Have you ever wanted to drop everything and book an around-the-world holiday?
If you’ve successfully saved your pennies and your Qantas Points, this fantasy could become a reality thanks to Qantas’ affiliation with the oneworld Alliance.
The oneworld Alliance is an alliance of international airlines that allows members of frequent flyer programs to redeem and earn rewards with their airline’s partners. As Qantas is a member of the oneworld Alliance, Qantas Frequent Flyers can use their Qantas Points to redeem an around-the-world trip with the airline and its partners each year.
You can use your points to book up to 15 Classic Rewards flights with the oneworld Alliance and travel a total of 35,000 miles in Economy, Premium, Business or First Class with Qantas and its oneworld partners.
The different reward flights you can redeem your points for include:
Before booking your around-the-world trip, there are decisions you’ll need to make, and we’ve. outlined a few of your travel options when booking with Qantas. We’ll go through the value of oneworld Alliance and the airlines partnered with Qantas as well as the destinations available. We’ve also summarised some of the benefits and conditions you should consider before making your booking.
The Qantas rewards structure can be confusing as there are so many options. Simply, the oneworld Classic Flight Reward redemption covers any itineraries that include two or more oneworld airlines apart from Qantas (it can also include Qantas flights), so it's useful for multi-city trips and RTW journeys.
The oneworld Alliance combines some of the biggest airlines in the world to help you fly further. As Qantas is a member of this organisation, you can redeem your points for up to 15 flights with Qantas and members of the oneworld Alliance each year. These oneworld Classic Rewards can be redeemed for up to 35,000 miles of travel in Economy, Premium, Business or First Class.
As well as Qantas, the oneworld Alliance members include:
Thanks to this expansive list, customers can fly to 150 countries and 1,000 destination airports. If you’re a Qantas Frequent Flyer, you can take advantage of this oneworld Alliance and extend where your points can take you around the world.
Classic Flight rewards allow you to use your Qantas Points to book flights on Qantas, Jetstar, oneworld Alliance and other airline partners and affiliates.
You can redeem your Qantas Points on flights booked through any of the Partner Classic Flight Rewards. The amount of points required is based on the miles travelled between cities. You can redeem points on flights of up to 15,000 miles, after which you would need to book each leg of the flight separately. Or redeem your points on shorter flights that fall under 15,000 miles.
The oneworld Classic Rewards program allows you to earn points beyond the Qantas network. You can earn points and status credits on all eligible flights booked through the 15 affiliated oneworld Alliance partners. By earning points and status credits, you can enjoy the membership tier benefits throughout your journey. However, Qantas Points and status credits can’t be earned on Classic Flight Rewards.
With so many destinations available, planning your travel itinerary may be the hardest decision of all. The Qantas oneworld Class Flight Reward allows you to travel to any of the cities covered by oneworld, as long as the total travel distance doesn’t exceed 35,000 miles. You must complete the adventure within a 12-month period, stop over at no more than five cities and are allowed up to 15 connections.
One example of how Qantas and the oneworld Alliance can take you around the world includes the following route:
For this itinerary, you will have flown a total of 28,682 miles. With the maximum mileage allowance at 35,000 you have room to add a few extra flights and explore more cities. There are mileage calculators that allow you to input your flight plan and show the total miles, ensuring you don’t exceed the mileage limit. To add extra value, you can expand your itinerary to include up to 15 connections.
If seats aren’t available for the most direct flight, you can afford to make extra transits as long as you keep your mileage under the permitted 35,000. A transit is considered a period between flights that does not exceed 24 hours. If you spend more than 24 hours in a city between flights, it will be classed as a stopover.
As of 18 September 2019, Qantas implemented a program-wide overhaul which saw an increase of cost for premium rewards and a small discount for economy rewards. Despite the recent devaluation, there is still much value to be had in this redemption. Here's how many points you need for each of the oneworld Classic Flight Rewards currently available:
| Cabin class | Required Qantas Points |
|---|---|
| Economy | 132,400 points (down 7,600) |
| Premium economy | 249,600 (up 39,600) |
| Business | 318,000 points (up 38,000) |
| First | 455,000 (up 35,000) |
The above rates assume you're going for maximum value and travelling the full 35,000 miles, which is the maximum for this award. Here is the oneworld Classic Flight Reward chart for other zones and travel classes:
| Zone | Return miles | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–1,200 | 20,000 | 31,600 | 40,000 | 58,000 |
| 2 | 1,201–2,400 | 28,000 | 47,500 | 60,000 | 87,000 |
| 3 | 2,401–4,800 | 40,000 | 69,000 | 87,600 | 129,000 |
| 4 | 4,801–7,200 | 49,000 | 97,000 | 122,400 | 179,600 |
| 5 | 7,201–9,600 | 60,400 | 118,000 | 150,000 | 215,500 |
| 6 | 9,601–11,600 | 75,600 | 141,600 | 180,000 | 258,600 |
| 7 | 11,601–14,000 | 90,000 | 163,600 | 209,000 | 299,600 |
| 8 | 14,001–16,800 | 100,600 | 187,000 | 238,400 | 341,600 |
| 9 | 16,801–19,200 | 123,000 | 218,000 | 278,400 | 398,600 |
| 10 | 19,201–35,000 | 132,400 | 249,600 | 318,000 | 455,000 |
A mixed cabin redemption is permitted, but the entire journey will automatically be priced according to the highest cabin class, which is not ideal. In other words, if you book three economy legs and one business leg, you'll still end up paying business rates for every single flight.
Zone 10 (19,201–35,000 miles) in business class is the sweet spot, simply because many airlines and routes do not feature first class. The same is true of premium economy and an economy redemption doesn't get you the most bang for your buck.
To ensure you get the most out of your around-the-world trip, try to avoid these mistakes:
By booking your round-the-world trip through Classic Flight Reward or oneworld airlines, you’ll not only get to explore the world, you’ll also get to save and get more out of your Qantas Points.
Selecting your flight routes and abiding by the terms and conditions can be overwhelming, so doing your research and comparing your options beforehand will help ensure the trip goes smoothly.
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