Why Using Qantas Points for Business Class Flights Is Harder Than You Think

WANT TO USE QANTAS POINTS TO FLY BUSINESS CLASS? GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

Without a doubt, the greatest number of requests we get at Pointrs is to find Classic reward seats using Qantas Points to fly business class.

And without a doubt, the greatest difficulty we have is to find Classic reward seats using Qantas Points to fly business class.

We know that part of this difficulty is that most Qantas Frequent Flyer members are unable to book business class seats until well after other Qantas Frequent Flyer members. This is a considerable issue given that we know that one of the best ways to book a reward flight using a particular airline loyalty program is to make a booking as soon as seats are released.

For all Qantas Frequent Flyer members, Qantas Frequent Flyer opens reward bookings for partner airlines 353 days in advance. This means a level playing field when using Qantas Points to book partner airlines, such as Jetstar, Emirates, Latam Airlines, Japan Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.

For all Qantas Frequent Flyer members, Qantas Frequent Flyer opens reward bookings for Qantas short-haul flights and economy class long-haul flights 353 days in advance. Once again, a level playing field.

So far, so good. But not so fast …

The Difficulty of Using Qantas Points to Fly Business Class

For Gold, Platinum and Platinum One Qantas Frequent Flyer members, Qantas Frequent Flyer opens reward bookings for Qantas premium economy, business and first class long-haul flights 353 days in advance. For Silver members, Qantas Frequent Flyer opens reward bookings for these same flights 323 days in advance. For Bronze members, Qantas Frequent Flyer opens reward bookings for these same flights 297 days in advance.

In other words, if you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum or Platinum One member, you can book Qantas premium economy, business and first-class long-haul flights using your Qantas Points long before everyone else. 

If you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver member, you must wait 30 days before you can book Qantas premium economy, business and first-class long-haul flights using your Qantas Points.

And if you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer Bronze member, you must wait a whopping 56 days before you can book Qantas premium economy, business and first-class long haul flights using your Qantas Points.

Be reminded that one of the best ways to book a reward flight using a particular airline loyalty program is to make a booking as soon as seats are released. Not so easy when you are made to wait 30 days or 56 days. Of course, not all seats are taken early, and some seats are released later in the year, making them available to all Qantas Frequent Flyers. However, when this doesn’t occur, suddenly you can see why it can be difficult to use your Qantas Points to fly business class.

Is It Actually Difficult To Use Your Qantas Points To Fly Business Class?

As you know, Pointrs Seat Radar searches weekly for reward seats using points and miles for selected Pointrs on selected dates.

Just a couple of months ago, over a period of five weeks, we searched for flights using Qantas Points, in an endeavour to find seats in economy and business class to Hawaii, Fiji, Hong Kong, Bali and Tokyo.

Each search was for a Classic fare done under Bronze membership, meaning most, but not all months’ seats were available to all Qantas Frequent Flyer members, and each search was done for a period of up to 10 months, most of the year.

Could We Find Business Class Seats Using Qantas Points?

Let the results do the talking.

Seat Search 18 November 2024 – Australia to Honolulu

Seat Search 25 November 2024 – Australia to Fiji

Seat Search 2 December 2024 – Australia to Hong Kong

Seat Search 9 December 2024 – Australia to Bali

Seat Search 16 December 2024 – Australia to Tokyo

Grand Total

• Economy – 8781 seats (94%)
• Business – 594 seats (6%)

As you can see, we found very few business class seats using Qantas Points. 

Over 38 months of flights, we found 594 seats, 6% of the total of economy and business class. This equates to 17 seats per month for all Qantas Frequent Flyer members – not good.

Keep in mind that we only searched for 2 seats each time, meaning more seats could be available. Disturbing, though, was the number of times that no business class seats were found at all using Qantas Points.

These flights do not include European and US destinations. Business class flights using Qantas Points to European destinations appear to be very hard to find. Business class flights using Qantas Points to US destinations seem easier to find, although not easy to find.

How To Increase Your Chances Of Flying Business Class Using Points And Miles

So, what can you do if you want to increase your chances of flying business class using points and miles?

If your points are already with Qantas, there are several things you can do:

• Increase your Qantas status so that you gain access to earlier bookings – not an easy task.

• Instead of using your points and miles for a Qantas Classic fare, use a Qantas Classic Plus fare or Qantas Points Plus Pay fare, which increases the number of seats available. However, this is not advised as the number of Qantas Points required is usually higher, and often far higher, than Qantas Classic fare.

• Keep your eye out for our weekly Pointrs Seat Radar for business class seats we have found using Qantas Points.

• Request a Personal Pointr and let us use our experience, nous and time to try to find business class seats just for you, using Qantas Points.

You should ensure that future points and miles you earn don’t automatically go to Qantas, or any other single airline, for that matter. When using cash for flights, including Qantas flights, have your points earned go to another airline.

When earning points through credit card spend, ensure you use a credit card that allows credit card points to be transferred to a choice of many airline loyalty programs and not just one.

By being able to use many airline loyalty programs you greatly increase your chances of finding business class seats using points and miles. Also, the ability to transfer credit card points to many airline loyalty programs is the key to spending the least number of points and miles on flights.

Need a Personal Pointr? We’ve Got You Covered!

Looking for a strategy tailored just for you? Our Personal Pointrs Request service gives you access to expert guidance with two powerful options:

Let us find reward seats for your flight using points and miles! Simply provide your flight details, and we’ll handle the search for you. Upgrade to Premium Pointrs Seat Search for exclusive, private results.

Want to maximise your points and miles? Book a one-on-one 50-minute Zoom consultation with a Pointrs expert. Upgrade to Premium Pointrs Consult to get personalised advice from Michael Dixon, the founder of Pointrs.

👉 Request your Personal Pointr today!