrade could cost on your next booking, visit the UpgradeMe Premium Bid page on the Velocity website. 

You'll know if your bid is successful around four hours prior to the flight.

Here, you can enter how much you’d be willing to pay for a business class seat and lock that figure in – along with your credit card details – up to four hours before the flight departs. You may also cancel or modify your offer during this ‘bidding period.’

By four hours before wheels-up, the airline will assess your bid and choose to either accept or decline your offer. 

If your offer has been approved, an email will be sent to notify you and your credit card automatically charged with your bid amount. If not, or if your card payment is declined, you’ll keep your original seat at no further charge.