British Airways OpenSkies joins oneworld, offers Qantas points

British Airways' OpenSkies subsidiary is joining oneworld, providing an extra option for topping up your Qantas Frequent Flyer points when flying across the Atlantic.

You'll start earning points at the same rate as British Airways from next week, when OpenSkies joins oneworld as an affiliate member on 1 December. That's the same status that QantasLink and Cathay Pacific subsidiary Dragonair enjoy. 

OpenSkies was previously an all-business class airline, but now runs a three-class (business, premium economy and economy) service across the Atlantic using Boeing 757 planes between Paris' second airport Orly and New York's second airport Newark. Orly-New York JFK flights will begin in March.

Since OpenSkies uses British Airways' BA flight code, you'll earn the British Airways rate of Qantas Frequent Flyer points and status credits. 

Inside OpenSkies' 757s

Up front are 20 of the forwards-backwards style of fully flat business class beds in "Biz", laid out in a 2-2 configuration.

Award yourself an extra (though non-redeemable) thousand frequent flyer points if you thought that looked like British Airways' last-generation Club World business class seat with a new covering on top: it is.

Behind them come 28 seats in the "Prem Plus" premium economy offering, which is similar to an Australian domestic business class seat in a 2-2 configuration.

And down the back there are 66 regular economy seats in a 3-3 layout.

For inflight entertainment, OpenSkies has gone Apple: every passenger gets an iPad for the flight.

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John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.