Aussies love a loyalty program, and airline frequent flyer packages are not any exception. Over 15 million persons are members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) program, whereas Virgin Australia’s Velocity program just lately signed up its 12 millionth buyer…
However let’s not beat across the bush right here: these packages aren’t created to profit clients. They’re designed to drive enterprise and income to the airline. To say in any other case is simply advertising and marketing spin, pure and easy.
There’s quite a lot of shopper anger concerning the difficulties of redeeming flights and among the costs charged, particularly for premium cabin redemptions into markets like Europe and North America. A few of this aggro is legitimate, whereas a few of it’s misplaced…
WATCH: Qantas Advert Makes Australia Emotional
The three-hour jaunt in firstclass between Sydney and Christchurch (or vice versa) on the Emirates A380 for the broadly touted worth of 64,500 factors (plus about A$200 in expenses) is an instance of a extremely well-advertised deal within the QFF program.
The issue is that QFF members have Buckley’s probability of really choosing up a ticket at this worth, with Qantas persistently pricing its first-class redemptions on this sector at over 280,000 factors for the rest of 2024. Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t go down nicely with clients.
Steve Hui from iFLYFlat, a factors redemption concierge service, informed DMARGE that redeeming factors is like going fishing: you solid the online out and see what will get caught. He says it’s worthwhile to be versatile and begin trying to find flights as early as attainable.
Working about six months out, this writer has just lately obtained enterprise class flights on Qantas between Sydney and Jakarta for the marketed lead-in worth of 68,000 factors plus round A$200 in charges. There’s additionally an upcoming enterprise class redemption on a Singapore Airways A380 from Hong Kong to Sydney through Singapore bought for 78,000 Velocity factors plus round A$400 in expenses.
Velocity boss Nick Rohrlach informed DMARGE that its associate airways, together with Singapore Airways, Qatar Airways, and ANA, ship excellent reward seat availability. “That’s one thing we’re actually pleased with,” he stated.
One of many quirks of frequent flyer redemptions in all places is {that a} easy point-to-point redemption on a busy truck route, say Melbourne—Singapore, could also be troublesome to supply or solely obtainable at a ridiculous worth. However if you happen to begin the journey in a regional port equivalent to Launceston or Newcastle, availability can open up. Equally, if you happen to faucet in Kuala Lumpur or Penang because the vacation spot port somewhat than Singapore if chasing a Velocity redemption, fairly priced fares may additionally mysteriously materialise.
In the event you discover the Qantas search engine laughing in your face while you attempt to redeem a Sydney—London flight, beginning the journey in a QantasLink port equivalent to Orange or Bendigo can generally produce extra passable outcomes. Or inform it you need to go to Birmingham as an alternative of Heathrow.
The overall rule is the shorter the sector, the poorer the redemption worth. It’s why most potential passengers need to redeem their factors for costly long-haul flights. However there are exceptions. The money worth for the brief flight between Sydney and Lord Howe Island is notoriously costly.
Nonetheless, the sector is lower than 600 miles, that means you may redeem flights from 8,000 QFF factors (plus round A$150 in expenses). Are there any obtainable, or is that this simply one other Christchurch jig? The Qantas search engine reveals chosen dates in June when you may jag the lead in fare, with availability turning into extra widespread after that. As Hui says, get in early.
New Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson says QFF members ought to begin to see some modifications later this yr. DMARGE additionally requested the boss of Qantas Loyalty to contribute to this text. Nonetheless, she didn’t reply.
Hui says even when frequent flyer members get annoyed with a scarcity of pretty priced redemptions, they need to resist the urge to waste factors on poor-value redemptions like lodge stays or factors plus pay redemptions, which he describes as awful worth for cash.
He says Velocity members on the lookout for long-haul premium cabin redemptions ought to have a look at Singapore Airways and Qatar, whereas Qantas frequent flyers might must suppose outdoors the field and have a look at associate airways such because the surprisingly good China Jap and Cathay Pacific for availability. If you’re sitting on a pile of factors and eyeing a visit someplace good, iFLYFlat may also help you discover the very best worth redemption alternatives in all cabin lessons.
Rohrlach says if you’re new to the factors sport, work out tips on how to earn factors on on a regular basis spending:
“We now have had many members fund around-the-world journeys completely by transferring their Flybuys factors to Velocity.”
Nick Rohrlach, Velocity CEO. Picture Virgin
He additionally advises folks to set redemption objectives. If you wish to fly enterprise to Japan in 2025, work out how a lot it is going to price and how one can earn these factors. Break the goal down into smaller objectives, like incomes 10,000 factors per thirty days.
In fact, if neither program floats your boat, there are alternate options. Two of the higher ones for Australians embrace Singapore’s Krisflyer program, which lets you faucet into redemptions throughout the Star Alliance community. Qatar’s Avios-based Privilege Membership affords the identical advantages throughout the Oneworld alliance.
The draw back of each packages is neither has the variety of native companions and, subsequently, point-earning alternatives that Velocity and QFF have…
