Montague S
20th April 2008, 11:50 AM
what's the catch? easier to spend your miles but I'd bet that the miles needed for the reward will also escalate. don't you just love the fact that you need to spend around $15000 on flights for a free $2000 flight at 200,000 miles.
# Qantas revamps frequent flyer program
# Loyalty points can be used like cash
# Frequents flyers able to book any seat
QANTAS frequent flyers will be able to use their points in the same way as cash to get any seat on any flight from July 1 as part of a revamp of the airline's loyalty program.
The airline will also make it easier for its five million frequent flyers to earn points from an expanding range of frequent flyer partners and to burn them on new items such as merchandise and retail vouchers.
The most drastic change will be the addition of a second tier to the loyalty program, to be known as Anyseat, which opens up all seats on Qantas and Jetstar flights.
The new tier aims to remove a bottleneck preventing many frequent flyers booking tickets when they want to fly. But they will pay more for the option and they will not know how much more until they try to book.
Redemptions under the new system will start at about the same points level they are now and rise according to the availability of seats, demand and the time they are flying.
This means travellers will burn more points if they book closer to a flight and fewer if they buy their tickets ahead of time or during quiet periods.
A website similar to the Qantas booking engine used by people buying tickets will display how many points a particular seat will cost and give other options on and around that date.
Those wanting to remain with the existing system will do so on a separate "Classic" website.
Qantas Loyalty executive general manager Simon Hickey said yesterday: "Everything that's there today - all of the value that's there today, all of those seats, all of that capacity, everything that's in that program today - none of that changes.
"What we're doing is adding a lot more choice. So if you want to fly at 7am, Monday morning, Melbourne to Sydney, you can get it now."
The revamp comes as Qantas separates its frequent flyer operations into a new segment before a partial float expected this year. The airline is believed to be considering an initial public offering this year that would put 40per cent of the program on the market.
Other changes will include the ability to pay for taxes and charges using frequent flyer points as well as more easily use a mix of cash and points to pay for flights.
The airline estimates a return flight from Sydney to London costing 128,000 points in the Classic system will cost about 200,000 points when roughly $700 in taxes and charges are factored in.
The airline plans to make it easier for members to earn points by expanding the number of businesses it counts as frequent flyer partners.
It will introduce new ways of redeeming them for rewards such as holiday packages and retail vouchers for businesses such as supermarkets and department stores. Mr Hickey was optimistic frequent flyers would welcome the changes but admitted that frequent flyer points were an emotive issue.
"I'm adding choice. I'm adding utility value and the ability to use your points in a much greater way," he said
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23564301-949,00.html
# Qantas revamps frequent flyer program
# Loyalty points can be used like cash
# Frequents flyers able to book any seat
QANTAS frequent flyers will be able to use their points in the same way as cash to get any seat on any flight from July 1 as part of a revamp of the airline's loyalty program.
The airline will also make it easier for its five million frequent flyers to earn points from an expanding range of frequent flyer partners and to burn them on new items such as merchandise and retail vouchers.
The most drastic change will be the addition of a second tier to the loyalty program, to be known as Anyseat, which opens up all seats on Qantas and Jetstar flights.
The new tier aims to remove a bottleneck preventing many frequent flyers booking tickets when they want to fly. But they will pay more for the option and they will not know how much more until they try to book.
Redemptions under the new system will start at about the same points level they are now and rise according to the availability of seats, demand and the time they are flying.
This means travellers will burn more points if they book closer to a flight and fewer if they buy their tickets ahead of time or during quiet periods.
A website similar to the Qantas booking engine used by people buying tickets will display how many points a particular seat will cost and give other options on and around that date.
Those wanting to remain with the existing system will do so on a separate "Classic" website.
Qantas Loyalty executive general manager Simon Hickey said yesterday: "Everything that's there today - all of the value that's there today, all of those seats, all of that capacity, everything that's in that program today - none of that changes.
"What we're doing is adding a lot more choice. So if you want to fly at 7am, Monday morning, Melbourne to Sydney, you can get it now."
The revamp comes as Qantas separates its frequent flyer operations into a new segment before a partial float expected this year. The airline is believed to be considering an initial public offering this year that would put 40per cent of the program on the market.
Other changes will include the ability to pay for taxes and charges using frequent flyer points as well as more easily use a mix of cash and points to pay for flights.
The airline estimates a return flight from Sydney to London costing 128,000 points in the Classic system will cost about 200,000 points when roughly $700 in taxes and charges are factored in.
The airline plans to make it easier for members to earn points by expanding the number of businesses it counts as frequent flyer partners.
It will introduce new ways of redeeming them for rewards such as holiday packages and retail vouchers for businesses such as supermarkets and department stores. Mr Hickey was optimistic frequent flyers would welcome the changes but admitted that frequent flyer points were an emotive issue.
"I'm adding choice. I'm adding utility value and the ability to use your points in a much greater way," he said
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23564301-949,00.html