A complete guide to Virgin Australia business class upgrades

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

Upgrades to business class are available on all Virgin Australia flights using Boeing 737 aircraft, which makes up the vast majority of its fleet. 

If you happen to be flying on Virgin’s Airbus A320 or Fokker 100 jets, of which there are only 16, upgrades are still possible but only to Economy X seats, which simply grant extra leg room in an exit row.

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

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

When it comes to business class upgrades, there are two types of economy class fares you should be familiar with:

• Choice economy fares are Virgin Australia cheapest upgradable fare, seeing as Lite fares cannot be upgraded, and as such, they are sold on all Virgin Australia domestic and international flights.
• Flex fares are the highest economy class fare, also available on all Virgin Australia flights. Sold at a higher price but offering the most flexibility (hence the name), it is often easier to upgrade from a Flex fare on all routes. They also allow for additional flexibility when changing or cancelling your flight.

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

For example, a business class upgrade from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Perth will cost you 9,900 Velocity points on a Flex fare, but 30,000 points on a Choice ticket.

Taking a longer trip to any of Virgin’s international destinations, such as New Zealand, Bali or Fiji? You’ll be up for 24,000 Velocity points to upgrade from an economy Choice fare or just 14,900 points if you’re on a Flex economy ticket to Bali. 

For flights from Australia’s east coast to Queenstown – it's a flat 9,900 Velocity points to move from economy Flex to business.

However, points-based upgrades aren’t available when travelling on any of Virgin’s partner airlines – including Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways to name just a few – even if you're booked on a codeshare service with a Virgin Australia (VA) flight number.

But in its favour, Virgin Australia offers confirmed upgrades as soon as you've requested them, provided there are seats available on your flight: rather than waiting until closer to departure as happens on Qantas international flights.

With Virgin Australia, Velocity frequent flyer members can use Velocity points to upgrade their flying experience in one of three ways. 

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: UpgradeMe Points

Virgin Australia’s UpgradeMe Points – the equivalent of Qantas’ Classic Upgrade Rewards – allows Velocity frequent flyers travelling in an eligible fare class to use Velocity points to upgrade on Virgin Australia domestic and international flights.

Upgrading a Choice fare

If you're travelling on a domestic Choice fare, upgrades with Velocity points can be requested from the time of booking until four hours before departure via the Virgin Australia website, or until two hours beforehand over the phone (13 18 75).

Both Choice and Flex fares are able to be upgraded to business class.

If an upgrade isn't available when you request it, you may be able to add your request to a waitlist for consideration closer to departure.

Upgrade requests can also be made in Virgin Australia's lounges until 30 minutes before departure (basically until boarding time) for Velocity Platinum guests, and between 30 and 120 minutes beforehand for Gold, Silver and Red members already in the lounge.

Platinum members have the added privilege of being able to request upgrades for flights from other airports, such as their return on the next onward sector.

When departing from Hobart, where Virgin Australia doesn't operate a lounge, Velocity Gold and Platinum members can instead request a points-based upgrade at the priority check-in desks between 40 and 90 minutes prior to departure.

On shorter flights like Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane, the asking price is 10,000 points per passenger, per flight on a Choice Fare: equal to the number of points needed for a similar upgrade on Qantas.

That’s not bad value when you consider the typically-low cost of Choice fares – many starting at just $80 – plus the benefit of lounge access if you’re not already a Velocity Gold or Platinum member.

But on those longer treks across to Perth, the number of points needed for an upgrade to business class is comparable to simply booking a confirmed business class seat at the onset – 30,000 points to upgrade versus 35,500 points to book outright,as we’ve previously detailed.

Upgrading a Flex fare

Reflecting the higher price of Virgin Australia's domestic Flex fares, the number of points needed to upgrade from here is significantly less.

Book a Flex fare and for just 4,900 points more, you could be sitting in business class on the airline’s short hops like Sydney-Melbourne, Sydney-Brisbane and Sydney-Canberra.

Like Choice fares, confirmed upgrades can be requested online and over the phone, plus at the airport for frequent flyers and paid-up Virgin Australia Lounge members under the same time frame as above.

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.

Upgrades are at their easiest when you're already flying often enough to become a Platinum Velocity member.

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.

They’re valid anywhere on the Virgin Australia domestic – excluding flights to Christmas Island and Cocos Island – and 'short-haul 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. 

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 six 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, your credit card will be automatically charged with your bid amount – and if not, or if your card payment is declined, you’ll keep your original seat at no further charge.

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: International business class upgrades

Heading to New Zealand, Fiji or Bali? You can use your points to upgrade to business class if you’ve purchased a Flex or Choice economy fare. 

Securing an upgrade for a longer Virgin Australia flight puts your points to the best use.

As Virgin Australia doesn’t have any international lounges of its own – instead using those of its airline partners – international upgrades should instead be requested online or over the phone, from any time after booking until two hours prior to departure.

Like domestic flights, Velocity points can be used to upgrade anyone on short international flights, whether you're travelling together or not, while upgrades can be waitlisted if one isn't immediately available.

Between Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne to Nadi (Fiji), you’re looking at 16,000 points for a stint in business class from a Choice ticket or just 9,900 points from a Flex fare.

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: Velocity points haul

While upgrades are nice, it’s important to remember the number of points and status credits you’ll earn on upgraded flights will be as per your original purchased fare.

So if you’ve shuffled from economy to business class, your frequent flyer bounty will be as though you actually flew in economy.

Whether by points, credits or Premium Bid, upgrades aren’t available on flights which were originally booked as Reward Seats using frequent flyer points – so if you've already forked over Velocity points to secure your seat, make sure you're happy with the cabin you've selected.

The only exceptions to this rule are Velocity Any Seat bookings as the points needed to book these are the same as the cash price for the seat anyway, so travellers can upgrade using points or Premium Bid as if they were travelling on a regular (paid) fare.

Upgrades on Virgin Australia: Final notes

All things considered, Virgin Australia's domestic upgrade policy is particularly generous.

With plush leather seats and meal service, sit back and enjoy your Virgin business class experience.

In addition to scoring upgrades for yourself, you can also use your points to bump-up colleagues, friends and family members, whether they're travelling with you or on their lonesome.

So sit back in your extra-wide leather seat, grab a drink and a hot meal and enjoy your freshly upgraded business flight with Virgin Australia.