Big Devaluation for Qantas Rewards on Emirates First Class from February 18.

[am0985]

Whilst I don't like the idea, this is not new to us. SQ already has limited a lot of their Saver Awards (J/F) to PPS members only. CX limits a lot of their awards to their Diamond members only. Of course QF does that already for their awards (Platinum or above).

I wouldn't miss EK F award though, their cash components of the award is already so expensive $$$.

SQ are weird. I booked a MEL - SIN - DPS flight in December for 45k Aeroplan points that wasn't available at Saver level on KF, only Advantage at > 100k points.

Can you give an example please?

I can see return on EK F in November from CGK...$7200 to MXP, $7600 to FRA, $7700 to BRU (including gamechanger), $8000 to CDG and $8100 to LHR.

Points flight on Garuda or Qantas J up to CGK and it costs similar to a J return on a good airline from Australia.

 

[lovestotravel]

It'll be interesting to see if F reward seat availability increases to QFF once the status restriction comes into play. There's been a lot less EK F seats available through QFF lately, even on short flights from Dubai where they're usually quite plentiful. Perhaps, with the same restrictions as Skywards, we might hopefully see things return to what was 'normal' before. That's wishful thinking, of course.

There are no J seats either..

Whilst I don't like the idea, this is not new to us. SQ already has limited a lot of their Saver Awards (J/F) to PPS members only. CX limits a lot of their awards to their Diamond members only. Of course QF does that already for their awards (Platinum or above).

I wouldn't miss EK F award though, their cash components of the award is already so expensive $$$.

Nope I managed 3 x Savers a few days before xmas - MEL-SIN-LHR and I'm only Silver with KF

 

[Paul720]

This is great in that children under 10 should NEVER be allowed into premium cabins. Too many times now a long haul has been ruined by loud babies/children and their entitled parents doing nothing.

 

[kamchatsky]

This is great in that children under 10 should NEVER be allowed into premium cabins. Too many times now a long haul has been ruined by loud babies/children and their entitled parents doing nothing.

The question is, is this minimum age limit only applicable to awards only, or also applicable to cash fares as well?

 

[fletty]

This is great in that children under 10 should NEVER be allowed into premium cabins. Too many times now a long haul has been ruined by loud babies/children and their entitled parents doing nothing.

Opinions like this are going to divide many. I along with many other AFFers have flown in long haul premium cabins (J and F) with children with zero issue. In fact we had people approach us after several flights exclaiming they didn't even know there was a baby there.

It's generally the parenting that's the issue, not children themselves.

The question is, is this minimum age limit only applicable to awards only, or also applicable to cash fares as well?

It doesn't apply to cash fares - EK would probably upset lots of locals if they did.

 

[Doctore1003]

Rich people’s kids are fine. It’s the poors’ who are the issue!

 

[blackcat20]

Opinions like this are going to divide many. I along with many other AFFers have flown in long haul premium cabins (J and F) with children with zero issue. In fact we had people approach us after several flights exclaiming they didn't even know there was a baby there.

It's generally the parenting that's the issue, not children themselves.

It doesn't apply to cash fares - EK would probably upset lots of locals if they did.

Our kids are used to flying premium and do it well

 

[Bayside Flyer]

have cancelled my QF Amex card and replaced it (after a suitable stand down period) with Velocity Amex card. QF are making it too hard across the board, i am one who will vote with my feet.

 

[elanshin]

have cancelled my QF Amex card and replaced it (after a suitable stand down period) with Velocity Amex card. QF are making it too hard across the board, i am one who will vote with my feet.

Wrong amex imho. Should've just gone for regular AMEX on MR and use best option of the day. For example i just got Aria suite MEL - HKG after QF awards was not available but Cathay Asia miles was. I counted only 6 not selected J seats after I booked.

You open yourself up to all the amex airline partners on their own awards rather than "partner awards".

 

[Noah Count]

As it stands I have a F redemption from HND-DXB-AMS on 31st May.

I want to change it to a bit earlier in the month, but there are no seats available from anywhere in Asia to Europe for months on end.

I should count my blessings I got a redemption at all. I have never flown on any class higher than whY in Emirates, although my family have flown cash fares in business.

I remember some of the threads you were posting on when you were booking those flights, I was able to get similar a few days earlier but into LHR. Out of Japan can be hit and miss, getting back was more problematic so I am on AY/QF in J. IMO at the time of booking there could have been a glitch or 2 that opened up flights from JP but may have now been rectified. I maybe wrong.

 

[Sabot]

New award table. (The time EK spent as at the same rate as QF awards has been vanishingly small.)

The big plus of restricting F to PS and above is less competition for awards, meaning they'll be there if I want them. But now it's going to cost even more points in F, and there's still no guarantee QFF will get access to the same awards as Skywards.

I price QFF points at a notional 1cpp. When combined with taxes and charges in the $2k-$2.5k ballpark, this means a return trip to Europe in EK F will cost somewhere in the ballpark of $11k. This is objectively speaking a lot of money to spend on airfares when decent J options start around $6k.

I'm guessing Y, PE and J value will continue to be ruined by the taxes and EK charges

Who is flying biz to Europe for 6k return?

 

[Kangol]

Who is flying biz to Europe for 6k return?

Those who position to/from Asia with JQ "business"?

 

[MELso]

Who is flying biz to Europe for 6k return?

CZ, MU, AY, WY, TK, MH and VN are some of the carriers that sell J ex-Australia in the $6-$7k range. (In the case of Chinese carriers, sometimes far less.) Heck, you can fly EK F out of CGK and other SE Asian ports on cash tickets from under $8k.

But my bigger point is that 1. points are often not 'free' to acquire (costs typically range from 0.3cpp for credit card churns through ~1cpp for EDR and card transactions where there are surcharges through to wine at 1.7cpp) and 2. they have an opportunity cost in their use (what other redemptions could you have burned the points on?)

Because of this, using Qantas points on EK F is now a very costly exercise. It's definitely worth trying EK F because it's hugely good fun. But while you might get 3 or 4 cpp 'worth' of value, the overall cost of the redemptions is still significant.

 

[SYD]

Those who position to/from Asia with JQ "business"?

Nope. QF Biz.

Oz - Euro for circa $4k plus some points.

 

[Sabot]

Nope. QF Biz.

Oz - Euro for circa $4k plus some points.

What, like 600k points? Lol

 

[MELso]

What, like 600k points? Lol

332.6k points return (plus about $2k in cash), meaning that for not much more than one way in EK F, you could do QF J return to Europe (assuming you could find them or were a WP and have them opened up).

 

[SYD]

What, like 600k points? Lol

Nope.136,800 QFF points (total).

If you’re paying 600k, you need to follow more closely.

 

[Tiki]

I ticked my bucket list back in 2017 with AKL-BNE in EK F. Even managed to squeeze in a shower! The cash components in the last few years have eliminated even J award (if even available) from my consideration. I think the major factor is the USA credit card churning market and that USA points whales were snapping up all the awards. They have way more opportunities than Aussies do. EK no longer partners with many credit cards or if they do the points are more expensive than 1-1. And the US based miles and points bloggers who earn nice commissions from credit card links were actively encouraging Americans to get cards that transfer to QF and get around the status limitation.

 

[Sabot]

332.6k points return (plus about $2k in cash), meaning that for not much more than one way in EK F, you could do QF J return to Europe (assuming you could find them or were a WP and have them opened up).

I have previously tried extensively to have them release even 1 flight from AU to Europe (multiple routes) with zero success. The problem is that the seats are simply not available, even for the P1's I know it's slim pickings.

These low cost / point J fares are just simply unrealistic the majority of the time unless you're willing to fly Toilet Airways.

 

[SYD]

I have previously tried extensively to have them release even 1 flight from AU to Europe (multiple routes) with zero success. The problem is that the seats are simply not available, even for the P1's I know it's slim pickings.

These low cost / point J fares are just simply unrealistic the majority of the time unless you're willing to fly Toilet Airways.

QF can’t release EK seats because they’re not theirs to release…

EK redemptions have been all over the shop but hopefully might become more deterministic now.