Qantas has announced a major change to its frequent flyer programme designed to make it easier to use points to book free flights.
The shake-up comes after members of the programme lashed out at it over a perceived lack of value, making submissions to an Australian senate inquiry complaining about the "devaluation" of points late last year.
Qantas has introduced 'Classic Plus Flight Rewards', which are promised to give members access to over 20 million more reward seats over the next 12 months.
It is intended to allow frequent flyers to book more flights - even during peak times - than is possible with the current Classic reward seats system.
Effective immediately, Qantas Frequent Flyers can commence booking Classic Plus reward seats for Qantas international flights departing from Australia from July 1, 2024.
By the end of the year, the programme will be able to be used on all Qantas domestic and international flights.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has been eyeing changes to its Airpoints loyalty programme for years.
In 2022 it surveyed customers about potential changes including a new Elite Plus tier that could let customers bring a partner or family member along on flights for free. This year, another survey asked Elite members about potential new benefits like exclusive lounges and having luggage picked up from your home to be checked in on your behalf a day before your flight.
Last week, Air NZ announced it was increasing the cost of its Koru membership by around 20 percent from April 26.
