Qantas Classic Plus Rewards: a change for better or worse?

Trumpeted by Qantas as “one of the biggest-ever expansions” to its frequent flyer program, Classic Plus Rewards is a new way to cash in your Qantas Points without first needing to track down a relatively scarce Classic Reward seat.

Now, almost three months after its debut and with first flights booked using Classic Plus lifting off from this week, it begs the question: ‘Is Classic Plus a change for the better or worse?’

For points-rich travellers willing to hand over a large number of points to secure a seat, and those rare instances when a sale puts the dynamically-priced Classic Plus fare below the fixed price of a Classic Reward, it certainly provides more opportunities to turn those points into a reward seat. 

However, not everyone is convinced. Since Classic Plus came online in April, many frequent flyers claim to have observed a sharp decrease in the number of Classic Rewards up for grabs, particularly in business class.

This is at odds with Qantas loyalty boss Andrew Glance promising there would be no reductions to the number of Classic reward seats – a tally estimated at five million per year across all travel classes on Qantas domestic and international flights. 

More than 80,000 passengers have purchased Classic Plus rewards so far.

In response to an enquiry from Executive Traveller, Qantas maintains there have been no changes to the availability of international Classic reward seats since Classic Plus launched.

Despite this assertion, a search from Sydney to Singapore shows no Classic Rewards on any Qantas flights for the entire month of February. The only Classic Reward options are via partners such as Emirates and Malaysia Airlines. 

In place of the 68,400 Qantas Points (plus tax) needed for a business class Classic Reward seat on that route, all that shows are higher-priced Classic Plus Reward seats from 117,700 to 274,300 Qantas Points (plus taxes)

It’s a similar story from Melbourne to Los Angeles, where the only business class rewards throughout February are Classic Plus – starting from 485,600 Qantas Points, versus just 108,400 on Classic Rewards. 

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What are Qantas Classic Plus Rewards?

Sitting alongside Classic Rewards, Classic Plus Rewards are a new way to exchange Qantas Points for a reward seat, but with the number of points needed tied to the commercial airfare, rather than a fixed rate.

The price of a Classic Plus fluctuates based on factors such as time of year and availability – some days it may be cheaper, others more expensive. 

Domestic flights will lift off later this year.

Classic Plus Rewards are made available 353 days in advance, at the same time as Qantas releases Classic reward seats. That’ll be your first and best chance to snap these up, making Classic Plus seats a useful Plan B once Classic reward seats are gone.

For now, Classic Plus Rewards are only available on Qantas international flights departing Australia, with flights originating from the rest of the world to follow in the coming months, ahead of Australian domestic flights later this year.

In this sale fare, Classic Plus economy is lower than the 18,000 of a Classic Reward seat.

The airline reveals 10.7 billion points have been redeemed on Classic Plus Rewards since April, with Tokyo, London, Singapore, Queenstown and Bali among the most popular destinations booked. 

On the table are seats across almost all cabins on most aircraft – Qantas-operated only, no codeshare or partner flights – with Classic Plus fares also upgradable, even to first class. 

Fare conditions are also more flexible, meaning you could book a business class reward flight on one leg and premium economy on the other, which is not possible on Classic Rewards.

Qantas says only Points Club members will earn status credits on Classic Plus flights, as they do now on Classic Rewards.

Dynamic pricing 

Like Points Plus Pay, which converts the cash price into a points value, Classic Plus is dynamically priced, meaning cheaper flights in off-peak times and more expensive during high travel periods.

However, where it deviates from the path is the rate – the points price is tied to the cash value of the airfare on a rate of roughly 1 Qantas Point per 1c for economy flights and 1 Qantas Point per 1.5c for premium economy, business class and first class.

This generally makes them more expensive than fixed-rate Classic Rewards, but require less than half as many points as a Points Plus Pay fare combo.

If you nab a sale fare though, you may end up paying less than a Classic Reward, as seen in this example between Sydney and Auckland:

How much are Classic Plus rewards?

The points required for a Classic Plus Flight Reward varies in line with normal commercial airfares – a simple case of supply and demand. 

Fees and taxes for economy and premium economy remain on par with Classic Rewards, but will come in higher for business and first class under Classic Plus, with the airline explaining this is to offset the number of points required. 

By way of example, a return business class fare from Sydney to London booked as a Classic Reward seat costs 289,200 points plus $1346 in tax. 

In an off-peak time, that same trip as a Classic Plus could set you back 656,000 Points and $1064 in tax, or 711,800 plus $1799 in tax during a peak school holiday period. 

 While Australian domestic Classic Plus seats are yet to roll out, Qantas says indicative pricing would be: 

• 10,800 points for Sydney to Melbourne
• 12,200 for Adelaide to Sydney 
• 30,200 for Perth to Melbourne

Qantas Loyalty boss Andrew Glance says Classic Plus gives frequent flyers “more options to fly where they want, when they want and more often, using their points.”

Classic Plus vs Points Plus Pay

Points Plus Pay is a way of converting Qantas Points to a cash value at the payment stage of the booking process. This allows you to pay for some or all of your fare using a sliding scale (though generally at an unfavourable rate of 0.6 cents per Qantas Point). 

Classic Plus works in a similar way, in that the cash price of a commercial fare is converted to dollar value, though the rate is much better – around 1c per Qantas Point for economy and premium economy, or 1.5c for business and first class.

In a way, it’s a retooling of the Points Plus Pay system. Classic Plus is also visible in the search stage of the process, allowing you to easily see the difference between the cash value and booking as a reward seat.