Qantas increases points required for Emirates rewards

[MarcB]

I could not see a separate thread (mods feel free to start if you think it worthy), but in related EK redemption news, I was looking at the Classic Flight Rewards tables just now and it seems that EK will move from the Qantas flight rewards table to the Partner flight rewards table from 1 September 2020. Redemptions will be more expensive (in points terms) from that date.

Qantas Classic Flight Reward table
For Classic Flight Rewards with Qantas, Jetstar*, Airnorth^, Fiji Airways, Air Vanuatu, American Airlines®, and Emirates (for Emirates bookings up to 31 August 2020).

Partner Classic Flight Reward table
For Partner Classic Flight Rewards with Air France, Air Niugini, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, China Eastern, Cathay Dragon#, EL AL, Emirates (for Emirates bookings from 1 September 2020), Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines.

I have not seen this announced/reported anywhere. Did I miss it?

 

[eminere]

I could not see a separate thread (mods feel free to start if you think it worthy), but in related EK redemption news, I was looking at the Classic Flight Rewards tables just now and it seems that EK will move from the Qantas flight rewards table to the Partner flight rewards table from 1 September 2020. Redemptions will be more expensive (in points terms) from that date.

Qantas Classic Flight Reward table
For Classic Flight Rewards with Qantas, Jetstar*, Airnorth^, Fiji Airways, Air Vanuatu, American Airlines®, and Emirates (for Emirates bookings up to 31 August 2020).

Partner Classic Flight Reward table
For Partner Classic Flight Rewards with Air France, Air Niugini, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, China Eastern, Cathay Dragon#, EL AL, Emirates (for Emirates bookings from 1 September 2020), Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines.

I have not seen this announced/reported anywhere. Did I miss it?

Thanks for highlighting that. First time I'm reading about this. Oh well, you win some, you lose some I guess.

 

[Mattg]

I could not see a separate thread (mods feel free to start if you think it worthy), but in related EK redemption news, I was looking at the Classic Flight Rewards tables just now and it seems that EK will move from the Qantas flight rewards table to the Partner flight rewards table from 1 September 2020. Redemptions will be more expensive (in points terms) from that date.

Qantas Classic Flight Reward table
For Classic Flight Rewards with Qantas, Jetstar*, Airnorth^, Fiji Airways, Air Vanuatu, American Airlines®, and Emirates (for Emirates bookings up to 31 August 2020).

Partner Classic Flight Reward table
For Partner Classic Flight Rewards with Air France, Air Niugini, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, China Eastern, Cathay Dragon#, EL AL, Emirates (for Emirates bookings from 1 September 2020), Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines.

I have not seen this announced/reported anywhere. Did I miss it?

This is really annoying, and not only for the obvious reason.

By removing Emirates from the Qantas Classic Flight Reward table, you'll no longer be able to combine Qantas and Emirates award flights on the same ticket without paying a "penalty" for combining airlines from separate tables.

Currently, if you use any combination of airlines from the Qantas Classic Flight Reward table, the price will simply be based on the sum of the distance of all flights. For example, if you fly CBR-SYD-DXB-LHR on QF, connecting to EK, it's priced based on the sum of the distance of all sectors and falls into Zone 10 on the table, i.e. 144,600 Qantas points in J.

Under the new system, CBR-SYD in J would be priced as 18,400 points, and SYD-DXB-LHR in J would be priced as 159,000 points. As separate reward tables are being used, you would now pay the sum of any/all QF sectors plus the sum of all EK sectors, i.e. 177,400 points. Put simply, you'll now be penalised for adding domestic QF sectors onto international Emirates award bookings.

Under the current system, you could also fly (for example):
CHC-SYD on EK
SYD-SIN on QF
SIN-BKK on 3K
BKK-DXB-FRA on EK

As long as there are no breaks of more than 24 hours between flights, this would price as 55,200 Qantas points in Y if on a single ticket. Under the new system, you'd pay 20,000 points for CHC-SYD + 25,200 points for SYD-SIN-BKK + 45,000 points for BKK-DXB-FRA. New total amount required is 90,200 Qantas points.

I do wonder what initiated this change. It's possible that EK reduced its carrier charges while still charging the same internal price to QF for the seats, so QF is simply doing this to cut its losses. (When Velocity introduced carrier charges for Etihad flights, for example, it was because Etihad had increased the internal price it charged for seats to Velocity.) But it's also possible that Qantas is simply being greedy.

 

[Danger]

I could not see a separate thread (mods feel free to start if you think it worthy), but in related EK redemption news, I was looking at the Classic Flight Rewards tables just now and it seems that EK will move from the Qantas flight rewards table to the Partner flight rewards table from 1 September 2020. Redemptions will be more expensive (in points terms) from that date.
...

This is definitely worthy of a new thread. I don't recall seeing any mention of this in Qantas newsletters. It seems Qantas can't help but take even when it gives.

 

[sudoer]

I do wonder what initiated this change.

When's the EK agreement due to expire? Wonder if Qantas are planning to scale back the relationship - can easily imagine them pulling the plug on EK codeshares to push pax into flying QF metal to Europe (via LHR) if they want to earn SCs.

 

[Mattg]

When's the EK agreement due to expire? Wonder if Qantas are planning to scale back the relationship - can easily imagine them pulling the plug on EK codeshares to push pax into flying QF metal to Europe (via LHR) if they want to earn SCs.

The ACCC approval is currently due to expire on 31 March 2023.

 

[docjames]

Presumably reflects EK Moving to charge them more for the seats, and the “additive sector” issue is more of a by-product of re-pricing the EK seats.

 

[MarcB]

This is really annoying, and not only for the obvious reason.

By removing Emirates from the Qantas Classic Flight Reward table, you'll no longer be able to combine Qantas and Emirates award flights on the same ticket without paying a "penalty" for combining airlines from separate tables.

...

Under the new system, CBR-SYD in J would be priced as 18,400 points, and SYD-DXB-LHR in J would be priced as 159,000 points. As separate reward tables are being used, you would now pay the sum of any/all QF sectors plus the sum of all EK sectors, i.e. 177,400 points. Put simply, you'll now be penalised for adding domestic QF sectors onto international Emirates award bookings.

...

As long as there are no breaks of more than 24 hours between flights, this would price as 55,200 Qantas points in Y if on a single ticket. Under the new system, you'd pay 20,000 points for CHC-SYD + 25,200 points for SYD-SIN-BKK + 45,000 points for BKK-DXB-FRA. New total amount required is 90,200 Qantas points.

...

I had not thought about this impact. I have often flown QF to AKL then connected to EK because availability is often better out of NZ.

 

[Mattg]

I had not thought about this impact. I have often flown QF to AKL then connected to EK because availability is often better out of NZ.

Yep, that's another example of an award that will now become significantly more expensive.

With last week's changes to EK carrier charges, the saving on taxes when flying via NZ is now minimal too.

Presumably reflects EK Moving to charge them more for the seats, and the “additive sector” issue is more of a by-product of re-pricing the EK seats.

I agree that this is probably an unintended consequence. But a consequence nonetheless.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Seems like the news broke first here on AFF Not even a mention of it yet of other sites and gives AFFers a couple extra days to snag seats.

 

[Mattg]

Seems like the news broke first here on AFF Not even a mention of it yet of other sites and gives AFFers a couple extra days to snag seats.

I'm sure other sites will pick it up soon enough (and as per usual, I bet they won't credit AFF )

 

[MEL_Traveller]

lol. Prolly waiting for the press release to come out ... *sound of crickets*

 

[mviy]

Had hoped the classic reward devaluation recently would be the last in this area for a while and now this...

Had enough points for what I wanted and QF devalued, got back to the level I wanted to be at and now this happens.

Frustrating but will have to move on.

 

[CaptJCool]

I couldn’t find the page link above Classic Flight Reward Tables | Qantas Frequent Flyer

Would I be right in thinking if it’s a QF Codeshare on EK Metal you use the QF table, and if it’s a EK Flight # the second?

 

[Aus ATC]

Would I be right in thinking if it’s a QF Codeshare on EK Metal you use the QF table, and if it’s a EK Flight # the second?

That may be the case - except that IIRC, code shares are generally not available for awards - they are offered under the operating carrier's flight #.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That may be the case - except that IIRC, code shares are generally not available for awards - they are offered under the operating carrier's flight #.

Correct. Award travel is almost always on the flight number of the operating carrier (there are one or two exceptions with a couple of QF flights to Asia, but these are not the norm).

 

[kamchatsky]

To be honest with the whole COVID-19 I would not be surprised if all airlines would devaluation their programs further.

 

[CaptJCool]

So that’ll be 10-11,000 more one way Oz Europe which given the earn rate is a fair swag of points unless you’re talking a classic case of Q Wines lol)

And Would definitely dent the OZ via NZ onto Europe arrangement.

PS WHEN the carrier charges are pushed down to practically zero AND the points zoom up, you’ll know they are “taking the p...”

 

[sudoer]

I'm sure other sites will pick it up soon enough (and as per usual, I bet they won't credit AFF )

As expected.

Earning Qantas points and status credits on Emirates flights

This simple trick lets you maximise your Qantas frequent flyer points and status credits.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[GoldCanyon340]

When I last returned from Europe on an EK award I arrived into MEL and did a MEL-PER-ADL tag on QF to get home to Radelaide, all for the standard 192,000 points. Looks like that fun will soon be out the door Goodbye pizzas in QF PER J