Qantas Classic Plus Rewards - Thoughts?

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Qantas

• 

  User889344 on 08/04/2024 - 15:52

  +6

  Soooo I've not had much of a chance to explore it yet except for checking my options for a flight from Sydney to LA during May. Prior to these changes, I could find (albeit on very limited dates/availability), business class on QF11 for 108K QFF points + about $350.

  Now I've just looked and the 'Classic rewards' business class flight on QF11 for 108K I mentioned above is unavailable but there is a 'Classic Plus' rewards business class flight also on the same QF11 flight for 541,500 QFF points + $627.

  It seems like Classic Plus is simply - 'we don't have any of the Classic Rewards flights you wanted available but if you're willing to pay 4 - 5 times more, we'll reserve a seat for you anyway. So if there is a seat available to sell me for 541,500 QFF points, why can't I pay what I was paying yesterday (108K QFF points) for it?

  Again, this is just from 5 mins of exploring, but its not looking good so far to me. It seems like there is indeed more availability, but at the expense of your QFF points. Ie. If you're willing to pay 500K QFF points for a Classic Plus flight rather than 100K points for Classic Rewards, no problem but if you want to get one of the 100K ones, good luck.

  • 

    mungas on 08/04/2024 - 15:57

    Yep that's my take, I've found heaps (Economy) to Japan now, whereas before I struggled to find direct flights for 31k + tax, however now there's a few for 41k or 46k + tax as direct flights.

    Not as bad as the example above, assuming business might have a higher multiple difference between Classic Rewards vs Classic Plus Rewards

  • 

    localhost on 08/04/2024 - 17:39

    +3

    It's easier for them - next year will remove 'Classic rewards' due to … low interest :)
    And we are fcked.

• 

  freefall101 on 08/04/2024 - 15:55

  +9

  Where's the option of good for Qantas, bad for me?

  They spent years making reward flights harder and harder to get, then introduced more flights at worse value to make up for it.

  Give it a few years and they'll remove "Classic" reward flights because "Our customers have told us they love the new reward flight system, more options, blah blah".

  • 

    mungas on 08/04/2024 - 15:58

    +1

    Updated, as rightly pointed out, our benefits may not be mutual

• 

  Dollar General on 08/04/2024 - 15:56

  +2

  Qantas looks after Qantas and shareholders first. Everything else is secondary

  • 

    slknv on 08/04/2024 - 16:03

    +2

    Well, that's pretty much how capitalism works.

    • 

      Dollar General on 08/04/2024 - 16:25

      That’s how monopolies/oligopolies work

      • 

        fantombloo on 08/04/2024 - 20:00

        Under capitalism or other private ownership yes.

        If they're owned by the people then not necessarily.

• 

  mini2 on 08/04/2024 - 16:01

  +1

  Lipstick on a pig, further enhances such an already enhanced offering.

• 

  zombrex on 08/04/2024 - 16:11

  +1

  Once you experience being stranded overseas by JetStar/Qantas you will never want to fly with them again regardless of their crappy FF scheme.

• 

  Drakesy on 08/04/2024 - 16:12

  +3

  None of the "improvements" Qantas has made to the FF scheme have ever benefitted the end user lets be honest.

• 

  melbourne guy on 08/04/2024 - 16:39

  -1

  Without deep diving into the nitty gritty, it appears to be a half decent option if you have points to burn and don't mind sparing a few more points to redeem on popular routes.
  Some deeper analysis on how many cents per point it ends up being would be interesting. It was rumoured to be 1c per point for cattle class and 1.5c per point for the pointy end but the FAQ on the website doesn't state a figure, just that it varies.

  • 

    mungas on 08/04/2024 - 17:09

    It’s going to vary on each flight, depending on whether it’s classic plus or classic rewards, and whether surge pricing has happened, they made a pretty clear that classic plus rewards. Will have increased point requirements likely for busy periods so I’m assuming any school holidays is going to be more expensive than usual

• 

  DingoBilly on 08/04/2024 - 16:46

  +1

  If I'm reading right, the existing program remains, and this is just another way to spend points no?

  So overall it's a good change, unless they kill the old program or limit seats on it even further in which case it's just a strict downgrade.

  • 

    melbourne guy on 08/04/2024 - 17:07

    Yes, this a new third option in addition to the existing classic rewards and the points + pay options.

• 

  capslock on 08/04/2024 - 17:06

  +8

  Before today your options to use points for flights were
  - cheap classic rewards that do not exist
  - expensive points plus pay

  After today your options are
  - cheap classic rewards that do not exist
  - mid priced classic plus rewards
  - expensive points plus pay

• 

  beyond2k on 08/04/2024 - 17:13

  I guess it's a win for us, especially for those who have a big surplus of points but are never able to find any classic reward flights on the popular routes.

  It has incentivised people to continue earning Qantas points rather than trying to jump into another ff program. I was considering switching but will now stay with Qantas.

  • 

    mungas on 08/04/2024 - 17:21

    Yeah interesting points, but maybe we would’ve also been better off if they reframed the status program instead of releasing less valuable rewards options. For the most part, anyone who has to travel for business scans their personal QFF and gets the priority benefit for their personal travel at the expense of lowly bronze members who aren’t in that position. That continues for classic rewards. I assume this whole new program is geared for lower level members

  • 

    dahax77 on 08/04/2024 - 21:10

    What's the incentive?

    The ability to now pay 500k for a Business flight to the US for example isn't really an incentive is it?

    Why not just focus on earning a different type of points?

• 

  TheMindsetTraveller on 08/04/2024 - 20:49

  One day there will be no Classic Award left as Qantas slowly moves everything to the Plus side of things where you need 3 or 4x more points.

  Better would be to reward elite flyers with discounted fixed points eg. lets say Sydney to X is 100,000 points. WPs or higher get it for 80K, Gold 85k, Silver 90k, QC 95k, and everyone else is 100k.

  You reward bottom in seats flyers who put the money into qantas versus some dude who pumps his entire business spend onto a points award card and flies qantas once or twice a year 'using those points'

  • 

    dahax77 on 08/04/2024 - 21:13

    I understand the idea BUT the person who puts all their spend on a Qantas Points card or chases points shopping etc is also making Qantas money - in fact probably more-so than the people flying nowadays!

    It's a 'Frequent Flyer' program in name only

  • 

    mungas on 08/04/2024 - 21:13

    I guess the issue in that is creating this perpetual advantage of higher class members being able to book more frequently, which in turn keeps their points up, making it harder for lower members to get in to the cycle of booking.

    I think the idea is great, but far out, the points difference in the current rewards offerings are definitely noticeable

• 

  Starcraftmazter on 08/04/2024 - 21:22

  +1

  Qantas has been gate-keeping award flights for months now, and we now find out why - they want to charge many more times points for reward flights now (unless if the route is unpopular and has tonnes of availability - which will be served by classic rewards).

  Really the worst devaluation in history, not going to bother with qantas points anymore.

• 

  Lunarboogie on 09/04/2024 - 03:24

  The real gauge on the value of these changes to customers will best be seen by the price that QF points fetch on the OzB classifieds. If it goes up, the reforms benefit customers (hence geeater demand for the stuff). If it goes down, it's bad for customers and good for Qantas. If it stays at its current level, honours even.

  My sense is it will be the latter.

• 

  Darayus on 09/04/2024 - 10:09

  This is the best way to block people from the classic reward seat and push them to burn more points for the same seat.

  Technically they have huge points built up over the years not only for the sale of airfare but also by various retailers offering QFF. Any point has value if you can make use of it otherwise it's just junk wealth.

  I don't trust QF either for their services, flights or giving away my money. Better fly with Asian or ME airlines and earn points on those airlines.

• 

  fractalsonfire on 09/04/2024 - 14:37

  +1

  Wow i looked at flights to singapore and tokyo almost a year out (these are generally the easiest to get classic rewards flights). All the Qantas rewards flights that are direct to singapore are all now classic plus flights, no more classic rewards. Max value 1c per point. Tokyo is quite similar.

  This is a dogshit change helping Qantas devalue frequent flyer points. Shouldn't have been surprised. If you want original classic rewards, you'll need to fly a oneworld carrier. For example flying to KL you would use Malaysia airlines, so they have classic rewards flights.