Qantas is set to introduce its largest increase in reward seat availability starting in July. This increase will come in the form of the Classic Plus category of reward seats. This new category will result in 20 million additional seats being made available for Qantas Points redemption over a rolling 12-month period. This is a significant boost compared to the current 5 million Classic reward seats that Qantas offers annually.
It is important to note that the new Classic Plus seats will be exclusively available to Qantas Frequent Flyer members. This means that only members of this loyalty program will have access to these additional seats. However, Classic seats will still be bookable with points from other Oneworld alliance airlines, such as American and Alaska.
With the addition of 20 million reward seats, Qantas aims to make the majority of its international and domestic seat offerings available for booking with points. This is a significant improvement for frequent flyers who rely on points for their travel needs. The airline has stated that a vast number of its flights will now be open for redemption using points.
While the new Classic Plus seats offer increased availability, they will typically come with higher redemption costs compared to Classic seats. The prices for Classic Plus seats will vary depending on demand, meaning that travelers may need to spend more points during peak travel times. On the other hand, Classic seats will have fixed reward prices, similar to the traditional reward charts used by U.S. airlines.
Qantas has announced that Classic Plus seats will be available starting July 1 for international flights departing from Australia. This means that travelers will soon have the opportunity to book these new reward seats and enjoy increased flexibility when redeeming their Qantas Points.