Qantas rolls out Classic Plus Flight Rewards

[RichardMEL]

Of course most of the massive dump of CRs in premium cabins are of course gone.

So as time rolls on the realy impact of CR+ and QFs willingness to make CRs available remain to be seen.

 

[elanshin]

Although there'd be nothing stopping them making classics available to partners but not their own FFs.

If that happened, it'd make social media and be the death of QFF. People will proliferate that QF is screwing their own members and its better to just hold AA, CX, BA miles instead.

 

[CaptJCool]

I think this below guy with a whale of points will benefit from this announcement, if he decides to fly with the general public. The $170m painting bought on AMEX can buy enough Qantas points for a 1 way ticket Classic Rewards+ to London from Australia (subject to availability).

Billionaire earns first-class travel for life by putting Modigliani nude on Amex

Liu Yiqian and his family can now fly free all over the world after he used his credit card, which earns points, to buy a $170m painting

www.theguardian.com

Love this
bowboysammy
25 Nov 2015 3.31
0


Somebody told me that to get a black Amex card you have to spend at least 250,000 dollars a month on the card. Not sure if this is true but it sounds about right. Why a guy with that kinda loot would need free flights is beyond me, just tie some string around the painting and use it as a kite.

 

[Doddler]

I can see the current rare availability of CR upgrade diminishing to zero.
Right now if you buy a Y ticket and request a CR upgrade, you're unlikely to get it, even as WP, due to the lack of availability in premium cabins. With the increased competition from CR+ vacant premium seats will be a thing of the past along with any possibility of CR upgrade.

That's what concerns me. I pretty much only use my points for long haul upgrades (being a lowly Academic, we are required to book economy for work). Does anyone keep statistics on upgrades for different flight routes, even if just based on FF self-reports? Would be interesting to track.

 

[OATEK]

As others have said up-thread, my recent focus on CRs has been for positioning flights to Asia, where I join an ME carrier into EU/UK. That has worked well with my WP status and ability to get CR seats released (generally in PE to SIN).

Given my OS travel is decreasing, so will my status and that option will be lost to me in 2025. So really the changes will have a minimal impact, and having successfully used 700K points over the last three years, and got the balance to about 100K, I will not be in the CR+ group.

Unlike others, I don't fear or predict that CRs will disappear altogether, but given I have never been successful in snagging for an international I am not fussed.

There is no doubt in my mind that this initiative is initially aimed at QFFers that are in the 1m+ points category, but when released for domestic flights it will filter down to the much larger pool of QFFers that have much smaller balances. I think many will value being able to get a family on a plane for an AU holiday.

 

[cma_369]

The point most of us are making is that CR to those popular destinations are rare. In your case, you got lucky! QF dropped a whole heap of CR Sunday night to various destinations (I personally have been looking for SYD - HND return in Feb/Mar next year) and plenty of CR seats became available.

So yeah, they're still published but because they come so randomly they are effectively a shot in the dark if there's CR seats. Especially to places like LHR, JFK. The popular routes.
Now, we can choose to pay through the nose (in points) with CR+. Plenty of those seats available!

Was looking yesterday to figure this CR+ and to my suprise snagged 2x JFK-SYD in J on 2x dates in mid-august to make sure my itinerary remains flexible!

Happy chappy

 

[Mwenenzi]

Seems like this is already available on some Domestic routes.

All badged as CR, none displaying CR+

So a failing of the QF web site
From https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/calculators.html#/usepoints
SYD CNS on QF economy 18,000 points plus Taxes, fees and carrier charges
SYD CNS on QF business 41.500 points plus Taxes, fees and carrier charges

 

[Ade]

CR+ are going to provide less competition for CR.

May be you are right - but the way I see it, if someone sees (hypothetically) CR for 8000 points and CR+ for 18000 points - guess what would they choose, regardless of how they earned the points and how many points they earn each month/quarter/year .... I'd assume (safely) that any punter would choose the CR for 8000 points over CR+ for 18000 points. How is the *less* competition for those wanting CR ...

 

[CaptJCool]

From the AFR


4 page front page wraparound


And the Oz

 

[CaptJCool]

May be you are right - but the way I see it, if someone sees (hypothetically) CR for 8000 points and CR+ for 18000 points - guess what would they choose, regardless of how they earned the points and how many points they earn each month/quarter/year .... I'd assume (safely) that any punter would choose the CR for 8000 points over CR+ for 18000 points. How is the *less* competition for those wanting CR ...

From what’s been explained you won’t see both together
You will be offered the lowest only

So if the sales price CR+ is lower than any available CR (if there are any) it will be offered

If the normal CR+ is higher than CR you’ll only see the CR

ONCE the CRs run out you’ll see the CR+ at whatever BFOD price

 

[andye]

May be you are right - but the way I see it, if someone sees (hypothetically) CR for 8000 points and CR+ for 18000 points - guess what would they choose, regardless of how they earned the points and how many points they earn each month/quarter/year .... I'd assume (safely) that any punter would choose the CR for 8000 points over CR+ for 18000 points. How is the *less* competition for those wanting CR ...

I think it's more the point that the savvy will hunt CRs and the naive will be less likely to find

 

[aikman]

Not sure about the website but on the app you can choose between C+ and CR. If I click on Cash it shows the Classic Plus price. If I click on Rewards it shows the Classic Rewards price.

 

[CaptJCool]

Not sure about the website but on the app you can choose between C+ and CR. If I click on Cash it shows the Classic Plus price. If I click on Rewards it shows the Classic Rewards price.

View attachment 378075

Yes I noticed some differences in points pricing depending on which category they were shown in

 

[TheRealTMA]

"A financial analyst has questioned Qantas’ promise of 20 million seats for frequent flyer Classic Plus redemptions, pointing out that would represent half of the airline’s pre-Covid-19 inventory."

https://www.couriermail.com.au/business/qantas-classic-plus-figures-dont-add-up-for-financial-analyst/news-story/2d4b2fafde01fd2894f0c04e4a25eef5

 

[Ade]

savvy will hunt CRs

Until such time CRs are available to hunt ... and with CR, status comes into play as well ... Talking to someone at work today and they are pissed with the CR+ .. they are a big spender (frequent spender than frequent flyer) and as such they have trouble finding CR seats (albeit being very, very flexible). They have only NB status, so they solely rely on CR Y seats as available for sale on the QF website. With the CR+, they feel that they are being *pushed* to spend more points that necessary ... One comment they made today was "I might start flying FJ or SQ or MH for international or VA for domestic. Can't justify the extra points needed to redeem a CR+".

I cheekily noted that if they were to get WP status, they might get access to CR seats early than NB ... but guess their frequent spender thought process is making them think they will spend their funds elsewhere rather than channel spend to earn QF points ...

My point is if CR+ was introduced to make frequent spenders and point hoarders to spend their points balance (on reward seats) - I'm not sure if that intention is going to be addressed/satisfied/achieved, at least not on every frequent spender, based on the frequent spenders I spoke to in the last couple of days ...

 

[Seat0B]

Can't be booked.
Their reservations systems don't have the ability to convert these into a points price as far as I'm aware. So if reservations were to change it, it would probably result in an actual cash price to change.

A bit scary given the number of times QF web site crashes or misbehaves when trying to book flights.

 

[philr2000]

Seems they've made a change to the way availability shows up on the full month calendar search too...for example, did this search for SYD - BKK and it only shows the economy 'red badge' - however when you click into particular dates, there are business options available on partner airlines that previously showed up with the 'gold badge'...really hoping it is just a glitch as otherwise it will become very painful to search!

 

[Seat0B]

*eg a SYD-SIN search shows “Biz” CR but when you click through, it’s SYD-MEL-SIN on QF/JQ and “Your flight MEL-SIN will be in Economy”….

Oh I hate that so much. How is it even possible for them to get away with calling that a Biz flight. Grrrrrrr. Have nearly been caught out by that myself in the early days.

 

[Pushka]

I did a try out this morning for next year and using the simple search function, all I saw was CR+. Yet using the multi city function for the same flight it punched out the usual award seats. A trap for the novice.

 

[Doctore1003]

The chatter in various Facebook groups about this is *very* negative.

The Qantas share price change since Friday is *very* positive.