'How I'm planning to score a business class upgrade on my next international flight.'

When I was 25, I had my first taste of business class on a flight from Sydney to London. 

While all the other frequent flyers settled into their fully reclining seats for the 24-hour journey, I sat there stunned, eyes wide, half expecting someone to come and escort me to the back of the plane.

Instead, the flight attendant handed me a crisp glass of champagne. 

All of this not because I'd forked out $10,000 for a business class ticket, but because someone told me to join a frequent flyer program and start earning points. 

Watch: Paige shares everything that happened on her long-haul business class flight to London. Post continues after video.

I've now been a Qantas Frequent Flyer member for over a decade and during that time I have scored 9 international upgrades using my points.

There are many factors that influence whether you will get an upgrade, such as the type of ticket you buy, frequent flyer status and the time of year that you fly, but most of it comes down to earning enough points to request an upgrade. 

For example: I've just booked my next trip to London and to request an upgrade from premium economy to business class on the 18-hour flight from Perth to London Heathrow I need 65,000 points.

So, here are 5 ways I'm earning points towards my next business class upgrade.

Points earning credit card.

I was taught growing up that credit cards are bad, which is why I held off getting one for so long. What I know now is that, provided you pay it off on time every month (my anxiety around debt takes care of this), then you can actually use a credit card to earn a lot of points faster.

Many cards offer a "big points" signing bonus when you spend a certain amount within a certain period. They also offer other benefits such as free lounge passes, travel insurance and travel credit.

Between shopping for Christmas gifts and the odd Black Friday sale purchase for my home, I'll be able to easily hit the minimum spend and earn tens of thousands of points.

Shopping via Qantas Shopping or Velocity E-Store.

One of the easiest ways I earn points is by shopping online via airline shopping sites such as Qantas Shopping and Velocity E-Store.

For example, my brother has just moved into his first home, so as a house-warming gift I bought him some new towels and tea towels from Country Road (they really are the best quality). 

Instead of shopping directly on Country Road, I simply clicked through to the Country Road website via Qantas Shopping. There was a "bonus points" offer, so I was able to earn 4 points for every $1 I spent to go towards my next holiday. 

Similarly, if you are a Velocity frequent flyer, you can currently earn 2 points for every $1 spent at Country Road via Velocity E-store.

Image: Supplied.

Grocery shopping at Woolworths & BWS.

I'll also be earning points on my weekly food shop… and my late-night munchies run… and the mad dash to the shops to pick up whatever I forgot for that lunch I'm hosting. 

In fact, every single time I shop at Woolworths, I earn frequent flyer points by swiping my Everyday Rewards card at checkout.

If you also consider the occasional cheeky bottle of wine from BWS part of your grocery shopping, you'll be pleased to know that you can also earn points in those shops too. 

Tip: You can earn 6x more Qantas points on average by downloading the Everyday Rewards app and just hitting 'boost' before you shop.

Prefer Coles? Sign up to Flybuys to earn Virgin Velocity Points while you shop!

Shopping at David Jones.

I spend a wild amount of money at David Jones on everything from Christmas trees to appliances, so it's only fair that DJs contribute towards my next business class upgrade, right? 

Well, now you can earn 1 Qantas point for every $1 you spend at David Jones. 

It took me less than 30 seconds to join David Jones Rewards and link my frequent flyer account, so now I earn points on purchases I would have made anyway. Cheers DJs!

More info here.

Image: Supplied.

Earn points by sleeping and hitting your daily step count.

Right now, it feels like when I'm not shopping, I'm sleeping and, would you believe it, I actually earn points for sleeping too?

With the Qantas Wellbeing App, you can earn points every time you complete a sleep challenge or hit your daily step count. 

Sure, sleeping alone isn't going to earn me 65,000 points, but every little bit counts.

Finally, I will say that upgrades aren't guaranteed and there have been times I've missed out.

It's all part of being a frequent flyer. You win some, you lose some, but believe me, it's all very much worth it for the moment you are upgraded and directed towards the front of the plane.

Read more travel tips and hacks from Paige:

• 'Don't pay full price. All my favourite travel essentials are on sale right now.'

• 'I found the ultimate Sydney staycay with harbour views and hundreds of dollars in free perks.'

• 'Sorry, but this carry-on handbag will legitimately change your life.'

Feature image: Supplied.