No frequent flyer upgrades in renewed Qantas+Emirates partnership
By Chris C., September 4 2017
Hoping to use your Qantas frequent flyer points for a business class or first class upgrade when travelling overseas?
Then you’ll need to continue booking flights operated by Qantas, rather than Emirates, as points-based upgrades on Emirates flights remain off the airlines’ immediate agenda – even as the Qantas+Emirates partnership will soon require the ACCC’s approval to continue for a further five years.
Speaking with Australian Business Traveller following last week's announcement of changes to the Qantas-Emirates alliance, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said that “for us, the filing to the ACCC is based on what we’ve been doing, the competitive nature of what we’ve actually delivered, and the benefits we’ve delivered to customers.”
“We’ll continue to work with Emirates through the refiling, and beyond, to clarify and adjust the customer proposition,” added Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans, tipping that the introduction of reciprocal frequent flyer upgrades would require “demand from customers, and (making it) work for both airlines”.
Qantas is instead seeing high demand for outright points-based bookings on Emirates in business class and first class, with that demand surging by 50% over the past year: making Emirates Qantas Frequent Flyer’s most popular international airline partner for travellers using their points.
Emirates first class: an increasingly popular way to spend Qantas Points
As opposed to upgrade requests which may or may not be granted, outright reward bookings at the pointy end avoid the ‘international upgrade lottery’ system altogether, in favour of a guaranteed seat in business class or first class from the time of booking.
Unlike some airlines – Qantas included – where business class and first class reward bookings can be scarce on international flights, “there are no problems with availability in premium classes on Emirates for redeeming (Qantas) points,” Joyce highlights, and the number of points required to book an Emirates flight is the same as for Qantas flights of the same length.
“We’re pretty positive about it, and we’re using that evidence to the ACCC as part of our filing, because I think it shows our customers are getting huge benefits out of this that they wouldn’t have gotten without the Emirates alliance.”
Qantas Frequent Flyer members will be able to use Qantas Points for upgrades to premium economy and business class on Qantas’ upcoming Perth-London Boeing 787 flights, and to premium economy, business class and first class on the rejigged Airbus A380 Sydney-London route, which will detour via Singapore rather than Dubai from March 2018.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
The lack of upgrades on Emirates using QANTAS points is a big disappointment.
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 128
speaking to travel agents regularly, most say "everyone" is trying to upgrade using ff pts & no one is wanting to buy business class anymore. Obviously that's an exaggeration, BUT, many say they are sick of clients, expecting to be upgraded, just because they have a million frequent flyer points, earned mostly from credit cards not actually flying.
The number of Qantas frequent flyers who have a million ff pts(in a family) must be enormous. I have over 2 million & never ever would I pay to fly on poor old Qantas. (I wish they were Virgin ff pts)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Oct 2015
Total posts 43
Why would you bother flying Qantas when emirates is so superior?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2012
Total posts 319
So technically nothing has changed... status quo from the first 5 years...
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
There may also be clause in there (The QF EK agreement) stopping QF flying in competition with EK to mainland Europe ports from Perth (QF have gone very quite about this) which the ACCC may frown about and reduce upgrade opportunities to Europe unless with a BA connection.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
@patrickk If QF only flies from PER to LHR and doesn't expand it to other destinations then PER's status as an international mini-hub for QF will be short-lived one would think. Once QF can fly direct they'll have no reason to fly any 787 via PER anymore.
QF
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 210
Or fly the 787's to Europe at all.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
I'm not surprised at this news but I am disappointed, because for the entire five years of the QF/EK partnership Qantas has been promising this is something they're looking into, something they're working on. Looks like it was simply too hard for them all along.
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 113
it's like a divorce... in slow motion
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 4
Dissapointing to say the least.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
MyI it may be some time before QF flies direct from Syd and Melb and by then they would have moved to their new digs across the way at Perth. Interestingly when checking options for a trip next year Canberra to Madrid, QF offered QF codeshares on EK going, and Iberia to LHR then QF10 to Perth connecting back to Canberra (no buses anywhere) Note only flexible seats available. It may not be so 'short lived' after all.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
Hang on....if you were running EK Skywards program the last thing you would approve is upgrades for QFF members over your own EK members. Get real....EK couldn't care less about QF or it's FFs cause they'll get the business anyway.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
07 Sep 2012
Total posts 146
Damn right it's the last thing I'd want. With my wife and I currently hovering around 400K of EK points each, and usually able to get a points upgrade, the last thing I want is to have to compete with QFFs
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
17 Feb 2016
Total posts 44
I'm more concerned that on bookings other than the Syd-DXB-LHR I can't earn status credits.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2424
You can earn Qantas status credits on many Emirates flights - you just need to book through Qantas on QF flight numbers. :)
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
I doubt QF codeshares on EK's flights from HKG-DXB.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
Chris the fares on Emirates are usually much more competitive than QF. Also QF doesn't codeshare on all of EK's destinations. When you weight it up EK does QF no favours.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
17 Feb 2016
Total posts 44
Hi Chris CH, I did try that originally (out of habit using the QF site) but it would only offer Dubbo as a destination out of HKG and not Dubai..tell me I didn't muck that up !!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2014
Total posts 19
Qantas know that the Emirates planes and service are so much better and want to stop the points leak. Disappointing
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 128
could never understand why anyone would want to fly an arab airline via Dubai to anywhere. Via Sin is a much better option.
Actually I almost always fly SQ via SIN to Europe.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 May 2015
Total posts 30
From Singapore onward destinations are limited with QF. Try flying SYD-DUS or SYD-DUB via Singapore on a QF flight. Dubai has so many options to 2nd tier cities throughout Europe and UK. Arab airlines? Etihad, Qatar and Emirates run rings around poor old QF for service and amenities. I was very disappointed flying QF from DXB back to SYD after flying Emirates to DXB. Same aircraft a380 but QF standards are so much lower.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 May 2015
Total posts 30
Never been able to use my QFF points flying to Europe on Emirates, and QF flights are always full. I have nearly 1/2 mill. points I can't use effectively except for bunny hops.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
07 Sep 2012
Total posts 146
Genuinely surprised to read that OzDino, unless you always book your flights many weeks or months in advance. Next time, especially if it's in a non-holiday season, wait until 14 days before your departure. You might get a pleasant surprise.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 May 2015
Total posts 30
Thanks for the tip evilbrian. Bunny hops I can book a couple of weeks ahead but European trips I need to book months in advance. Sometimes yes I do find an award booking but trying to match it with a return flight is always a challenge.
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 128
1/2million pts is nothing. Must be hundreds of thousands of people with way more than that. Just because number has 5 zeros doesn't mean much.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 May 2015
Total posts 30
It's not the number of points...its the fact they're difficult to redeem. I also have significant Velocity points, and they're much easier to dispose of. The old Ansett Star Alliance partnership was great for redeeming flights, still lamenting the fact I lost 750k points when Air NZ dumped them. Never flown Air NZ since.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jul 2013
Total posts 18
I booked flights from HK to BKK on emirates and got QFF points. On the return journey I asked to pay for an upgrade in biz and then to my surprise got two complementary upgrades.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Sep 2017
Total posts 4
I understand that I can use Qantas points to 'buy' an Emirates flight in any class (subject to availability) but I can't use QF points to upgrade a purchased ticket.
What about codeshare flights? I plan to fly SYD-DXB-Barcelona next year. I can book Emirates flights on the QF website with QF flight numbers. If I purchase tix on these flights, can I use QF points to upgrade?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2424
Pete: No. As per the article, you can only upgrade when flying with Qantas, not Emirates.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Sep 2017
Total posts 4
Thought so, but worth an ask. Bit frustrating not to be able to use Q points to upgrade a flight with a QF number bought from Qantas on their website. Not much point buying codeshare flights, I guess - may as well go direct to Emirates website.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Oct 2015
Total posts 43
I just flew emirates first to London in the last day or so.
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