Qantas is offering valuable status credits when flying on 'classic award' bookings in economy, premium economy and business class through to March next year, but only to selected travellers.
The number of status credits up for grabs also doesn’t align with what you’d usually earn. On domestic hops, travel in economy earns at the ‘discount economy’ rate, while business class flights credit as ‘flexible economy’ rather than ‘business’.
International flights, on the other hand, all earn at the same ‘economy’ rate – whether actually flying in economy, premium economy or business class.
In practical terms, travellers jetting between Sydney and Melbourne on a classic award could earn 10 status credits sitting in economy, or 20 status credits at the pointy end.
London-bound flyers would earn 95 status credits in each direction regardless of their seat number – unless booked on a classic award in first class. As first class award seats aren’t included in the deal, these passengers would earn the usual 0 status credits.
The fine print
To be in with a shot, you’ll need to have redeemed your points between September 26 and October 20 2014 for domestic travel between October 1 2014 and January 31 2015 – or if you’re heading overseas, international flights taken in November 2014 plus February and March in 2015 also qualify.
You’ll also need to click the custom registration link you’ve received from Qantas if you’ve been chosen – but even if you haven’t been, you may be able to mooch off a family member when travelling together.
While Qantas Points can only be redeemed by members for their own travel or that of their family, when one eligible and registered Qantas Frequent Flyer number is attached to a classic award booking made under this promotion, the system will award status credits to all travellers on that same booking.
(If you don’t have enough points in a single frequent flyer account to book your seats all on the same ticket, combine your collective points into one balance by transferring them for free and then redeem them in one transaction.)
There’s no limit to the number of classic award bookings you can make during the promotion, although you’ll need to be travelling on a QF flight number.
As award bookings made with Qantas’ partners can only be reserved on that airline’s own flight number – such as EK for Emirates and FJ for Fiji Airways – you won’t earn status credits unless you’re actually flying with Qantas.
Frequent flyers have been unable to earn status credits on award flights since the axing of ‘marginal’ Any Seat Awards in July this year.
These now-extinct tickets allowed Qantas Frequent Flyer members to fork out the same number of points for a flight as a regular classic award but with a slightly higher co-pay, and served up both points and status credits when completing the travel.
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
So status credit earn is:
How very disappointing...there is very little cost benefit using points for economy classic awards gvien the enormous fuel surcharges and little beenfit in dscount economy status earn...for a moment I though there might be a reason to delay switch over to AAdvantage, but no! Roll on January to maximise the AA platinum challenge...
...QF really hasn't got a clue...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Dec 2012
Total posts 40
Disappointing but not IMO surprising. Will be good news to those people who used ASA's in economy ( if indeed there are any such QFF members) as the taxes and fees will now be massively reduced.
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
But you are still paying for the taxes and fuel surcharges on the classic award...on the ASA they are "hidden" in huge amounts of extra points unless you choose the minimum points option (and assuming you use the ASA for a marginal award anyway).
01 Feb 2012
Total posts 371
take it easy guys, its a decent promotion. its better than nothing. maybe in the future they might expand this to business redemptions too - it'd be interesting even at full economy earn rates.
in years past i was within 10SC to renew platinum, and i got a ASA ticket. now i could get a classic ticket instead and save points. not bad.
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
You'd be using the same number of points if you'd used the ASA to get the marginal award anyway (unless you wanted to blow points paying for the fuel surcharge).
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 1
So a premium/business/first class classic award earns nothing?
Not very attractive at all... some consistency is needed here.
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
>The Melbourne-London trek comes in at 64,000 points and around $330 in taxes, but using points to pay for the entire trip will total 99,100 points.
Or use 90,000 United miles and do the same thing in First.
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
.....on a Star Aliance redemption award....
...Or use 80,000 AA miles and do the same thing in first on QF whilst bypassing fuel surcharges...those AA miles could have been earned on the QF flights taken, etc...
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
With ASA you can already earn Status Credita. This change opens it up to Classic Award bookings as well, although currently only for Economy bookings. Is this correct?
If so then this is quiet revolutionary and in the right step! Qantas is listening!!!!
Let's see if they will extend this to PE, Business and First classic redemption bookings!
To date there is no other OW carrier that offers status acruability for X inventory bookings. Good job Qantas.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2199
Agreed, hope SC accrual opens up for more Classic Awards than just Economy - should keep it a viable OW option versus AA.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Nov 2011
Total posts 243
taxes and surcharges are way too high here... ridiculous....
09 Nov 2011
Total posts 88
Most of the Business / First Classic award seats are on Cathay Pacific or Emirates - don't think you will get QF Status credits for those. Economy?? I never bother wasting points on those as the QF taxes kill the deal - might as well pay for the tickets!! Virgin has won with their Velocity for me - Platinum now and didn't have to fly to the moon twice as you would with Qantas to get it. Maybe Qantas may be brave enough to offer like for like status for Velocity members - NOO that is asking too much isn't it? And then it would be in the same tradition as this offer - Velocity Golds would get Silver and Platinums would get Gold or something equally as stupid. Not to mention that the Qantas Clubs are all far too crowded now anyway - why would they want new members?? I find the entire experience of customer loyalty baffling. As a Gold or Platinum, one arrives at the airport and has priority check in , priority baggage, lounges with free pour drinks and food, priority boarding - but then if you are in economy - once on the aircraft you pay for drinks and get rubbish food - unless you get the vinegar wine or warm beer offerings from City Flyer flights.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Oct 2014
Total posts 1
The Qantas Status Credits & FF Program are useless to folk living in WA....with not one Qantas international flight out of Perth there are far more attractive partners to use.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jun 2013
Total posts 366
Well done Qantas,let's hope it succeeds for them and they bring it in on all classes permanently. hope some off their executives are ABT users and take note!!!
21 Oct 2014
Total posts 1
It's funny - i've come to realise that in life.... the more you give people, the more they want. There's just no pleasing some peopel!
Why is it professionals want every business in the world to RUN THEIR WAY! Take the offer, don't take the offer. Stop complaining
Oh and feel free to reply with more negativity - it will fall on deaf ears as I wont be wasting my time reading
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