Welcome to AFF [USER=92781]@Goldenage61[/USER]
As others have said, buying fares to upgrade is a risky business, and you should be prepared to fly exactly what you booked.
Classic Plus is an option - it will burn through all your points, and IMO isn't great value, but if you're really against Economy flying, you'll get a guaranteed seat (as above).
That being said, 1 million Qantas points is a good amount, but really it will only get you and your partner a return trip to the US, and maybe a return to Europe - that burns through them all, using Classic Rewards (not Classic Plus). It's really not going to last you for the next 10 years anyway, so I would really be open to the mindset of using them for good value, rather than the best value.
Going for status via domestic status runs isn't worth it if you're not flying regularly anyway - you have to factor in the cost of getting status, and the benefits it'll bring - if your only real reason for going for status is to get a higher chance of an upgrade, it's really not worth it IMO.
I'm not sure if you're working or not, but if you're set on flying Business Class, I would strongly advise the strategy [USER=4620]@MEL_Traveller[/USER] advocated, with a bit of added detail - using your Qantas points on Business Class to places like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or Manila is a lot easier (less competition for these seats), and from there you can pick up cheaper Business Class airfares to either Europe or the US - examples such as ~$2700 Business Class from Manila - Barcelona return on Etihad, or regular sales on Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta - New York for as low as $3,200 on ANA/United.
Regardless of whether you're using cash or points, be open to flying into a nearby international airport and getting a connecting flight. To save money, be flexible. Search engines such as Google Flights are really good for this (if using cash), or tools such as Seats.aero for award flights.
Using your points for flights within the US, Asia and Europe can also be worth it - so can domestic flights in Australia - as I said, don't be afraid to get good value!
Yes, it's a much longer journey, but you can enjoy a holiday in Asia as well, fly Business Class the entire way, and even build status as a bonus.
Again, please please do not hoard your points - they constantly and consistently depreciate in value - Qantas could change their award charts with 3 months notice, and there's not a whole lot you can do about it. If you can save good hard cash, and it's a decent enough redemption, I would just do it and not fret about not necessarily maximising your points. If you're happy with your points use, then great job - that's all there is to it!
