Qantas releases more than a million seats to loyalty card holders

[NM]

From news.com.au:

QANTAS has wheeled out its biggest weapon in the airline tickets war, making more than one million seats available to loyalty card holders.

The new deal lifts by 50 per cent the number of seats frequent flyers will be able to buy with points on various long-haul flights, including Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Auckland services.

 

[serfty]

We received the emails on this Tuesday afternoon.

I do not consider it such a 'bonus'.

This time last year a MEL-LAX return airfare on Qantas would have set you back at least $1700.

The points cost was still 96,000 and around $400 in

.

So that's a value of around 1¼¢ per point.

Nowadays the fare can be had for $1018.

The points cost is still 96,000 and $317 in

; that's ~¾¢ per point.

 

[NM]

indeed, serfty. But that is assuming the award redemption was actually available previously. If there was no availability, then it makes no difference what the $/point rate would theoretically be. Of course this new release does not guarantee a change to the award availably issue.

I note the media report mentions 850,000 or the new release of award seats are on domestic routes. So its probably not going to help too much for popular award routes like LAX and LHR.

 

[serfty]

Doing a quick check for costs I initially tried SYD-LAX, but I did not find a direct WHY flight. There were plenty of MEL/BNE connections listed so settled on MEL for my example.

...
12,000 seats - between Australia and New Zealand
10,000 seats - between Australia and Asia
6,000 seats - between Australia and USA

Over 850,000 Classic Award seats on selected Qantas flights around Australia*#
...

 

[vet]

I fear woolies/qff rewards and Harvey Norman type bonus deals will make Qantas long haul ff seats even harder to come by.

In January 09 I couldn't get 3 economy seats on points for a trip in the Jan 2010 school holidays to LA. But I could pay cash for them. :evil: But Vaustralia was no problem. We could book return flights on points, rather than booking the departure on Qantas today and then waiting weeks in the hope we'd get seats home in time to return for the school year starting. I don't need that uncertainty. Also there were Better seats on V, we were given a row each as a 'bed', and faaar more legroom than our squissy cramped seats in 08 on Qantas. V's staff were even at the carosel with our bags 1 1/2 hours after finally getting thru LA's Custom's & Irritation. So we're back on V next year, and the year after ...

 

[medhead]

And yet still no seats SIN-FRA or vv in July.

 

[Mal]

see also Frequent Flyer - Member Specials - Flights - Great Classic Seat Release

 

[serfty]

And yet still no seats SIN-FRA or vv in July.

Only flights within Oz or to NZ, USA and Asia have been advertised for this.

Europe is not mentioned.

 

[medhead]

Only flights within Oz or to NZ, USA and Asia have been advertised for this.

Europe is not mentioned.

Yes, of course. maybe I needed a , as the million seats are not helpful. Thanks for nothing qantas.

 

[JohnK]

I think Qantas is on the right track but not quite there.

Yes it is nice to release more award seats to reduce their points liability but it would be even nicer if they released more award seats on the hard to get routes and added availability at peak holiday times would not go astray either....