Bizarre Change to the Qantas Frequent Flyer T&Cs

Qantas A330 and a Virgin Australia 737 at Darwin Airport
A recent change to the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms & conditions has left some members scratching their heads. Photo: Matt Graham.

Qantas Frequent Flyer recently updated its terms & conditions – as it does from time to time. It wasn’t a major change, but it sure was an unusual one…

It seems that Qantas added a new paragraph to section 9 of the frequent flyer program’s terms & conditions on 27 January 2023. This section governs the earning of Qantas points.

Section 9.1.5 now says:

9.1.5 A member of a oneworld Member Airline or Airline Partner loyalty program will not earn that program’s loyalty points or status credits on any Qantas domestic flight where the oneworld Member Airline or Airline Partner permits their program points or status credits to be earned directly or indirectly on any non-Qantas Group flight on the same domestic route (where that domestic flight does not form part of a Qantas marketed international itinerary).

Confused? I don’t blame you. This sentence contains 72 words and I had to read it several times to work out what on earth is going on here!

What does this change mean?

Firstly, it’s a rather unusual addition to the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms & conditions because it doesn’t even concern the earning of Qantas points or status credits. Instead – although it doesn’t directly say this – the sentence seems to be specifically referencing the earning of Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios & Qpoints on Qantas flights.

What Section 9.1.5 seems to be saying is that you cannot earn Avios or Qpoints when crediting certain Qantas domestic flights to the Qatar Airways Privilege Club program. This would apply on domestic routes within Australia where Virgin Australia also offers service, such as Sydney-Melbourne. But it would not apply on routes where Virgin Australia does not fly, such as Sydney-Dubbo.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club is specifically implicated by this rule because, with Virgin Australia’s new partnership with Qatar Airways, it’s now possible to earn Qatar Airways Avios on Virgin Australia flights.

Qatar Airways Virgin Australia partnership
Qatar Airways is now a partner of Qantas’ main domestic competitor. Photo: Virgin Australia.

Under Oneworld alliance rules, when someone credits a Qantas flight to the Qatar Airways Privilege Club program, Qantas would need to pay Qatar Airways for the Qpoints & Avios earned by the Privilege Club member. (The same is also true in reverse.)

Perhaps Qantas doesn’t want to pay Qatar Airways for this on domestic routes also served by Virgin Australia. (By doing so, Qantas is also incentivising Qatar Airways Privilege Club members to choose a Virgin Australia flight over one of its own.)

This rule does not apply to domestic flights taken as part of a “Qantas marketed international itinerary”. But it’s not really clear what that actually means.

Presumably, this would refer to an international ticket booked through Qantas with a “081” ticket number. But it could also mean any international booking containing flights with “QF” flight numbers. “Marketed itinerary” is not a standard industry term and is not defined by the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms and conditions.

What do the Qatar Airways Privilege Club rules say about this?

Interestingly, the Qatar Airways website has already said for years that Qantas domestic flights are ineligible for Privilege Club accrual unless part of an international Qantas or Qatar Airways itinerary. We understand that this wasn’t previously enforced.

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club terms & conditions (which Privilege Club members are actually bound by – not the Qantas Frequent Flyer rules) do not appear to exclude the earning of Avios or Qpoints on Qantas flights.

Can’t Qantas and Qatar Airways just get along?

When announcing the launch of its frequent flyer partnership with Qantas’ competitor Virgin Australia last year, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker revealingly said that this wasn’t his airline’s first choice. But Al Baker claimed thats Qantas didn’t want to work with its Doha-based Oneworld alliance partner. He said Qantas was instead prioritising its joint venture with Emirates, which was recently extended until 2028.

Qantas has also reportedly been lobbying the Australian government to block Qatar Airways from obtaining the right to add more flights to major Australian cities.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways last year blocked Qantas Frequent Flyer members from accessing many of its reward seats. As of today, Qantas Frequent Flyer members still can’t access most Qatar Airways reward seats.

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
________________________

Related Articles

Community Comments

Loading new replies...

Looks like Section 9.1.5 has been moved to 9.1.6 and a new 9.1.5 added:

Maybe a dig at QR and their relationship with VA?

This is bizarre. Yes appears to be a dig at QR but why is this being included in the Qantas Frequent Flyer T&Cs when it relates to point/SC earn in another FF program? Strange.

Reply 2 Likes

This is bizarre. Yes appears to be a dig at QR but why is this being included in the Qantas Frequent Flyer T&Cs when it relates to point/SC earn in another FF program? Strange.

It is weird, seems more petulance than anything else.

I presume Qantas pay commission on partner airline miles/points earned on Qantas services. Fly MEL-SYD on QF, crediting to AAdvantage and earn miles. QF pay commission to American Airlines for the miles earned.

Credit to QR Privilege Club for the same journey and Qantas refuse to pay QR since VA also fly that route and you can earn QR Avios on VA.

Reply Like

click to expand...

It is weird, seems more petulance than anything else.

I presume Qantas pay commission on partner airline miles/points earned on Qantas services. Fly MEL-SYD on QF, crediting to AAdvantage and earn miles. QF pay commission to American Airlines for the miles earned.

Credit to QR Privilege Club for the same journey and Qantas refuse to pay QR since VA also fly that route and you can earn QR Avios on VA.

They’re going to need good systems to identify domestic flights not part of an international itinerary

Reply 2 Likes

They’re going to need good systems to identify domestic flights not part of an international itinerary

True, however this part of the para helps them with that:

Qantas marketed international itinerary

So, only on an 081- ticket.

Reply 2 Likes

Do I understand correctly that:
- QF domestic flights where flyer has QR/another oneworld FFP#, won't earn any points/SC into their other airline account if not on an international itinerary and the same sector is operated by a competitor where that flyer could earn points/SC into that program?

Example: MEL-SYD on QF as a QR Platinum, based in MEL, flying full fare biz class. Would earn zero accrual into QR?

Reply 1 Like

Example: MEL-SYD on QF as a QR Platinum, based in MEL, flying full fare biz class. Would earn zero accrual into QR?

Seems to be the case.

A QR Privilege Club member can earn QR Avios on a VA flight on the same route, so by that rule change, yes, no earn to QR if travelling QF.

Reply Like

Seems to be the case.

A QR Privilege Club member can earn QR Avios on a VA flight on the same route, so by that rule change, yes, no earn to QR if travelling QF.

This seems remarkable as a QR program member you’re bound by the QR terms, you’re not a QF member so not bound by their terms from a contractual perspective.

Imagine if before a flight you had to interpret all operating airline FF programs to find out what you earn. It’s hard enough to keep track of one program!

Reply 10 Likes

This seems remarkable as a QR program member you’re bound by the QR terms, you’re not a QF member so not bound by their terms from a contractual perspective.

I suspect QF won't pay QR for the Avios earn.

Reply Like

Seems to be the case.

A QR Privilege Club member can earn QR Avios on a VA flight on the same route, so by that rule change, yes, no earn to QR if travelling QF.

Unless I’m missing something domestic flights in Australia have never been eligible to earn on QR unless part of an International itinerary.

Reply Like

Unless I’m missing something domestic flights in Australia have never been eligible to earn on QR unless part of an International itinerary.

There are such no caveats on Qantas.com: Qantas Frequent Flyer Earn Category tables

However, see next post. This does tighten things up with "Qantas marketed international itinerary".

And, still there's the strange "non Qantas group" ban.

Reply Like