Qantas to reveal frequent flyer points earn for partner airlines next month
By David Flynn, August 15 2014
Qantas expects to reveal the new rates at which members of its frequent flyer scheme will earn Qantas Points when booked on partner airlines such as Emirates, British Airways and Cathay Pacific towards the end of September.
The revised points-earning formula follows a radical and controversial revamp of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, which as of July 1st has seen travellers earning Qantas Points based on the type and cost of their ticket rather than the outright distance of the flight.
Read: How the Qantas Frequent Flyer changes will affect you
Partner airline rates for Qantas Points will follow the same matrix when they are revealed “in about a month away, potentially a little bit more than that,” Qantas Loyalty’s Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Tully told Australian Business Traveller at the launch of the new QantasPoints.com website.
Passengers will likely earn more points for flying with partner airlines in business class and even more expensive economy tickets than the cheapest sale fares, with flights also falling into a number of geographical zones – such as Australia’s East Coast to Asia – rather than the overall distance flown.
“We’re looking at the same zonal structure, which is why it’s taken a while” Tully said.
Qantas has already slashed the number of status credits earned when flying on partner airlines, making it harder to get that prized gold or platinum Qantas card unless you fly with Qantas.
Read: Qantas slashes status credits for Oneworld partners
More points at the pointy end?
However, Qantas suggests the allocation of its frequent flyer points for passengers flying with Emirates and Oneworld airlines will be more balanced and in line with the current scheme for its own flights.
“In a lot of cases members will actually see improvements” Tully promised.
?“A lot of partners were structuring points similar to what Qantas has moved towards, based on the value of the fare” Tully said, “so for some it’s not much change at all, just a structural change.”
Tully said the delay in rolling out the new partner earnings rates was due to integrated the routes of each partner into a zone-based table.
Complicating the process for Qantas is that the number of frequent flyer points earned on partner airlines varies widely and wildly according to which airline you fly and which cabin you’re sitting in.
For example, flying in economy on Alaska Airlines, Fiji Airways, Iberia and LAN/TAM currently rakes in one Qantas Point per mile, with a 25% bonus in business class.
But in British Airways economy class the ratio drops to 0.25 Qantas Points for every mile flown – the same amount as applies to far more expensive fares on Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.
“We’ve obviously had to work with all of our partner airlines on this, but it will make life easier when everything is on the same structure” Tully explained.
Mapping out your earn
To help travellers determine how many points and status credits they’ll earn on any given flight, Qantas will be enhancing its new online calculator with an “interactive route map”, Tully revealed to Australian Business Traveller.
“This will enable you to see points and status credits by routes. You tap on where you’re flying from and to, and it pops up with points and status credits based on the fare type.”
“We’ve got an amazing in-house IT team who created the calculator and they’re also doing the new interactive map.”
Tully says the points calculator and map should be the first stop for travellers.
“I always say to people, forget the tables and just go straight to the calculator because it is the simplest way to see your earning proposition.”
Frequent flyers reveal their own Fairer Flying strategy
In the meantime, many savvy travellers are revising their own booking arrangements and airline preferences in light of the July 1 changes.
Some are shifting to other airlines within the Oneworld family, such as British Airways and its Avios scheme, while others are looking to build status with Virgin Australia alongside Qantas.
Read what a number of informed Qantas Frequent Flyer members revealed to Australian Business Traveller about their post-July loyalty plans in Qantas Frequent Flyer shake-up: what's your plan come July 1
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Sep 2013
Total posts 462
Delaying the delay.Well done Qantas management What next the delay of the ineveratable!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2011
Total posts 359
Just a question, If I have a flight booked with EK metal on a QF codeshare will I get QF points and status or treated as partner airline?
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
If you have a QF code, you are treated as QF.
26 May 2012
Total posts 149
Does that also apply if you're on Jetstar? I presume it does but for example there is a QF coded JQ flight to Queenstown. Presumably you would get points + sc from booking on Qantas.com as opposed to other JQ flights booked on Qantas.com
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Can an airline be kicked out of OW?
How far can you push before you get kicked out?
I'm curious to know what the rules around this is. Does anyone know?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Jan 2013
Total posts 240
Good question. I am kind of curious too.
I mena they are all independent companies, competeing for the same consumer. However, if I were a OneWorld exec, I would be questioning Qantas:
If you don't want to code share with any of 'the family' and don't wanna offer shared frequent flyer benefits, then why do you want to be in the alliance?
My views of QF aside, it is a valid question.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Sep 2013
Total posts 462
One World Management Company,is a Delaware based corperation based in the USA.And the answer is yes a carrier can be kicked out/gently nugged.As to how far you can push..thats up to the vote of member carriers to acess.I am aware of a number complaints against member carriers and One World Management Company from the trivial/mundane thru to antitrust that are weaving ther way thru the US courts.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Suggest you go back and read this article
https://www.executivetraveller.com/oneworld-ceo-why-i-support-the-qantas-emirates-alliance
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
I don't believe that article specifically answers the two questions I asked.
I am not looking for a wishy washy diplomatic response.
moa999, I am happy to be proven wrong if you're able to substantiate.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Sep 2011
Total posts 180
TRB, there is no precedence of an airline getting kicked out of an alliance except where that airline has gone in to liquidation, Malev for example. Airlines have left due to mergers etc. 1W will be unlikely to throw out QF for this treatment but what is more likely is AJ trying to ease QF out of 1W and focus on Jetstar and Emirates. This has been his plan all along and it is ruining Qantas and I suspect I am not the only customer so angry about this treatment and the constant network cuts that more business will go to other airlines including VA domestically.
13 Dec 2011
Total posts 28
I read on Qantas.com that flights booked before July 1 will be subject to the old earning scheme. Is this correct?
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
No. Flights booked up until the day the changes were first announced, and any flights flown before July 1, are subject to the old earning.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
Qantas has still not answered questions and other comments that have been repeatedly asked since these changes were first announced.
Qantas doesn't need to cut earning rates on partners. They only need to increse the amount of QF metal flights required for status. They already have extra QF metal requirements for Plat 1.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Sep 2011
Total posts 180
Qantas doesn't need to change the T&C's at all. I have moved my business for international flights to BA primarily, joined their FF scheme which doesn't treat customers who fly on other 1w airlines as second class citizens. I will still earn points on Qantas domestic and currently credit them on to my QFF account, it will simply mean I drop form platinum to gold. But if my employer moves to VA domestically, I will gladly kick QF to the kerb, especially as they have also ditched Perth for international flights.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Sep 2012
Total posts 236
@woganfan, you might be happy to know that I've heard murmurings that BA may start flying from LHR to Perth as part of a new route to Bali or Jakarta. This would be a blow for QF as it would offer Perth QF FF added incentive to:
1. Fly direct to Europe (via Indonesia) without transiting DXB
2. Transfer to BA Executive Club, still earn on QF and not be penalised for using CX
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Sep 2011
Total posts 180
Alex_upgrade, I would be happy to know this. Can you substantiate this rumour with an article we should be reading? In my opinion, I would be surprised if BA came all the way to Perth. Whilst a good option in principle, I think that having cut one of their Sydney flights through Singapore and the fact they no longer fly through HKG or BKK to SYD, and no more in to Melbourne, I think serving Perth again is a flight of fancy, so to speak.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
I wonder what will happen if the QF-EK deal is revoked upon ACCC review of trans-Tasman routes in September 2015 or if it isn't renewed past March 2018.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Sep 2012
Total posts 236
AJ will be long gone by then... who takes over will need to clean up the mess. Alternatively EK will have bought a large chunk of QF and relegated her to flying only to the US and northern Asia plus domestic.
Qantas will have been rebranded to 'Emirates Australia, the flying camel' and those awful pink and blue uniforms will be abolished.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
What really annoys me about the program change is being penalised on routes where QF does not fly. I totally support halving status on routes QF operate on and you choose another OW airline, but there are significant routes QF has dropped or just plain doesn't fly. So penalise me for my loyalty when I choose BA on SIN-LHR or CX on HKG-SIN, when QF had no qualms about pulling off those routes. I get being loyal where QF flies but it's gotta work both ways. My choice will be if my journey has mixed QF/OW carrier....I'm moving to STAR where I get rewarded evenly, my case that is as much SQ as possible, or consider moving to AA or BA. If that means losing Platinum on QF ....then who cares!!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Sep 2011
Total posts 180
This is the problem. AJ has progressively cut QFi services and when there is no option, he then gets his head of QFF to penalise customers using 1W airlines when QF no longer provide a service. We can't be loyal even when we want to. There is basically now zero incentive to use QF at all, including domestic. So I am happy to move my international flights to other 1W airlines and my FF to BA. Unless this is a sign of changes to come across the 1W network.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 416
All the points raised are so valid and these were points i raised ages ago but was poo pooed. it is all so frustrating. loyalty means nothng anymore and nothing is going to go back. What is disappointing is that people who have stuck by the airline and have been with the FF program for 20, 25 years have been ignored. as a start we should have been looked after.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Jan 2013
Total posts 240
Just to play devils advocate for a second is Qantas not simply limiting the best rewards to passengers who fly with them beyond the cheapest possible fares and actually fly 'with them'?
Aren't the biggest losers in this those who either only fly on partner airlines or those who buy the cheapest tickets, (remind me of VA's Saver Lite. That is, the goodies like included bags, food and entertainment, only kick in if you buy the second cheapest fare class or more).
I get how much this sucks, but the second time I read it, I thought 'what loyalty in me are QF actually penalising!? I only fly partner airlines, get the bulk of my points through credit cards and when I do fly QF it's on the cheapest tickets'.
Just my extra 50 cents worth.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
People fly on partner airlines BECAUSE they CAN't fly on Qantas.
I've always flown on Qantas where possible. There are many routes where that simply isn't possible.
Tell me, how do I fly HKG-ORD on QF?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2014
Total posts 31
In your case of HKG-ORD, if you flew on CX, you would receive the same number of SCs in both the new and old systems.
In this case it makes some sense as it is on a non-competing market to QF. There are obviously other examples where this is not quite the case.
05 Jul 2012
Total posts 13
OK I'm confused. I'm flying with American Airlines for multiple flights in the USA later this month and in August. Which status credit calculations do I use?
This new one? https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/flying/partner-status-credits
Or the old one? https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/flying/airline-earning-30-jun-2014#status-credit-earning-table-for-travel-up-to-30-june-2014
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Generally the new one, but depends on when you booked
American Airlines - AAdvantage
20 Jun 2012
Total posts 25
I am trying to use up my QFF points without substantial payment for taxes and surcharges (QFF seems the highest of all airline loyalty schemes). I no longer use cards affiliated to QFF - my US Airways platinum status got me Gold status match on South African and Etihad (for which I am grateful) and gives me OW equivalence. All miles accrued on OW airlines go to US Airways (Dividend Miles will merge with Aadvantage next year). Using miles for flights on OW is really easy - oddly enough the Qantas booking engine is really good to identify availability, then call / book online with either US Airways or American.
The root cause of Qantas difficulties has not and seems will not be addressed. I believe it is the only airline in which full time employees (pilots) can have the luxury of "bidding" for routes AND get their full time pay.
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