How I got a ‘free’ upgrade to premium economy on one of Qantas’ longest flights
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“Ping, ping, ping,” went the machine, accompanied by a flashing red light. It’s not something you really want to hear as you enter the gate for your flight.
Except this time, it was accompanied by a cheery greeting. “Oh! Your upgrade has been accepted... here’s your new boarding pass,” said the chap on the door, handing me a piece of card.
Premium Economy on the Qantas Dreamliner. Supplied/Qantas
You see, after falling off a horse, I had been dreading my economy stint from the UK back to Australia on one of Qantas′ longest flights.
London Heathrow to Perth clocks in at almost 16 hours. (Qantas’ Sydney to Perth, at 22 plus hours, is coming next year.)
And I wasn’t sure my badly bruised ribs and back could handle it.
So I hit the ‘upgrade request’ on the Qantas app a couple of weeks before my flight.
I’d heard this option, called a Classic Rewards Upgrade, was the best way to get yourself into a fancier cabin without stumping up thousands of dollars.
But I was trying not to get my hopes up.
I’m a lowly Silver status flier, and I know upgrades usually go to higher ranking passengers first.
I picked Premium Economy over Business Class for my request because I didn’t want to get too ambitious. It was ‘priced’ at 81,700 points.
The Qantas Dreamliner flies London to Perth. AAP
And while I was told I would get a text if I had been successful or not, I did have a UK SIM in my phone so heard nothing.
(When I switched it back after I landed, I actually got a four-day-old message from Qantas saying I didn’t get it.)
But, it turned out, you can still be upgraded at the gate.
So, that’s how I ended up switching from the packed economy line to quietly sipping fizz in my mammoth seat in just minutes.
And I took great glee in waving to my husband battling his way back to economy.
London to Perth on QF10 takes almost 16 hours. Sarah Swain
Qantas premium economy seat
For a change, I was excited for the journey, rather than dreading it. And fizz was not the only perk up the front of the plane.
You also get a much bigger seat.
And because mine was in the front row of the small Premium Economy cabin, I also had extra legroom.
Sarah managed to get an upgrade to premium economy for free. Sarah Swain
While I was envious at the flat beds I could spy in business class (as well as a chap handing out pyjamas), my seat had a fair recline.
But unlike on some Premium Economy seats planes it didn’t have a ‘shell’ back, so reclining does still bother people behind.
(I did catch the older couple back there staring at me as I tilted back, but I silently thought ‘I’ve paid for it, I’m using it’.)
I also had a very comfy footrest which made it almost feel like I was laying flat.
My in-flight entertainment was very much more enjoyable thanks to the bigger and better screen and better headphones. I did have to keep waggling my USB charger to make the port work.
Come lights out and the blanket was much nicer than those scratchy ones you get in economy. The pillow was more fluffy too.
Dinner was goat’s curd salad and the veggie option of grilled tofu and veggie friend rice and lemon cheesecake. Sarah Swain
The food
Forget grappling to pull the metal lids off your economy meal. It’s all served on proper plates.
I enjoyed dinner, goat’s curd salad, the veggie option of grilled tofu and veggie friend rice rounded off with lemon cheesecake and an ice cream.
A flight attendant delivered me a veggie samosa as a midnight sack.
If you do get the munchies, there was a little kitchen to help yourself to drinks (including booze), chocolates, chips and fruit.
And after sleeping for a good eight hours, I was woken with breakfast.
While the chap across was annoyed they ran out of hot brekkies (the crew member did fetch him a bacon sarnie from business, though) I was pleased with my fruit, mango yoghurt and muffin.
Breakfast in premium economy on one of Qantas’ longest flights Sarah Swain
The snack kitchen for premium economy. Sarah Swain
The final perk came at the end of the flight, when I was able to beat all the economy passengers off the plane.
I’m now madly collecting points, so I can try it again.
How to get an upgrade on Qantas
Classic Upgrade Rewards are said to be the best value upgrade when using your Qantas Points, the airline claims.
Steve Hui, known as The Points Whisperer and Co-Founder of iFlyFlat Club said I got a good deal.
“This can be a very useful way to use Qantas Points – particularly on an ultra-long-haul flight such as London to Perth,” he told nine.com.au.
However, he said it’s possible to get a better one if you can find a seat for points in that class to start with.
Outright reward seats are still better value for you. Qantas
That’s because I had paid around $2400 for my original return ticket plus cleared out my points.
He said I could have got a Premium Economy Classic Reward seat, one way, for 113,900 if there was one available.
“So the outright Premium Economy reward is only 32,200 points more but with the upgrade, you first had to buy an Economy airfare,” he said.
He added it’s vital to check the Economy fare you’ve bought is actually eligible for an upgrade.
Also, I may as well have asked for Business Class as I would have then been considered for Premium Economy too, he told me.
You can pay to upgrade at the Qantas check-in desk if there are free seats. You can also ‘bid’ on an upgrade before your flight, but it’s not usually the best value.
