In some very happy news for travellers, Qantas is slashing the number of frequent flyer points you’ll need to book flights, hotels and holidays, the airline announced today.
As of today, you’ll now need 30% fewer points to book. And, if you’re using Points Plus Pay and booking between April 2022 and April 2023, you’ll need 20% fewer points.
“If you look at domestic trends, people are looking for weekends away up the coast or something similar and that might not include a flight — this provides the chance for our customers to use points on those trips,” Qantas Frequent Flyer CEO Olivia Wirth told Australian Financial Review. She added that the company predicts there will soon be a boom in leisure travel.
Wirth also said the discounted points prices would no doubt increase activity for hotels, which have heavily suffered during the pandemic. She predicts travel to be customers’ top redemption for their points, which can also be used on products.
Wirth told AFR the decision to make the Points Plus Pay discount temporary and not permanent was due to the existing availability of reward seats and previous overhauls of the loyalty program to make sure there were reward seats available.
Late last year, Qantas Loyalty announced a new Green tier status. Joining existing tiers Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One, it was designed to educate, encourage and reward the airline’s frequent flyers who make sustainable choices at home and when they travel.
Members will need to complete at least five sustainable activities across six areas — flying, travel, lifestyle, sustainable purchases, reducing impact and giving back — each year to achieve Green tier status. Once achieved, they’ll be rewarded with benefits like bonus Qantas points or status credits, which will be in addition to the rewards they’ll get under their existing flying status or as part of Points Club.