Ultimate Guide To Qantas Classic Plus Rewards

Qantas Frequent Flyer has introduced Classic Plus Flight Rewards, a new way to book flights using Qantas Points. The airline claims its new flight reward product is the bees knees, and that Classic Plus will bring in more than 20 million additional reward seats in 2024 alone.

Classic Plus Rewards occupy the middle ground between Qantas’ best-value Classic Flight Rewards, and most flexible Points Plus Pay. While easier to book with greater availability, the trade-off is that Classic Plus is considerably more expensive than standard reward tickets, at lest in most cases. It’s a dynamic reward product, with the cost in points calculated based on the cash airfare at a fixed rate. This means the cost will be higher during peak travel periods, but can also drop for advance bookings and during sales.

This beginner’s guide covers Qantas Classic Plus Rewards in detail.

What Are Qantas Classic Plus Rewards?

Classic Plus seats are now live on Qantas.com for travel from 1st July 2024 onwards. The new flight reward product is dynamically priced, so the number of points required will vary based on Qantas’ lowest cash fare when you search for flights. That means you could score a better deal when making a return booking, especially on international routes, where Qantas fares are sometimes lower if booked as a return.

On the topic of return bookings, it’s worth mentioning that Classic Plus is only available from an Australian point of sale. So while you can book Melbourne to L0ndon as a one-way or return Clasic Plus ticket, you can’t book that journey beginning in London.

Classic Plus is designed mainly to resolve availability concerns, following complaints by Qantas Frequent Flyers unable to find flights they can actually book using points. But with more seats comes a higher cost, so Classic Plus tickets are, for the most part, more expensive than booking a Classic Reward. It is cheaper than Points Plus Pay through, which is the most flexible option and available on every single flight right down to the last seat.

The same Classic Flight Reward fare rules will apply to Classic Plus, in addition to identical taxes and fees charged on those redemptions. The only difference between a Classic Flight Award and Classic Plus is the availability and price. So while Classic Plus is easier to book, but you’ll need more points.

Classic Reward vs Classic Plus vs Points Plus Pay

How Much Does Qantas Classic Plus Cost?

You can redeem Classic Plus in Economy at 1-cent per point, or 1.5-cents per point in Premium Economy, Business and First. That value includes fees and taxes, of which Classic Plus incurs the same charges as a standard Classic Reward for Economy and Premium Economy, but at a higher rate for Business and First Class.

Qantas tells us that their website is set up to automatically show the lowest-priced reward available. If both Classic Plus and Classic Reward seating is available on a given flight, the cheapest of the two should be shown.

Because Qantas calculates the cost of a Classic Plus Reward using the cash fare of a flight, more expensive cash routes are also more expensive using points.

Examples: Classic Plus Pricing

Let’s say you want to fly from Sydney to North America in Business Class, but can’t find any best-value Classic Rewards. Picking a random date in September, the Business cash fare for Sydney to San Francisco came to $11,771 for Business Class. For Classic Plus, you’d need to drop a whopping 743,100 Qantas Points + $626 in taxes.

That’s compared to 108,400 Qantas Points + $345 taxes for a Classic Reward on the same route, making Classic Plus a whopping 585% more expensive in this example.

But on the flip side, Classic Plus can occasionally work out cheaper than a Classic Reward. Travel across the ditch is a good example, with a recent sale offering up Classic Plus Business for 31,700 points + $175 from Sydney to Auckland. That’s 24% less than a Classic Reward on this route, which costs 41,500 Qantas Points.

Availability Of Classic Plus

Qantas allows Classic Plus bookings on a range of its existing fare classes. If those particular cash fares are on sale, a Classic Plus Reward should also be available. Seats become available 353 days before departure, regardless of your frequent flyer status.

Classic Plus Rewards are available on the following Qantas fare classes;

• First: A
• Business: I, D (J, C)
• Premium Economy: T, R
• Economy: E, O, Q, N, S, V, L, M, K (H, B, Y)

Brackets indicate fares that can be booked as Classic Plus where First Class or Premium Economy is not available on a particular leg of the journey, meaning part of the itinerary is travelled in a lower cabin.

How Do I Book A Classic Plus Reward?

Step 1: Log into your Qantas Frequent Flyer account on qantas.com.

Step 2: Search for your flight, toggling on the “Rewards” option.

Step 3: Select from the available reward seats that are shown (Classic Flight Rewards have a red ribbon, Classic Plus Rewards have a blue ribbon).

Step 4: Follow the steps to complete your booking.

Tip: Whether you’re booking a Classic Reward or Classic Plus, the lowest available points cost is automatically shown on the flight window.

Qantas Classic Plus FAQs

Why can’t I book a domestic Classic Plus flight?

Domestic Classic Plus bookings will be available later in 2024.

How many Classic Plus seats are available on each flight?

The number of Classic Plus reward seats available on each flight is linked to specific commercial fare classes. Once fully rolled out, Classic Plus will be offered on any Qantas flight to any destination that has these fare classes available.

Is Classic Plus available on Jetstar or partner airlines?

Classic Plus will only be available across Qantas flights.

Can I upgrade from a Classic Plus fare?

You can use Qantas Points to request an upgrade from a Classic Plus fare. From May 2024, upgrades from business to first will be possible, which isn’t allowed on the existing Classic Reward.

Is Points Plus Pay still available?

Points Plus Pay is now available on the payment page. After selecting your flight and progressing through to payment, adjust the Points Plus Pay slider to choose the mix of points and cash you prefer.

Can customers book a Classic Plus Flight Reward departing from overseas ports?

At this stage, Classic Plus is only available from an Australian Point of sale.

Can I book Classic Plus over the phone?

Classic Plus seats can only be booked online via qantas.com, and not over the phone via the Qantas contact centre.

Can I combine a Classic Plus fare with a Classic Reward or Qantas cash fare?

You can combine Classic Plus fares with Classic Reward or cash fares in a single booking.