Qantas announces frequent flyer partnership with Air France-KLM
Qantas today announced a new frequent flyer partnership with Air France-KLM Flying Blue, which will now allow Qantas loyalty members to access reward seats, earn Qantas points and receive tier benefits across the entire Air France-KLM network.
Qantas says that its Frequent Flyer members will be able to fly to over 60 new destinations across Europe and Africa including Biarritz, France; Dresden, Germany; Calvi, Corsica, France; and Bristol, United Kingdom. Qantas in 2018 established codesharing agreements with the two European airlines.
"Members will now have access to hundreds of thousands more reward seats in popular destinations including Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Barcelona and Athens, as well as new destinations across France, Italy and Northern Europe," Olivia Wirth, CEO of Qantas Loyalty, said in a statement.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
"Frequent Flyers used 10 billion Qantas Points booking dream trips across Europe last year. We know this partnership will allow our members to explore more of the continent and find reward seats more easily," Wirth continued.
The agreement means that Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to earn points when they travel on eligible flights across each airline, Qantas said in the statement.
Qantas is part of the Oneworld Alliance, and its Frequent Flyer program offers award travelers some interesting opportunities, even if you have no plans to visit Australia. You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points and Marriott Bonvoy points to Qantas.
Related: Complete guide to maximizing the Qantas Frequent Flyer program
Qantas announced changes to its Frequent Flyer program over the summer, with positive and negative changes. It's planning on lowering the price of economy-class redemption by as much as 10%, and it claimed that it will increase the number of award seats available on Qantas- and partner-operated flights, including up to 30% more premium-cabin seats. It also added five new partners: Air New Zealand, China Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
But on the negative side, it's increasing the price of premium-cabin awards by as much as 15% and upgrade awards by up to 9%.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.