Article: I Have Zero Qantas Points and It Feels Liberating

[CamShep69]

Couldnt agree more. Down from 3m points to 1.8m and cant wait to get to zero....domestic premium seats are plentiful (if you are Plat) but almost impossible to get any sort of premium international seats, especially from PER.

 

[Happy Dude]

If I was a Platinum and could have seats released to support the use of my points on Classic Rewards, I would have zero points also. Fact is, sitting currently with 1.6m points and it’s near on impossible for premium cabins.

Seats on many routes 12 months out literally have zero availability. The whole program is cooked, with Classic Rewards now only really open to those with Platinum status that can have seats released.

Pretty much stuck using them on Economy seats otherwise, as not going anywhere near Classic Plus Rewards seats.

Yep. this is it in a nutshell for the non-WP/WP1 who can request, and even they're regularly told no, especially for LHR.

Use your QFF points on other airlines for premium seats, if they're playing nice with QF that is, but then the cash copayment gonna hurt ya. That itself is an indication of how broken the QF program is.

Or get lucky that a CR seat dump for your route just happens to occur when you're booking like @Mattg.

 

[Human]

Use your QFF points on other airlines for premium seats, if they're playing nice with QF that is, but then the cash copayment gonna hurt ya.

The cash copayment will rarely be higher than what Qantas is asking for on its own flights (Emirates being the obvious exception). I recently booked JAL from New York to Singapore via Tokyo (First class to Tokyo then PE to Singapore) and the copayment was less than A$200. Qantas would have charged me considerably more for routes of a similar length.

Qantas FF is clearly not going to be anyone's FF programme of choice when it comes to getting into and out of Australia on long-haul flights. It does not follow that Qantas FF is "broken".

 

[Bindibuys]

Burned all of mine and borrowed 220,000 from my daughter, now paying her back in 10,000 increments. Will take a few months before I "own" any QF points.

 

[Berlin]

Qantas wine offers are a joke.. if you're buying their wine to earn points you're a schmuck.. .!!

What's wrong with Qantas Wine? Decent wines at often great prices and lots of points thrown in on top- one of my favourite features of Qantas' frequent flyer program.

 

[Pushka]

I've been using Qantas points recently for Hotel bookings in Japan and Hawaii. Finding it very much worth it after a pointless search for award flights.

 

[Tiki]

I've lost interest in chasing QF points even from Woolies, at least not putting in effort. J awards are too expensive with the cash payment. Even Y has a high cash component on the EK flights. I will spend whats left of my QF on flights to DIL, DPS and maybe HIR. Then I will assess what's happening. VA is still reasonable for QR flights to IST even in Y with cash component. But I won't go out of my way to buy gift cards at Woolies anymore.

 

[Rob P]

If I was a Platinum and could have seats released to support the use of my points on Classic Rewards, I would have zero points also. Fact is, sitting currently with 1.6m points and it’s near on impossible for premium cabins.

Seats on many routes 12 months out literally have zero availability. The whole program is cooked, with Classic Rewards now only really open to those with Platinum status that can have seats released.

Pretty much stuck using them on Economy seats otherwise, as not going anywhere near Classic Plus Rewards seats.

It's not that simple as a Plat I'm afraid. there still has to be certain classes of fares available and I have had many knock backs. If they reckon they can sell a ticket they are reluctant to release to a Plat.

 

[elanshin]

for people looking to burn QFF to Europe. HKG is your friend right now. I've definitely noticed HK as a destination is definitely down a lot for demand so the award space is more frequent and often available on QF Metal (sometimes Cathay). From HK you have Cathay (obviously) with 4 (5?) daily to LHR and at least another half dozen to other EU cities or AY to Helsinki is also very often widely available too.

 

[Happy Dude]

The cash copayment will rarely be higher than what Qantas is asking for on its own flights (Emirates being the obvious exception). I recently booked JAL from New York to Singapore via Tokyo (First class to Tokyo then PE to Singapore) and the copayment was less than A$200. Qantas would have charged me considerably more for routes of a similar length.

Qantas FF is clearly not going to be an option for almost anyone's FF programme of choice when it comes to getting into and out of Australia on long-haul flights. It does not follow that Qantas FF is "broken".

I've fixed your post.

If it's not broken, then I don't know what is. It'll take more than someone getting a doctorate level education in FF program rules in order to jag a J seat on CE 10 months in advance to convince me otherwise.

 

[jrb17a]

It would be good to get some assistance for families and those who cannot use their points on fairly short notice. These threads offer no assistance for such members. I also tried to use the AFF services to find flights. Unfortunately, it was a waste of time. I asked questions but received no replies!

 

[fletty]

It would be good to get some assistance for families and those who cannot use their points on fairly short notice. These threads offer no assistance for such members. I also tried to use the AFF services to find flights. Unfortunately, it was a waste of time. I asked questions but received no replies!

Unfortunately the system is geared against multiple seats (especially families if that's 3+) that can't book at short notice or under flexible arrangements, especially in premium cabins.
There's no secret answers to it, unless you can release flights as a WP (and even then YMMV).

 

[TWO+TWO]

Unfortunately the system is geared against multiple seats (especially families if that's 3+) that can't book at short notice or under flexible arrangements, especially in premium cabins.
There's no secret answers to it, unless you can release flights as a WP (and even then YMMV).

Yes agree noticed the same geared against families wonder why? Is it not suppose to be a family friendly airline?

 

[fletty]

Yes agree noticed the same geared against families wonder why? Is it not suppose to be a family friendly airline?

I guess we're willing participants in the program for all its benefits and flaws, no-one is being forced to earn and burn points.

Personally, we're using up the last of our points over the next year or two until we have to start paying for Junior Fletty, as I think getting 3 seats will be next to impossible (along with recent devaluation and the increased conditions for churning). We've redeemed about 2M QFF points over the last 3 years which took a significant amount of effort and flexibility for 2 pax, with all travel based around flight availability first.

 

[Human]

Yes agree noticed the same geared against families wonder why? Is it not suppose to be a family friendly airline?

I only started galavanting around the world in Business and First Class once my children had grown up. I've booked reward seats many dozens of times, but I've never secured more than two Business Class seats, or one First Class seat, on the one flight. I took my first short haul Business class flight at age 45, my first long haul Business flight at age 52, and my first First Class flight at age 54. I try not to be condescending towards people in their 30s who complain that they can't fly their families in Business class using points (in fact I've spent hours on AFF and Point Hacks trying to help them), but it's hard to avoid the opinion that they're not being realistic.

The reality is that once there are more than two people wanting a Business Class seat, (or one in the case of First Class), the chances of finding reward seats go down by about 90% with each person added.

If that's a weakness of Qantas FF, it's a weakness of every FF programme in the world.

I've redeemed plenty of reward seats for 4 people or more: all in Economy class. For what it's worth, we coped.

 

[SAB]

I need to redeem my 900k+ points but can never get the routes I want in First.

 

[TWO+TWO]

I need to redeem my 900k+ points but can never get the routes I want in First.

Unless its SA- South Africa, I read in a post most recently a successful classic rewards booking in First as no other seats (CLASSIC REWARDS) were available.

 

[TWO+TWO]

I only started galavanting around the world in Business and First Class once my children had grown up. I've booked reward seats many dozens of times, but I've never secured more than two Business Class seats, or one First Class seat, on the one flight. I took my first short haul Business class flight at age 45, my first long haul Business flight at age 52, and my first First Class flight at age 54. I try not to be condescending towards people in their 30s who complain that they can't fly their families in Business class using points (in fact I've spent hours on AFF and Point Hacks trying to help them), but it's hard to avoid the opinion that they're not being realistic.

The reality is that once there are more than two people wanting a Business Class seat, (or one in the case of First Class), the chances of finding reward seats go down by about 90% with each person added.

If that's a weakness of Qantas FF, it's a weakness of every FF programme in the world.

I've redeemed plenty of reward seats for 4 people or more: all in Economy class. For what it's worth, we coped.

good point and hard to argue. I mean - a P1’s family may get more traction in the pointy end due to status. It would make sense.

 

[RooFlyer]

I only ever keep around 200 to 250,000 QFF points at one time. About a year or so ago I really went to deplete them; I didn’t get to 0 but went very close.

But now I’m back to about 150,000. It’s just ridiculously easy to earn them and I don’t have a Qantas points earning credit card.

I think there was some wine in there somewhere

I've been using Qantas points recently for Hotel bookings in Japan and Hawaii. Finding it very much worth it after a pointless search for award flights.

Me too. Covered a couple of ridiculously expensive hotel stays last year, for instance the Oryx hotel at Doha Airport and the Grand Hyatt at Dallas Fort Worth, both during a transit.

 

[flightsonpoints]

I only started galavanting around the world in Business and First Class once my children had grown up. I've booked reward seats many dozens of times, but I've never secured more than two Business Class seats, or one First Class seat, on the one flight. I took my first short haul Business class flight at age 45, my first long haul Business flight at age 52, and my first First Class flight at age 54. I try not to be condescending towards people in their 30s who complain that they can't fly their families in Business class using points (in fact I've spent hours on AFF and Point Hacks trying to help them), but it's hard to avoid the opinion that they're not being realistic.

The reality is that once there are more than two people wanting a Business Class seat, (or one in the case of First Class), the chances of finding reward seats go down by about 90% with each person added.

If that's a weakness of Qantas FF, it's a weakness of every FF programme in the world.

I've redeemed plenty of reward seats for 4 people or more: all in Economy class. For what it's worth, we coped.

Agreed it’s unrealistic to expect 4+ seats in premium cabins on points. Ive been flying on points (Krisflyer, Qantas, Cathay) in first and business for 15+ years and never had problems finding seats for 2 pax usually go overseas 3-4 times a year, nowadays First class is harder to get seats but there are plenty in business with the 3 programs I use you jut need to be patient and flexible.