First class to LA for $600 plus points? Qantas drops rewards deals
On Tuesday, Qantas released 400,000 Classic Rewards seats to frequent flyers, which will be available for purchase over the next five days. Among the best deals was a first-class ticket from Sydney to Los Angeles in February 2026 that will only set you back $641 and 195,400 points.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
14 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Public servants to be banned from free flight upgrades – but business class still a go
The Albanese government has knocked back a plan to force federal bureaucrats to fly economy between Sydney and Melbourne, but has agreed to stop them accepting first-class flight upgrades that airlines use to win favour in Canberra. A Department of Finance review of government travel policies released quietly on Friday last week, seven months after it was completed, found that existing policies were delivering value for money but weren't consistently followed. National outcry over government travel perks exploded last year after commentator Joe Aston revealed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had received at least 22 free Qantas upgrades from economy class, worth tens of thousands of dollars, as had other politicians and public servants. 'The Australian public, parliamentarians and submissions to the review have raised the possibility that access to exclusive lounges provided by Qantas and Virgin may unduly influence government travel patterns,' the report said. The report said data from 2023-24 showed there was higher use of Qantas flights by public servants in and out of Canberra than other airlines, but attributed this to more availability from the national carrier and said the booking patterns were consistent with the public. Loading The review, completed in December last year, found the existing policy was fit-for-purpose and saved the government $260 million in 2022-23, but was not always being followed by individuals. It made seven recommendations to improve value and efficiency in government travel, and support competition. The government accepted them to varying degrees, and tasked the department with implementing the changes. The rules will apply to public servants, but politicians and their staff will escape the upgrade restrictions because their travel comes under different legislation. A key recommendation bars public servants from accepting flight upgrades except in exceptional circumstances, such as when there is no other seat on a plane. The department said it would draft a new travel policy to include the recommendation to be effective from early next year.
The Age
14 hours ago
- The Age
Public servants to be banned from free flight upgrades – but business class still a go
The Albanese government has knocked back a plan to force federal bureaucrats to fly economy between Sydney and Melbourne, but has agreed to stop them accepting first-class flight upgrades that airlines use to win favour in Canberra. A Department of Finance review of government travel policies released quietly on Friday last week, seven months after it was completed, found that existing policies were delivering value for money but weren't consistently followed. National outcry over government travel perks exploded last year after commentator Joe Aston revealed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had received at least 22 free Qantas upgrades from economy class, worth tens of thousands of dollars, as had other politicians and public servants. 'The Australian public, parliamentarians and submissions to the review have raised the possibility that access to exclusive lounges provided by Qantas and Virgin may unduly influence government travel patterns,' the report said. The report said data from 2023-24 showed there was higher use of Qantas flights by public servants in and out of Canberra than other airlines, but attributed this to more availability from the national carrier and said the booking patterns were consistent with the public. Loading The review, completed in December last year, found the existing policy was fit-for-purpose and saved the government $260 million in 2022-23, but was not always being followed by individuals. It made seven recommendations to improve value and efficiency in government travel, and support competition. The government accepted them to varying degrees, and tasked the department with implementing the changes. The rules will apply to public servants, but politicians and their staff will escape the upgrade restrictions because their travel comes under different legislation. A key recommendation bars public servants from accepting flight upgrades except in exceptional circumstances, such as when there is no other seat on a plane. The department said it would draft a new travel policy to include the recommendation to be effective from early next year.
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- News.com.au
Qantas adds thousands of flights to LA and Paris in frequent flyer sale
Qantas is expanding its frequent flyer service, releasing 400,000 new seats across its network lowering the number of points required for many domestic flights after a 'record number' of members redeemed their points for a trip away. For the next five days, Qantas will release dedicated points planes and premium cabin seats, where every seat can be booked using fequent flyer points on international and domestic routes. Qantas routes for frequent flyer members include almost 25,000 seats to Paris in November 2025 and Los Angeles in February 2026 and nearly 15,000 seats on points planes from Sydney and Brisbane to Hamilton Island that are taking off next year. Business class flights from Sydney to Paris will cost 166,300 points and $637, premium economy seats from Sydney to Paris will cost 124,700 points and $342, while an economy flight from Perth to Paris will cost 58,900 points and $242. The offer also includes more than 40,000 seats on points planes, with Jetstar flights to Tokyo and Singapore. Business class flights from Brisbane to Tokyo between May and June 2026 will cost 61,600 points and $199, while economy flights from Sydney to Osaka in the same time period will cost 29,900 points and $167. Qantas Loyalty chief executive Andrew Glance said there had been a 'record number' of points redeemed on flights over the past 12 months. 'This latest release is all about making it easier for our frequent flyers to turn their points into incredible travel experiences,' he said. 'We're releasing thousands of points planes and hundreds of thousands more reward seats, with a particular focus on boosting premium cabin availability to some of our most popular destinations.' As part of the promotion, the number of points required to book a Jetstar flight in Australia and New Zealand has dropped from 6400 to 5700 points, and almost 135,000 seats on points planes are available. 'We're also focused on providing more ways for members to travel for less,' Mr Glance said. 'The reduction of points required to book a reward seat on Jetstar domestic flights within Australia and New Zealand from just 5700 points is particularly exciting, offering incredible value and more ways for members to unlock their next holiday even faster.'
