Qantas flyers spend 1B points on loyalty seat overhaul

Qantas frequent flyers redeem 1 billion air miles for international flights after loyalty program overhaul, with triple the points used on Monday.

Qantas Airways Ltd. frequent flyers wasted no time in taking advantage of the revamped loyalty division, with over 1 billion air miles redeemed for international flights. The number of points used on Monday, the day of the announcement, was more than triple the average for the day. The top destinations included London, Singapore, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Queenstown in New Zealand, with almost half of the redemptions for premium cabin seats.

To address customer frustrations with the difficulty of redeeming points for desired flights, Qantas has made an additional 20 million reward seats available annually on all flights and in any class. This move, costing the airline A$120 million, is part of a series of initiatives implemented by CEO Vanessa Hudson since taking over from Alan Joyce.

The response to the revamped loyalty program highlights the pent-up demand for flight redemptions under the previous model. While passengers will now need to use more points to secure tickets, the stock market reacted positively to the news. Vanessa's efforts aim to make it easier for passengers to use their points for flights to their preferred destinations, signaling a positive change for Qantas Airways and its loyal customers.