How does that work? How do PBs get op-upgd before SGs - especially those that had been waitlisted to spend credits?"

The waitlist had all finished by then. The selection for operational upgrading is a dark art. The persons may have been BA Golds for example , just that that information wasn't on their boarding pass. There is also nothing that says that Qantas must upgrade people based on status anyway, unless the handbook has changed

"Thank you QF for my birthday pressie - NOT!!!"

Ummm, why would you have expected anything because of it being your birthday? You probably wernt the only person on board with a birthday that day

Dave