Emirates Airlines Skywards - EK Upgrade MEL-AKL ??

My Manager and Supervisor checked in today at MEL for the EK flight to AKL, to be told that they had both been upgraded to business.
She rang me to check if i had jigged with the booking / spoken to someone.
Answer: No - Having never flown EK myself.
Two passengers on the same pnr MEL-AKL return around $350pp.
No Skywards enrolment, no status...
Complete fluke or some kind of lucky day for them?
PS - The flight was totally full, and this was after waiting 20mins at Y check in.
:confused:

When the flight is full then someone needs to be upgraded.

Sometimes airlines op-up based on status, or fare. Other times (eg if under pressure to get the flight out) it is just down to whoever is closest gets lucky.

Yup, my parents got op-upgraded for DXB - FRA .. no status ... if there are no pax with any status, someone needs to be upgraded ...

I was booked on QF134 (AKL-MEL) but ended up swapping to EK407 to get home 2 hours earlier (need some sleep before Derby Day tomorrow).

Booked 2.5 hours prior to the flight leaving into business and got op-uped to First :D. I'm sitting in the lounge very excited, never been in first class and I'm really looking forward to it! Weird how little things like that make one so happy.

It seems these upgrades are happening a lot...?

Edit:

PS. It seemed important to the check in staff that I had no bags for some reason.