Trying to upgrade a Qantas flight with points can feel like a guessing game. You request an upgrade, cross your fingers, and wait, only to get a ‘nope’ a few days before departure. It doesn’t have to be blind luck, though.

One of the most effective tools for assessing your upgrade odds is the Unsold Fares feature on Gyoza Flights. It shows how many premium seats remain unsold ahead of departure. That means you can eyeball the likelihood of an upgrade clearing and set your expectations straight.

What does 'Unsold Fares' actually mean?

Think of unsold fares as a pulse check on that flight’s load. Many unsold premium seats generally indicate the airline hasn’t filled the front cabin with paying passengers. Fewer paying passengers usually means a higher likelihood that some of those seats will become available for upgrades or reward redemptions later.

Our ‘Unsold Fares’ feature does not increase your chances of getting an upgrade on a particular flight. That process is controlled by Qantas based on factors such as your status and fare class.

What we can do is help you estimate your chances of success, and potentially see whether it’s worth booking (or switching to) a different flight for a better chance of success.

Step 1: Head to the 'Unsold Fares' search page

To get started, go to the 'Unsold Fares' section of Gyoza Flights. This tool lets you enter an origin, destination, and date range, and returns a list of all flights on that route, with details of any remaining fare classes for each cabin.

The magic is in spotting how many fare buckets in premium cabins (Premium Economy, Business, and/or First Class) remain unsold.

Step 2: Spot the premium cabin availability

When the results load, look for flights with multiple unsold premium-cabin fare classes. If you see plenty of seats in business or first that haven’t been snapped up (i.e. unsold fare buckets), that flight likely hasn’t sold out those premium cabins yet.

For Qantas flights, the main ones to look for are:

• Premium Economy: W, R, T

• Business: J, C, D, I

• First: F, A

What do the codes represent? Essentially, they are different fares within the same cabin class. They are listed from left to right in order of price, from most expensive to least.

For example, 'I' is a sale international Business Class ticket. 'J' is a full-fare Business Class ticket. For Qantas flights, if a number appears next to the lowest fares in each cabin (T, I, or A), it’s generally a positive sign of your upgrade chances.

If you see very few, or no, unsold premium fare buckets, it indicates the flight’s premium cabin is already fully booked. That usually means smaller odds of upgrade availability unless someone cancels or there’s a last-minute change.

Step 3: Use that info to plan your upgrade strategy

The best time to start using the 'Unsold Fares' page is 7 days before departure. That’s because if you look at the results too far in advance, it’ll be too early to tell your upgrade chances – remaining seats can still be bought by others.

If you’re booking a last-minute trip, this feature could help you decide which flight to book if you have a few to choose from. You could choose the option with the most premium seats available to increase your chances of an upgrade.

If your flights are set and there’s no way you’ll change them, this feature could provide additional certainty about your chances. For example, if there are already fewer premium seats remaining than the number of upgrades you’re hoping for, you probably won’t get it.

Rather than getting your hopes up unnecessarily, you can then refocus your energy into making your existing flight more comfortable – for example, optimising seat selection or deciding what to bring onboard.

Extra tip: For Qantas Platinum and Platinum One members

Complete your search on the 'Unsold Fares' page as usual. If you see a number next to one of those fare classes (or lower) that is at least equal to the number of seats you want, chances are you’ll be able to make the request.

It’s still up to Qantas’ discretion on whether they approve your request or not, but being able to ask means your chances of getting premium reward seats are a lot higher than the general public!