Last year, Qantas introduced a new frequent flyer partnership with Air France & KLM. Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn & redeem points for Air France and KLM flights, and Qantas Silver, Gold, Platinum & Platinum One members receive reciprocal status benefits when flying with either airline.
Unfortunately, as we reported in February, the implementation of this new partnership hasn’t been great. It seems many Air France and KLM ground staff were unaware of the new partnership. And staff at Qantas, Air France & KLM have provided totally conflicting information about benefits and entitlements for Qantas Frequent Flyer members. There has even been uncertainty about things as simple as baggage allowances.
The Qantas website provides this chart, summarising tier recognition benefits on Air France and KLM flights:
But no further information has been provided anywhere… until now.
Extra baggage allowance on Air France/KLM
When flying on Air France or KLM, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One Qantas Frequent Flyer members are entitled to one complimentary checked bag in addition to the normal allowance. The benefit applies regardless of the fare type.
For example, if you purchased an Air France/KLM Economy Light fare which does not normally include checked baggage, you could check in one bag of up to 23kg at no cost. If you had purchased an Economy Standard or Flex fare, you could check up to 2x 23kg bags for free (normally, 1x 23kg bag is included).
If you’re travelling in Premium Economy, you could also check in an extra 23kg bag (giving a total allowance of three checked bags).
Qantas Platinum & Platinum One frequent flyers can check in an extra bag of up to 32kg on Business and First class tickets. It is not clear whether the same benefit would apply to Silver & Gold frequent flyers (but we expect it would).
Qantas says that the additional baggage benefits are aligned to what Qantas Frequent Flyer top tier members receive on Qantas services.
SkyPriority for Qantas Gold, Platinum & Platinum One members
Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members are entitled to all SkyPriority benefits when flying with Air France or KLM. These benefits, which are also available to SkyTeam Elite Plus members, include:
- Priority check-in
- Priority baggage
- Priority at security & immigration lines, where available
- Priority boarding
Boarding for Air France & KLM flights is based on zones. Eligible Qantas frequent flyers will automatically be assigned the same boarding zone as Air France/KLM Flying Blue top tier members.
You should also have access to “preferred” seats, such as those closer to the front of the plane.
Notably, lounge access is not provided unless you’re booked on a Qantas-marketed codeshare flight with a “QF” flight number.
Ensure your Qantas tier benefits are recognised
When flying with Air France and KLM, all benefits are system generated. This means you’ll need to add your Qantas Frequent Flyer number to your booking in order to receive tier recognition. This can be done when booking, checking in or at the airport. Qantas says that you cannot just show your Qantas Frequent Flyer card to receive the benefits.
As a result of the inconsistent knowledge and recognition among staff, Air France/KLM has just sent a reminder about Qantas tier benefits to all of their staff.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas recently announced some kind of reciprocal relationship with KLM/Air France
