Are Flight Centre on the "Qantas Merchant Account" according to Amex?

[newformula]

Flight Centre have a good price on a SYD-LHR return, and I have a family interest to book through them. I have a Qantas classic Amex, and in order to earn 2 QFF points per $1 on Qantas bookings, instead of the usual 1 point, the t's and c's stipulate:

2. Selected Qantas products and services are: (a) Qantas passenger flights (with a QF flight number) purchased on the Qantas merchant account i.e. directly with Qantas or some travel agents, (b) purchases from Qantas Travel shops or (c) purchases from Qantas Holidays. Excludes: Qantas Freight, Jetstar and Qantas branded non-airfare products operated by third parties e.g. Qantas Box Office. Subject to Points Terms and Conditions available here.

Does anyone know if Flight Centre are on the Qantas Merchant account, or have had success gaining the additional points using Flight Centre instead booking with Qantas direct?

 

[equus]

Flight Centre would not be "on the Qantas Merchant Account" directly. My experience is some years old, but I expect that the "some travel agents" refers to the practice of the travel agent not processing the transaction, but collecting the details and then having the airline process the charge (used to be a way of arbtriage between different merchant rates, or in the good old days when there was no CC surcharge, a way for the Travel agent to get the airline to pay the merchant fee, rather than copping it themselves).

You can but ask if they can get Qantas to do the charge, but if the deal is specific to Flight Centre, you may not get much joy. Depending on the savings involved, you may need to ask yourself are the extra bonus points worth it?

 

[abbynelson28]

True.. Flight centre are not on Quantas Merchant Account directly.. but what equus trying to say also makes sense look at the savings you make and the points you earn

 

[MelUser]

This depends on the fare type.

I always ask my travel agent.

One way you will know is that if the travel agent takes a credit card surcharge, generally they are taking the money keeping a chunck as their comission and passing the rest on to the airline.

If the agent takes the credit card number and simply gives it to the airline for the airline to charge, generally speaking, there is no surcharge payable.

 

[oz_mark]

If the agent takes the credit card number and simply gives it to the airline for the airline to charge, generally speaking, there is no surcharge payable.

This will depend on the airline, but IME any credit card charges that go on to Qantas/Qantas Holidays for processing do get the surcharge.