Qantas is continuing is downward revisions of Frequent Flyer points earning of its partner airlines. The latest round of cuts to appear in the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms and conditions affects the earnings on Air North, Air Niugini and Fiji Airways. This latest set of revisions comes on top of adjustments to LAN and TAM rates announced earlier in the year.
As was the case with LAN and TAM, the revisions mainly change economy class earnings from a rate of 1 point per mile flown, to a sliding scale. The cheapest fares will end up with an earn of just 0.25 points per mile, mid-level fares will go to 0.5 points per mile, where the most expensive flexible fares will retain there earnings at 1 point per dollar.
Air North
The Air North changes are shown in the following tables, derived from the Qantas Earnings table. As can be seen, from the beginning of September, the earnings will be split from the current flat earning rate. The most expensive tickets remaining at 1 point per mile, and the more discounted tickets earning either 0.5 or 0.25 points per mile flown.
| Partner Airline | Eligible Booking Class | Cabin Class | Base Rate~ | Cabin Class Bonus | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airnorth (TL)(for travel until 31 August 2015) | BHLMNOQSVWY | Economy | 1 | – | ||||||
| Airnorth (TL)(for travel on and from 1 September 2015) | FGOPW | Discount Economy | 0.25 | – | ||||||
| LMNVQS | Economy | 0.50 | – | |||||||
| BHY | Flexible Economy | 1 | – | |||||||
Air Niugini
The changes on Air Niugini are along the same lines, although they add the complication of changes varying by route. In particular, flights between the Australia mainland and Port Moresby have more significant cuts than other flights.,
| Partner Airline | Eligible Booking Class | Cabin Class | Base Rate~ | Cabin Class Bonus | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Niugini (PX)(for travel until 31 August 2015) | BHKLMNQTVWY | Economy | 1 | – | ||||||
| JC | Business | 1 | 25% | |||||||
| Excluded: Qantas Points are not earned on domestic or Codeshare Flights operated by an airline other than Qantas. | ||||||||||
| Air Niugini (PX)(for travel on and from 1 September 2015) | KUVW (selected routes only)* | Discount Economy | 0.25 | – | ||||||
| UW (selected routes only)# | Discount Economy | 0.25 | – | |||||||
| HLNQT (selected routes only)* | Economy | 0.50 | – | |||||||
| BMY (selected routes only)* | Flexible Economy | 1 | – | |||||||
| BHKLMNQTY (selected routes only)# | Flexible Economy | 1 | – | |||||||
| CJ | Business | 1 | 25% | |||||||
| * Earn rates only apply where travel is between the following destination pairs: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Coolangatta and Port Moresby.
# Earn rates only apply where travel is not between the following destination pairs: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Coolangatta and Port Moresby.Excluded: Qantas Points are not earned on Codeshare Flights operated by an airline other than Qantas. |
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Fiji Airways
The earn rates on discounted Fiji Airways tickets are also being cut to a system where the lowest economy fares will be earning just 0.25 points per mile flown.
| Partner Airline | Eligible Booking Class | Cabin Class | Base Rate~ | Cabin Class Bonus | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji Airways (FJ)(for travel until 31 August 2015) | BGHKLMNOQSTVWY (International) | Economy | 1 | – | ||||||
| LHQY (Specified domestic routes only)# | Economy | 1 | – | |||||||
| CDIJZ | Business | 1 | 25% | |||||||
| Status Credits are earned on all eligible booking classes. Excluded: Points are not earned on Codeshare Flights operated by an airline other than Qantas. # Qantas Points can only be earned on domestic flights marketed Fiji Airways (FJ) and operated by Fiji Link (previously known as Pacific Sun) between Nadi & Suva, Nadi & Labasa and Suva & Labasa. |
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| Fiji Airways (FJ)(for travel on and from 1 September 2015) | GNTV (International) | Discount Economy | 0.25 | – | ||||||
| KLMOQSW (International) | Economy | 0.50 | – | |||||||
| HLQY (Specified domestic routes only)# | Economy | 1 | – | |||||||
| BHY (International) | Flexible Economy | 1 | – | |||||||
| CDIJZ (International) | Business | 1 | 25% | |||||||
| Status Credits are earned on all eligible booking classes. Excluded: Points are not earned on Codeshare Flights operated by an airline other than Qantas. # Qantas Points are only earned on domestic flights between Nadi and Suva, Suva and Labasa and Nadi and Labasa, operated and marketed by Pacific Sun. |
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Discussion
The changes outlined above continue the trend of Qantas moving point earning rates more into line with the cost of the tickets, This began when Qantas resturctured their own earnings rates, and partner SC rates.
At that time, partner points earn was left alone, however, there were many comments that these were to change. It seems that these changes are being trickled out, and the three airlines here are just the latest.
Moving from an earnings rate of 1 point per mile, to an earning rate of 0.25 points per mile is quite a significant reduction for people that take the deeper discount economy fares.