Even on a short domestic hop, there’s something to be said about being welcomed to your plush leather seat with a pre-departure sparkling wine in hand. Best of all, it might not even cost you a cent with Virgin Australia. Do you have a large stash of Velocity Points or a Velocity Platinum card in your wallet? If so, upgrades can be well within reach.
Having elite Velocity status will undoubtedly raise your chances of snagging an upgrade. But we’ve also found it to be possible to nab an upgrade with cash bids as a base-level Velocity member.
There are three main ways to upgrade from your Economy Class seat. You must book a paid Virgin Australia-operated flight with a VA flight number – although Economy Lite fares aren’t upgradeable. Reward bookings, prize/free tickets or group bookings will not be eligible.
Essentially, except for those Economy Lite fares, any ‘normal’ ticket purchased with cash or Points and pay should be eligible for an upgrade. Of course, there are exceptions. There still needs to be Business Reward Seat availability before you can confirm an immediate upgrade. Otherwise, you may have to waitlist.
1. UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer
Velocity Platinum frequent flyers have one trick up their sleeves – four complimentary upgrade credits for every year they maintain Platinum status. These are valid for an upgrade from Economy Flex fares on most Virgin Australia domestic and short-haul international flights. In international skies, this includes places like New Zealand, Fiji, and while the flights remain available, Tokyo. However, Virgin Australia’s wet lease flights to Doha from 2025 are currently excluded. Journeys to Christmas Island and Cocos Island are also excluded.
Flex fares are the highest-priced Economy Class category but come with the ability to cancel to credit at no cost.
Like Velocity Points upgrades, you can use these credits when there is Business Class Reward Seat availability on your desired flight. You can’t use Platinum upgrade credits for waitlisting – only when a confirmed upgrade is available. Starting from 48 hours before departure, additional upgrade seats may become available.
With an equivalent Velocity Points upgrade costing up to 40,000 Velocity Points per flight (Cairns-Tokyo from Economy), it’s a great perk for Velocity Platinum travellers.
2. UpgradeMe Points
Using Velocity Points is the more traditional way to upgrade for frequent flyers, and can be quite good value – especially on the more expensive fare types. Once again, this is only possible on normal commercial Virgin Australia fares – Economy Lite excluded.
Here is a comparison of Velocity Points needed to upgrade domestic flights from different fare types. These rates are correct as of December 2024. For further details, see the Velocity website.
| Flight distance | From Economy Choice and Flex |
|---|---|
| 0-600 miles (e.g. Sydney to Melbourne) | 10,000 Velocity Points |
| 601-1,200 miles (e.g. Melbourne to Brisbane) | 17,500 Velocity Points |
| 1,201-2,400 miles (e.g. Perth to Sydney) | 30,000 Velocity Points |
Here’s what the figures look like on eligible international flights.
| Flight distance | From Economy Choice and Flex |
|---|---|
| 0-600 miles | 8,000 Velocity Points |
| 601-1,200 miles | 12,000 Velocity Points |
| 1,201-2,400 miles | 16,000 Velocity Points |
| 2,401-3,600 miles | 24,000 Velocity Points |
| 3,601-4,800 miles | 40,000 Velocity Points |
Upgrades initially come out of Business Class Reward Seat availability. If you can book a Business Class Reward Seat outright, then you can also upgrade from a cash fare to a Business Reward Seat instantly.
If there’s no Reward Seat availability, then you can be placed on a waitlist. The waitlist will be cleared by priority of status.
American Express Velocity Platinum
- Sign-up Bonus:
- Up to 100,000 bonus Velocity Points¹
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- 1.25 Velocity Points earned per $1 on all eligible spend except for government bodies⁵. 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on selected Virgin Australia purchases⁵. 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on Government spend⁵
- Annual Fee:
- $440 p.a.
- Offer expires
- 30 April 2026
- The American Express Velocity Platinum Card has 70,000 bonus Velocity Points on offer for new American Express Card Members who apply, are approved and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of approval, plus an additional 30,000 Velocity Points when you spend a minimum of $1 on your Card within 90 days of paying your second year annual Card Fee¹. (Offer ends 30 April 2026. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.) Includes several perks such as Virgin Australia Lounge Access² every time you fly domestically with Virgin Australia, 2 VA Guest Lounge Passes³ each year and a Complimentary Domestic Return Virgin Australia Flight⁷.
3. UpgradeMe Premium Bid
This is the most accessible method to secure your upgrade. Nearly anyone is eligible to bid – as long as you’re on a standard commercial VA fare as explained above.
You can start by entering your booking details on this page. You can also find the ‘Bid for an Upgrade’ button on your ‘Manage Booking’ dashboard.
If eligible, then you’ll be able to place a bid for upgrading the flight. In my personal experience, bids on the lower end of the scale (including the bare minimum) can have a chance of being accepted if there are seats available a day before departure.
Once you submit your credit card details, all you have to do is wait for an email with the outcome. This can arrive up to 12 hours before the flight. You can modify your bid up to 6 hours before the scheduled departure, and will only be charged if your bid is actually accepted.
Summing up
Virgin Australia’s bidding system for upgrades makes it accessible for any traveller to have a chance at making it to Business Class. Even on Economy Choice fares, I’ve been successful in upgrading short flights from $65 one-way. You can also use Velocity Points for fixed-rate upgrades, while Platinum members have complimentary upgrades from certain fares.
A successful upgrade will grant you the Business Class seat, priority check-in and boarding (where available). However, be mindful that upgrades do not include a boosted luggage allowance for UpgradeMe Premium Bids. (The Business Class additional baggage does apply for upgrades made with Velocity Points and Platinum complimentary upgrades, though.) Also, if your upgrade is successful, you will earn Points and Status Credits as per the original ticketed fare.
Have you upgraded on a Virgin Australia flight before?
Additional reporting by Chris Chamberlin.
A comprehensive guide to Virgin Australia upgrades was last modified: March 18th, 2025 by
Community Comments
Is there any word on whether we will be able to upgrade using points on the new VA Qatar routes? I have a trip in July likely routing MXP-DOH-SYD with work paying for a Flex Economy fare. Ideally that would be QR to DOH and VA2 to SYD so that I can make use of status & points to make it a bit more comfortable.
Hi AS, we asked Nick Rohrlach this very question recently. Short answer, no word yet – there are so many other things to get happening first, including all the government approvals required for VA’s various plans. I also asked whether upgrades would be restricted to Gold and above like on VA’s previous long-haul flights and that’s also being reviewed, so it’s a case of ‘watch this space’ in 2025, with no guarantees.
I have looked and seen a business class rewards seat available for my flight (I already have a choice fare booked/paid), but I’ve gone on a wait list for upgrading with points?
I thought you said that if there is a reward seat available, that I should be able to upgrade with points straight away?
I have already put a request in to upgrade with 10,000 points for Melbourne to Adelaide.
I have now been sent an email to say I’m eligible to participate in UpgradeMe Premium Bid.
I plan to put a bid in of $150 (which is only $5 above the minimum bid).
Can someone tell me what would be the better value – 10000 points or $150 cash.
Thanks
After making an upgrade w points offer (or any offer) Is it better to check in to the flight on line or wait until closer to flight time?
If you go on a wait list for an upgrade me points to business do you lose your already allocated seats straight away? Or do you lose them only if successful?
Hi Alison, no you won’t lose your existing seats unless the upgrade is successful.
Unfortunately this advice is not correct. You lose any ability to select or keep a specific economy seat… And there is no way to delete your upgrade with points bid so you can… I was on the phone with virgin australia for about an hour last night trying to sort this very issue
I’m Platinum and have been for many years. Rarely, if ever, is there a Platinum Complimentary Upgrade available. If booking with points, it’s always best to book business class seats well in advance and be prepared to be flexible.
If you hold Gold status and are successful in your upgrade bid, the only benefit is the slightly bigger seat and a free meal. With gold status, you are entitled to the lounge regardless of class of travel. Definitely not worth it
Hi there
Do you get lounge access if you use points to upgrade?
Thanks.
Hi Shay, you absolutely do – in the domestic airports where lounges are available, of course. It’s also worth remembering that Virgin Australia allows domestic Business Class passengers to use the lounge both before departure and after arrival, so you may even get two lounge visits out of a single upgrade. On the flipside, the airline only has seven domestic lounges, so depending on where you’re flying, there may not always be a lounge available before and/or after the flight. Virgin Australia also doesn’t currently have any arrangements in place for access to international lounges – only for domestic.
Avoid at all costs – virgin’s upgrademe system is a massive scam
Whatever you do, don’t be fooled.
When my wife and I received the upgrademebid email we were curious. We put in offers that were deemed “very poor” for both our outbound and inbound flights – yet both were accepted.
The first was an eye watering $740 for our perth to melbourne leg. When we allocated separate seats in different rows, we phoned customer service, who informed us that if we simply request to be downgraded back to economy at the airport, we will be refunded the upgrade fare. We were downgraded to economy at the airport and submitted a refund request. We also noted that business class was full on our flight.
We then tried to cancel the upgrade bid for the return flight to ensure we didn’t go through this drama again, but the website wouldnt let us cancel. We phoned customer service , who said there was no outstanding upgrade bid for our return flight.
A day later, we were upgraded again.
This time, for a slightly less eye watering $490. However having seen the “business class” seats on our first flight – a continuation of economy, separated by a rope and with no real point of difference from economy, we wouldn’t pay $50 more for these seats.
We phoned customer service again, who told us to repeat the same process at the airport and request a refund after flying economy then submit a refund request after. Because our tickets would show economy, virgin wouldn’t charge us the upgrade fare, so they said.
We have since been charged for both flights – a total of $1,230 – despite flying economy both ways and with business class full on both flights.
We will never fly virgin again and express the strongest caution for anyone entertaining the scam that is Virgin’s Upgrademebid
I keep searching for Business rewards on Virgin from Perth to Sydney or Melbourne and can’t find a single date where there is more than ONE seat available.
Is this the new reality? Travelling as a couple with points is impossible?
I’d agree. Seems almost impossible with points upgrade & whilst I’m Gold I’m sure if I were Platinum it might have even more chance.
Every flight I’ve been on the last 6 months, business was completely booked. Pre 2020 didn’t see this as often.
One thing I’d like Virgin to change now as QFF are coming across in droves is to expand the number of J seats. Have 12 instead of 8. Would be a game changer esp now as wide bodies are a thing of the past.
Brandon, probably worth noting the timing required for UpgradeMe Platinum offers. From my limited experience, but more from others’ experience, they are only released a day or so, or same day, as the flight. And you have to call.
Hi Roy, they are certainly available in advance if there is Business reward availability (I recently redeemed two on Perth-Sydney flights in June). And yes, additional seat availability is usually accessible the day before and of the flight.
Haha did Virgin pay for this one? I’ve been platinum for years and have not experienced a points upgrade for at least five years. Virgin are a joke when it comes to releasing seats and providing point upgrades. Pay cash. Pay well or don’t ask. That should be their motto.
Hi CK, this article is currently part of a Virgin Australia sponsorship. However, the examples are our own and I personally have had no issues redeeming my complimentary upgrades or using points for confirmed upgrades, where available. I do concede that the hit rate for points upgrades on waitlist appears to be lower vs cash bids.
Goodness. I’ve been Plat with Virgin for only 3 months and in that time, I’ve upgraded once with the UpGradeMe Plat certificate and twice using points – both confirmed instantly.
I have an upcoming domestic virgin flight booked for the family. My partner has now got an injury and was hoping to their seat upgraded to business via points. Flight is still a few months away. Any idea how I could go about this?
Hi Darcy, you can use cash via UpgradeMe Bid. If you have points, you can register for an upgrade. Depending on the fare and route, the upgrade will cost between 4,900 to 30,000 points. If there is Business Reward availability, then you can upgrade on the spot.
Thankyou. I booked the flight as a reward flight. All the options for upgrades seem to be via cash fares?
Ahh I see. Reward fares can’t be upgraded, but if there is a Business Reward seats available, you can call Virgin to change to it (may have a change fee)
On a trip back from The Gold Coast – Melbourne, I bid (with points) to upgrade my wife’s seat so that she could have some peace and quiet while I sat down the back with the kids.
It was a simple process, and we ‘won’ her a spot, which ended up being super value when flight was significantly delayed (no fault of Virgin’s).
Compared to pretty much everything with QF, the whole process was completely uncomplicated 🙂
Highly recommended.
For upgrades to Hong Kong – who will have priority in getting business upgrades? – point upgrade from flexi fare vs bid for an upgrade customers? (both platinum status)
I have selected to use points for an upgrade, but only going on to the wait list.
Am I able to put in a bid for the same flight.
Hi Michael
Your eligiblity to use UpgradeMe Premium Bid depends on the type of ticket that you hold. To check whether you are eligible, click on the following link and enter your details: https://www.virginaustralia.com/cn/en/specials-offers/upgrademe/premium-bid/
Further to this question. I have already put a request in to upgrade with 10,000 points for Melbourne to Adelaide.
I have now been sent an email to say I’m eligible to participate in UpgradeMe Premium Bid.
I plan to put a bid in of $150 (which is only $5 above the minimum bid).
Can someone tell me what would be the better value – 10000 points or $150 cash.
Thanks
Very detailed and helpful guide Evin. Thank you for sharing.
If you successfully upgrade your paid economy to business. Will you get status and points for “economy” or “business”?
Hi joon
You will earn at the originally purchased fare.
Thats super disappointing. The upgrade of status would make it easier to reach premium tiers