Qantas: more classic rewards seats available

In an announcement today, Qantas is promising to increase the number of available Classic Flight Rewards by 50%. This includes destinations in Australia and New Zealand, once the trans-Tasman flights recommence.

They are promising this will last through to the end of 2020.

The list of ‘most popular destinations’ includes:

• Auckland
• Cairns
• Queenstown
• Sunshine Coast
• Sydney

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

The publicity spiel claims to include the most popular destinations, but where are the ones in northern Queensland, Brisbane even, and given that the Sydney Melbourne axis is the 2nd most lucrative route in the world, where is Melbourne on the list?

On the other hand, Melbourne is not so hot at the moment given that Victoria has closed its borders (as of July 2020). That might explain why its not highlighted, given that you need to observe quarantine if you enter the state!

The cynic in me would say, given that some flights are half empty – not a bad way for Qantas to get rid of the liability of all those FF points sitting on someones balance sheet. Fortunately, I would never think that.