Navigating the world of airline rewards can be a bit daunting, especially when faced with terms like “Qantas Classic Rewards” and “Points Plus Pay”. Today we’re breaking down the difference between booking a flight on Qantas’s Classic Rewards rate versus using points for regular fares. Understanding this difference will allow you to unlock heavily discounted flights using points!
Qantas Classic Rewards Flights
This fare type is the golden ticket for Qantas Frequent Flyer members! Classic Reward Flights let you book flights using your Qantas Points for a fraction of what they normally cost. Just think of ‘Classic Reward Flights’ as heavily discounted sale fares but instead of paying cash you pay with points.
Pros:
- Heavily discounted sales fares
- Cancellable for a small fee (usually 6K points)
Cons:
- Limited seats available meaning often very hard to find on popular routes
- Because they are so limited, flights may not align with your desired travel dates
- Don’t earn too many status credits or points from these flights
Booking Regular Fares with Points
Often referred to as “Points Plus Pay,” this method determines the number of points you’ll need based on the current cash price of the ticket. These flights are just normal flights converted into a points amount. They offer no real discount and are often more expensive than paying with cash.
Pros:
- Availability is almost always available
- Earn a lot of status credits/points on these fares
Cons:
- Generally requires a larger number of points than Classic Rewards (often by a magnitude of 3-10x)
- Very poor redemption value when booking with points
Examples: Classic Rewards Fare VS Regular Fare
1. Sydney to Los Angeles – Business Class
- Classic Reward: 108,400 Points + $339.
- Regular Fare: 1,700,000 Points.
2. Sydney to London – Economy Class
- Classic Reward: 55,200 points + $243.
- Regular Fare: 231,000 points.
3. Sydney to Fiji – Economy Class
- Classic Reward: 18,000 Points + $100.
- Regular Fare: 60,000 Points.
The Catch with Classic Rewards
While Classic Rewards seem like the obvious choice, here’s the catch: Qantas releases only a limited number of these highly discounted fare types. This means that while these golden tickets do exist, getting your hands on them isn’t always straightforward. However, for those who have mastered the art of frequent flyer points, these rewards offer incredible value. The game might be challenging, but with a bit of know-how and persistence, scoring these amazing discounts is definitely within reach.
If you want tips on finding classic reward flights check out all the articles in our everything qantas points section here
Get started with our 10 quick tips to finding business class classic reward seats blog post here
For more details on Classic Reward Seats check out the Qantas site here
