Qantas has announced the first of a series of flights that will only be available to Qantas Frequent Flyers making point bookings. That’s right, Qantas will be operating a Points Plane, where everyone on board will be a frequent flyer. And to be on the flight, you will need to redeem points.
For the first flight in the new series, Qantas is offering members the opportunity to be aboard an A380 service from Melbourne to Tokyo on 21 October 2019.
How to book the Points Plane?
Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to book seats from 7 am (AEST) 16 May 2019.
Members will be able to book any seat on board (14 First, 64 Business, 35 Premium Economy and 371 Economy seats) at the standard Qantas Points redemption rate for the route. Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum members will all have equal opportunity to secure a booking on dedicated Points Plane flights.
Across the aircraft, redemption seats will be available as follows:
- Economy is 35,000 points plus A$182,
- Premium economy is 54,000 points plus A$257,
- Business 72,000 points plus A$272 and
- First is 108,000 points plus A$272.
Then, of course, there is the issue of getting back. In this case, the return Points Plane trip will be on a smaller A330, and this will fly from Tokyo to Melbourne on October 26. Qantas aren’t forcing you to come back on that flight – you will be able to book alternative award seats on either Qantas or another partner.
Qantas says the inaugural Points Plane will have some special features. Among these, Qantas are promising a distinctive inflight service with special on-board experiences. These include bespoke cocktail and meal service, signature pyjamas and inflight giveaways.
Qantas occasionally moves unscheduled aircraft around the network for a range of operational and commercial reasons – creating opportunities for initiatives like Points Planes. In this case, the A380 is being used for a charter operation, and would have been flying to Tokyo empty.
For further information, or to book (when bookings are available), head over to the dedicated page on the Qantas website.
