Major changes coming to Qantas’ frequent flyer program

Frequent flyers members can expect to book more flights with fewer points in the near future as Qantas makes changes to its loyalty program.

The airline’s biggest overhaul to the program is tipped to be released in April and it is rumoured to see the introduction of a new member membership tier.

It will allow members to convert Frequent Flyers points to cash at a rate of one point for one cent when booking an economy seat. Points are expected to be worth less for higher-quality seats.

Members can currently pay for a seat with points through Classic Flight Rewards or have the points converted to 0.7c each under Points Pay Plus.

The new tier is expected to bring more customers to Australia’s most popular flight rewards program, with over 15million members in 2023 – up from just over 14million the year prior.

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the new subscription, rumoured to be called Classic+, will be offered alongside the two current programs which will remain unchanged.

‘We’re still working to finalise the frequent flyer improvements which are responding to what members are telling us about the importance of redeeming points for flights at the times they most want to fly,’ the spokesperson said.

‘It’s a significant investment that will deliver great value for members, but it also makes sense for the program and our partners.’ 

Sources close to the overhaul told the Australian Financial Review that the points used through Classic+ will be worth a cent each when booking an economy seat.

This will mean a $100 flight will cost 10,000 Frequent Flyers points.

Sources close to the loyalty program’s overhaul say the new tier will let members convert each point to a one cent discount an economy seat (stock picture)

The revamp was hinted at by Qantas’ Chief executive Vanessa Hudson during a financial update last month.

She noted members had become frustrated with the availability of seats through the Classic Flight Rewards program since the covid-19 pandemic.

The loyalty program brought in about $1.27billion in revenue and $270million in earnings in the last half of 2023 despite the frustration.

The airline recently invested $50million of the $230 million allocated for spending on improving the customer experiences into the program to unlock more reward seats.