If you’re a member of Qantas’ Frequent Flyer program, then the news you’ve been waiting for has arrived. The airline has now launched its Classic Plus Flight Rewards tier for booking flights using Frequent Flyer points.
The new Classic Plus tier sits in between Classic Flight Rewards and Points Plus Pay. It will offer a new way for Frequent Flyers to book flights using points.
What’s the difference between Classic Plus and Classic Flight Rewards?
In essence, there are a few key differences you’ll need to be aware of. Firstly, the number of points required for a Classic Plus flight will vary throughout the year based on the monetary price of the airfare.
Secondly, Classic Plus can only be used on flights serviced by Qantas themselves. You can’t use them with any Qantas partner flights. That even includes Qantas’ subsidiary Jetstar. Classic Flight Rewards can continue to be used with partners, including Jetstar.
Where a fare difference for Qantas Classic Flight Rewards booking must be made up of points, Classic Plus fare gaps can be covered by money.
Importantly, there are significantly more Classic Plus seats available - more than 20 million, according to Qantas. This is up from 5 million available each year for Classic Flight Rewards.
In a first for Qantas, you’ll also be able to upgrade Classic Plus fares to First class. This isn’t possible with Classic fares.
What flights are eligible for Classic Plus Flight Rewards?
As of today, you can book Classic Plus Flight Rewards seats on Qantas international flights. These must be departing Australia from July 1, 2024, and be booked via the Qantas website.
When booking, Classic Plus seats can be identified by a blue ribbon whereas the original Classic seats can be found via the red rewards ribbon.
The airline says you’ll be able to book Classic Plus seats for domestic and other international departures later this year.
Will this impact the existing Classic Flight Rewards tier?
Qantas is keen to stress that this is a new option to provide more seat availability for customers at a lower cost than Points Plus Pay. One of the most common complaints is that it’s almost impossible to book Classic Flight Rewards seats.
There are no changes to the existing Classic Flight Rewards program at this stage, and the airline says that there continue to be no changes to the number of points required to book Classic seats.
How much are my points worth for Classic Plus Flight Rewards seats?
Classic Plus works by converting the cash price of a fare into a dollar value. Points are then generally worth around 1c for economy or approximately 1.5c for business or first class.
Qantas says this may vary over time, and encourages you to book early or during a sale to spend the fewest points.
As an example, flying one-way from Sydney to New York would use around 55,200 points for a Classic seat with a $253 fee. Classic Plus would use roughly 105,000 points one way with the same $253 fee for economy.
Why is Qantas doing this now?
Qantas says the new tier has been introduced to allow you to travel to destinations such as London, Tokyo, New York and Singapore using points, even during peak periods.
Currently this is nigh on impossible given the huge demand for Classic Flight Rewards seats and limited availability.
Keep in mind that using Classic Plus will still use more points than Classic seats - so if you see a red ribbon on qantas.com you should opt for that instead as it’ll likely be cheaper.
It’s also a chance for Qantas to get some positive news out ahead of incoming price rises on April 18. These impact Qantas Club memberships and hikes of between $5 to $15 for extra legroom.