Qantas is developing a new "flight reward product" aimed at increasing the availability of points-based seats for travelers, particularly closer to the departure date, addressing a common complaint among customers.
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QantasQantas is developing a new “flight reward product” aimed at increasing the availability of points-based seats for travelers, particularly closer to the departure date, addressing a common complaint among customers. This initiative was discussed during a briefing following the airline’s financial results for July-December 2023, where it reported a pre-tax profit of $1.25 billion. Qantas intends to finalize improvements to its Frequent Flyer program, representing a significant investment for members, with plans to announce them by April.
To reassure frequent flyers, Qantas has stated that there will be no changes to the Classic Flight Rewards system, which offers seats for the lowest number of Qantas Points. The airline has ruled out increasing the points required for a Classic Flight Reward seat or reducing the availability of these seats.
Outgoing Qantas Loyalty CEO, Olivia Wirth, described the upcoming initiative as a new “flight reward product” complementing the existing Classic Rewards package. This new product aims to address customers’ frustrations of not being able to find desired seats despite having sufficient points for their preferred routes and travel times.
Wirth mentioned during an investor briefing that the airline has been actively working on solving this issue over the past year, and an announcement regarding the new flight rewards product will be made in the coming weeks.
Additionally, Qantas is exploring the possibility of introducing a subscription model for airport lounge access. This model would offer infrequent flyers the option of paying low monthly fees for access to domestic Qantas Club and international Qantas Business lounges, as opposed to the current annual payment system.
