Qantas Classic Reward & Upgrade Devaluation on 5 August 2025

[Kangol]

The 5k gets knocked out separately at a weird timing so it's probably just not deducted yet but will be.

That's what I thought, however it's been a couple of weeks and still no deduction.
In previous changes with no "upgrade", the 5k has been charged immediately.

 

[CaptJCool]

Thought this the most useful place to share this schematic
Was looking at the points and economy fare rate as a point of reference for which way to go when booking as sometimes the values in the paid fare and other times in the Classic Reward (eg when I booked Griffith to Perth on CR instead of a revenue fare of $1,434!?!

 

[bussyboy]

I did similar scribbles in Word recently (not pen enabled)


The things us AFFers do!

 

[Noah Count]

The QF booking system never ceases to amaze me. This is just my experience in changing some reward bookings that were made prior to 5 Aug and changed after 5 Aug. I has been a little challenging but from the outset the end result has worked slightly in my favour. Background, all bookings are rewards with the original bookings being LHR-HEL x1J and LHR-HEL x2Y. In early Oct AY opened up another J seat so I split the x2 Y flights and booked MissN into J, so far all good as I was only charged the pre 5 Aug rate (30000 points) and I now have 3 seperate PNRs. Fast forward a month and we decided to make another change and and added an additional sector connecting to TLL and this is where it became interesting. Also the addition sectors were only available in Y as there is no J and it is only a 30 minute flight. Also adding HEL-TLL pushed us into Zone 3 by 14 miles.

• Booking 1 - originally LHR-HEL x1J. The agent advised that for some reason the QF system could not add the additional sector to this booking. In the end it was done by adding it as an additional flight (not as a thru flight) but with in the same PNR. The points required were 10000 which was the pre 5 Aug zone 1 rate. From my experience through flights when mixed travel class is involved the points required is always based on the highest class of travel, for this flight it worked in my favour as the total points required were 40000 where as the thru flight should have been 43800 points.
• Booking 2 - originally LHR-HEL in Y. This one went as I would have thought Zone 2 to Zone 3 change, 6000 points.
• Booking 3 - originally LHR-HEL in Y, then changed to J (post 5 Aug). The points for this change was quoted at 13000 however it is essentially the same booking 1. It turns out although the original booking was made prior to 5 Aug once the booking was split the QF system was recalculating everything based on a post 5 Aug booking date which was Zone 2 (31500) and Zone 1 (11500). In the end I had to accept this however the fee was waived.

So why to I think I am slightly better off, well here goes. If everything the changes were calculated as thought they should/would have been as follows (additional points required only):

• All booking calculated as thru flights (pre 5 Aug)
  • Booking 1 - 13800 + 5000 change fee
  • Booking 2 - 6000 + 5000 change fee
  • Booking 3 - 13800 + 5000 change fee
  • Points Total - 48600
• All booking calculated as thru flights, 2 pre 5 Aug, 1 post 5 Aug
  • Booking 1 - 13800 + 5000 change fee
  • Booking 2 - 6000 + 5000 change fee
  • Booking 3 - 16000 + 5000 change fee
  • Points Total - 50800
• What I ended up paying
  • Booking 1 - 10000 + 5000 change fee
  • Booking 2 - 6000 + 5000 change fee
  • Booking 3 - 13000 change fee waived due to the system not being able to calculate the correct value
  • Points Total - 39000

Sure not a huge saving, but a saving none the less. For some 39000 point may seem a lot to add in a 30 minute flight but that additional flight pushed use into a higher zone, also luggage can just be check through and the flights are on one ticket incase anything goes wrong. Here ends my ramblings.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Award flights are priced either at the through fare, or the sum of the sector fares, whichever is lower.

That also applies to mixed class travel.

Other airlines apply the ‘highest cabin’ rule.

 

[kamchatsky]

I have an existing booking (confirmed and ticketed prior to devaluation) for 4 people for BA J SIN-SYD for Jan next year. If I want to change the route completely to say QF SYD-HKG award (i.e. completely abandon the BA flight), would I be able to do this to keep the same PNR? If so, would it under the old award chart, or the newly devalued award chart?

 

[elanshin]

I have an existing booking (confirmed and ticketed prior to devaluation) for 4 people for BA J SIN-SYD for Jan next year. If I want to change the route completely to say QF SYD-HKG award (i.e. completely abandon the BA flight), would I be able to do this to keep the same PNR? If so, would it under the old award chart, or the newly devalued award chart?

Yes and Yes.

Just the standard change fee, and difference in points between the routes on the old award chart.

I have one banked up that I'm trying to cook up an OWA out of.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Yes and Yes.

Just the standard change fee, and difference in points between the routes on the old award chart.

I have one banked up that I'm trying to cook up an OWA out of.

Can this be done easily online @elanshin ?

 

[elanshin]

Can this be done easily online @elanshin ?

No if you need destination changes you have to call up.

 

[Flyfrequently]

No if you need destination changes you have to call up.

Thank you @elanshin

 

[Amanad78]

I have an existing booking (confirmed and ticketed prior to devaluation) for 4 people for BA J SIN-SYD for Jan next year. If I want to change the route completely to say QF SYD-HKG award (i.e. completely abandon the BA flight), would I be able to do this to keep the same PNR? If so, would it under the old award chart, or the newly devalued award chart?

Following in from this question, I have an existing domestic booking made 04/08/2025, for a flight on 23/07/2026. Planning to change it to a international reward flight.
Can the flights be after 23/07, like in early 2027 or will I need to commence or complete the travel within 12 months of the original booking?
Thanks

 

[Tlee]

Following in from this question, I have an existing domestic booking made 04/08/2025, for a flight on 23/07/2026. Planning to change it to a international reward flight.
Can the flights be after 23/07, like in early 2027 or will I need to commence or complete the travel within 12 months of the original booking?
Thanks

Two data points here:

• Ticket #1: A oneworld flight booked prior to 05/08/2025 - I wanted to change the route completely and depature date to 10/2026. It wasn't successful. The agent said the system spited out errors and informed me that the new reward table would be applied due to the new route.
  
  
• Ticket #2: A domestic Qantas flight booked prior to 05/08/2025 - I wanted to change the destination (international/ onFJ flights) and depature date to 10/2026. It went through successfully over an hour call - the previous table applied.

I was worried about the 12-month rule (if any) but none of the agents mentioned it as an issue. My gut feeling tell me rescheduling a unused ticket beyond 12 months of the original booking is possible - as long as the agent you speak to know how to do it.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Yes and Yes.

Just the standard change fee, and difference in points between the routes on the old award chart.

I have one banked up that I'm trying to cook up an OWA out of.

And the taxes are as per old award chart @elanshin ?

 

[Amanad78]

Two data points here:

• Ticket #1: A oneworld flight booked prior to 05/08/2025 - I wanted to change the route completely and depature date to 10/2026. It wasn't successful. The agent said the system spited out errors and informed me that the new reward table would be applied due to the new route.
  
  
• Ticket #2: A domestic Qantas flight booked prior to 05/08/2025 - I wanted to change the destination (international/ onFJ flights) and depature date to 10/2026. It went through successfully over an hour call - the previous table applied.

I was worried about the 12-month rule (if any) but none of the agents mentioned it as an issue. My gut feeling tell me rescheduling a unused ticket beyond 12 months of the original booking is possible - as long as the agent you speak to know how to do it.

Thanks Tlee, looks like your ticket #2 scenario is the same as ours, so hopefully will be able to change to early 2027!

 

[MelbFlyer]

Hi all, sorry to bring up an old thread but I suspect that this may be the reason why I've been denied twice over the phone for this enquiry.

Long story short, I have an active PNR (1st flight not yet flown) from prior to the devaluation / increase in points required for reward seats, as per discussed in this thread.

Looking to add another reward seat onto this PNR (obviously would like to take advantage of the lower rates if at all possible), have been told twice that it's unable to be done.

Has anyone else been able to add new reward seats onto an existing PNR that existed prior to this devaluation / increase, or, has their policy actually changed / a loophole closed up (as the old rates would apply considering it's an old PNR), or, is this a classic case of Qantas advising BS and the requirement to HUACA?

Thankyou in advance.