The Qantas frequent flyer loyalty program is making a number of changes to how members can use Qantas Points to book Emirates first class award seats, which is triple negative news for anyone keen to fly one of the best first class products in the world.
Using Qantas Points has been by far one of the easiest ways to book Emirates First Class seats and earn rewards, especially since the Qantas Frequent Flyer program is a 1:1 transfer partner with American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi Appreciation Rewards.
However, new restrictions will have a significant impact on this.
Here’s what you need to know and what you should do now.
Qantas changes Emirates first class awards
Three separate changes will be rolled out in the coming months.
From 21 January, children under the age of 9 are no longer eligible to purchase Emirates First Class award tickets booked using Qantas points, even if the points are from an adult account and the child is traveling with an adult. Existing bookings are not affected, but changes that require reissuance may trigger new rules.
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From 18 February, Emirates First Class awards booked using Qantas Points will require Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver elite status or higher. Entry-level Bronze members will lose access entirely.
Finally, from 31 March, Emirates flights booked using Qantas Points will move to a new Emirates-specific award chart, with higher prices in each cabin class, especially First Class.
| flight distance | Emirates Airline routes from the United States | Current first class redemption rates (book before March 30) | New first class redemption rates (bookings starting March 31) | Qantas Points Ratio Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) |
123,100 points |
147,800 points |
+24,700 |
|
|
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Athens International Airport (ATH) |
147,700 points |
177,300 points |
+29,600 |
|
|
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and JFK Airport to Dubai International Airport (DXB) |
170,800 points |
205,000 points |
+34,200 |
|
|
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Miami International Airport (MIA), Orlando International Airport (MCO), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) fly to DXB |
195,400 points |
234,500 points |
+39,100 |
Why did Qantas make these changes?
Emirates has been steadily tightening access to first-class awards in its Skywards program, limiting availability to children and non-elite members. Qantas remains a notable exception, allowing members to book many Emirates first class awards for free at a fixed price, particularly over the past 12 months.
However, it doesn’t make sense that members of the partner program have any easier access to such desirable seats than Emirates’ own Skywards members.
These newly announced changes bring Qantas redemptions closer to Emirates’ own limits and create a more level playing field between the two schemes.
What if I want to use points and miles to fly Emirates First Class?
If you do wish to use Qantas Points to book an Emirates First Class seat, please do so before elite status restrictions come into effect on 18 February.
Emirates First Class awards through Qantas tend to be constantly changing. Currently, there are flights to and from Australia, including flights from the United States via Dubai International Airport (DXB), but there are currently no direct flights from the United States to Europe and DXB. The Seats.aero tool is a great way to determine which routes are available, and you can set up powerful alerts to be notified when extra seats are added between now and March 30, after which rates increase (or before February 18 if you don’t have Qantas Elite status).
After March 30, your best bet is probably to stick with the Emirates Skywards program, as it has the same strict elite status and age requirements, but at least the availability of rewards should be better than any partner program.
bottom line
If you’ve always dreamed of flying on Emirates’ luxury first-class product, it’s now getting harder to do so.
The Qantas Frequent Flyer program isn’t quite as smart as it once was, thanks to new status requirements, higher award prices and tighter rules on who can buy first class award tickets.
If you find that Emirates First Class flights suit you, book as early as possible.
