Qantas Frequent Flyer has expanded Classic Plus Flight Rewards onto domestic routes, after launching them on international flights earlier this year.
The airline says that there are no changes to the amount of traditional Classic Flight Reward seats available on domestic routes. But the introduction of Classic Plus means that frequent flyers can use their points on more flights that may not have any regular Classic Reward seats left.
Occasionally, when flights are on sale, Classic Plus redemptions could also be cheaper. But in most cases, they’ll be more expensive.
The difference between Classic and Classic Plus rewards is that Classic Rewards are fixed-price, while the points required to book a Classic Plus ticket is tied directly to the cost of a commercial airfare on the same flight. This means that the price of Classic Plus redemptions fluctuates. The trade-off is more availability.
By default, the Qantas website will now show whichever is cheaper of the available Classic and Classic Plus redemption options on each domestic flight.
How much are domestic Classic Plus redemptions worth?
Like with international redemptions, domestic Economy Classic Plus redemptions will get you 1 cent of value for each Qantas point spent. But domestic Business Class redemptions are worth 1.25 cents per point under the Classic Plus system. This is less than the 1.5 cents that each point is worth on international premium cabin redemptions.
Unfortunately, on routes where cash airfares are high, this can result in a huge difference between the Classic and Classic Plus pricing:
It’s hard to see the value in paying over 200,000 points for a one-way Business Class flight – on a Boeing 737, no less – from Sydney to Perth. That’s way more points than the usual 41,500 for a regular Classic Reward in Business.
But if the price was about the same or only slightly more than a Classic redemption, booking Classic Plus, as it may be on other routes or during a sale, it might not be the worst ever deal. (Not that most AFF members would do this… but you’d still get at least twice as much value for your Qantas points compared to redeeming for gift cards or products from the Qantas Rewards Store, for example.)
If you book a Classic Plus itinerary involving both domestic and international flights (e.g. Adelaide-Melbourne-Los Angeles), the international point values apply.
How does this affect reward seat availability?
Qantas argues that this is a positive change because it means more domestic flights are available to book as reward seats, particularly during peak periods where there may not be any Classic Reward availability.
The airline is so far pleased with the uptake on international routes. But the scheme has been unpopular with many AFF members who see it as a devaluation of the program. For example, one member left this comment on my last article about Classic Plus:
The article is just total rubbish Qantas spin. Very disappointing how it’s been featured on a site for points collectors.
Who would redeem their points for a Qantas Plus flight in Business for something like a flight from Sydney – LA????
YOU’D HAVE TO HAVE ROCKS IN YOUR HEAD!!!!
Although we can’t independently verify this, Qantas says it is still releasing the same number of Classic Flight Reward seats as it did five years ago. At the same time, some people have pointed out that the number of Qantas Frequent Flyer members has grown in that time. Five years ago, there were around 12.9 million Qantas Frequent Flyer members. That number is now over 16.4 million.
In other words, the number of program participants is now 27% higher but the number of Classic Reward seats available is roughly the same. So the ratio of members to Classic Reward seats is now lower.
This is a bit like how “bracket creep” happens in the income tax system. Even though the government may not change the actual tax brackets for many years, over time more people end up in a higher tax bracket due to inflation.
What do you make of this change?
What do you make of Qantas introducing Classic Plus redemptions onto domestic routes?
You can share your thoughts on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum:
