Qantas will open a temporary lounge to cater for eligible customers travelling between Sydney and London via Darwin from next month.
It follows the recent announcement that Qantas’ flagship Australia to United Kingdom route would operate via Darwin once Australia’s international borders open on 1 November until at least April 2022 due to WA border closures.
Qantas will lease Darwin International Airport’s Catalina lounge, which will have space for approximately 100 guests utilising existing furniture and fittings. The offering will feature:
Service delivered by local Qantas lounge team members, including a signature welcome mocktail (Top End Lemonade) and refreshing cold towels.
Generous lounge and dining areas with a serviced buffet
Tailored menus for time of day, drawing on local culinary influences such as a Darwin markets inspired Asian style soup.
Premium Australian wines, beers and non-alcoholic drinks offered by a dedicated bar attendant
Power points through the space to recharge on the fly
Bathroom facilities
Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Stephanie Tully, said the national carrier is delighted to work with Darwin International Airport to ensure a comfortable transit experience for its top tier frequent flyers and customers travelling in Business Class.
Customers eligible to visit the Qantas Darwin International Transit Lounge include:
Platinum One, Platinum, Gold Qantas Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members
Customers travelling in Business Class
Eligible oneworld partner members
Qantas will also reopen its Sydney International First Lounge from 1 November and its London and Los Angeles lounges in December. In the interim few weeks of operation, eligible Qantas customers will be able to visit the British Airways T3 Lounge at London Heathrow and the Star Alliance Lounge at Tom Bradley International Terminal in LA. Other international lounges will reopen to align with the return of further international routes.
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FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines (Nasdaq: AAL) is redesigning its award-winning AAdvantage® loyalty program, ridding it of complicated elite qualifying metrics for an easy-to-understand point system that provides multiple ways to earn status. In 2022, AAdvantage members can earn status by flying, using an AAdvantage credit card for purchases or spending with an AAdvantage partner.
Achieving AAdvantage status
For every qualifying AAdvantage mile earned, members will earn one Loyalty Point. Here’s how to earn points:
Members can earn Loyalty Points by flying on American or one of its eligible partner airlines.
Don’t fly often, no problem. Join fellow AAdvantage members who will earn Loyalty Points every year just by shopping online or dining out.
AAdvantage 2022 status requirements
Status
Loyalty Points
Gold
30,000
Platinum
75,000
Platinum Pro
125,000
Executive Platinum
200,000
Extending status and a chance to double dip
To thank our members for their continued loyalty, American is extending all current members AAdvantage status through March 31, 2022.
And members can also double dip as any qualifying activity earned in January and February will count towards both 2022 and 2023 AAdvantage status. This gives members an extra two months to earn elite status for both years.
In the future, members will qualify for status from March through February, with status valid through March 31 of the following year.
Unlock Loyalty Choice Rewards
Next year, AAdvantage members can unlock Loyalty Choice Rewards, formerly called elite choice rewards. Loyalty Choice Rewards is a menu of rewards awarded to members that earn Platinum Pro status or higher and fly at least 30 flights on American or qualifying partner airlines.
Members can select the Loyalty Choice Reward they value the most, including an Admirals Club day pass, systemwide upgrades or bonus AAdvantage miles. Additional Loyalty Choice Rewards are available to unlock as members accrue more Loyalty Points.
A year’s worth of free flights, Accor hotel stays and bp fuel up for grabs*
Free Qantas Points, Status Credits or $20 flight discount for fully vaccinated Australians
Qantas teams up with Australian singer Tones And I to launch TVC to ‘Be Rewarded’
The Qantas Group is launching its reward campaign for COVID-19 vaccinated Australians to recognise their role in helping the country get out of lockdown.
From tomorrow, fully vaccinated Australian-based Frequent Flyers who are 18 and over will be able to claim their reward through the Qantas App by choosing one of three options:
1000 Qantas points
15 status credits (which help Frequent Flyers move up between Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers)
$20 flight discount for Qantas or Jetstar
Members will then be automatically entered into a mega prize draw to win a year’s worth of flights, accommodation and fuel.
Ten mega prizes will be up for grabs with a winner selected from each state and territory and two mega prize winners as part of a national TV campaign.
Winners of ten mega prizes will receive a year’s worth of flights to take off to more than 60 destinations around Australia, with free accommodation across 345 Accor hotels, resorts and apartments (including Sofitel, Pullman, Peppers, Mantra, Mercure, Mövenpick, Novotel and Ibis) and top up their cars with free fuel from any of bp’s 1,400 service stations across the country.
Winners will also be able to take off to any Qantas and Jetstar international destination when borders start to open.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the vaccine rollout was critical for protecting public health and key to breaking the cycle of lockdowns.
Australians can claim their points, status credits or flight discounts and be automatically entered in the mega prize draw by downloading the Qantas App (via the App Store or through Google Play), using their Medicare app to access and upload their COVID-19 digital vaccination certificate and selecting their reward choice. Vaccination certificate information will be deleted upon verification.
Qantas is making it easier for Frequent Flyers to use their points on domestic and Trans-Tasman flights, as more travellers look closer to home for their next holiday.
For the rest of 2020, Classic Flight Reward seat availability will be increased by up to 50 per cent to the most popular destinations in Australia and New Zealand including Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Queenstown and Auckland (when flights recommence).
To help regular flyers maintain their travel benefits, Qantas Frequent Flyer will also be giving tiered members Silver and above a one-off Status Credits bonus to compensate for reduced flying activity.
The increased availability and status support are part of a raft of initiatives from the loyalty program designed to give members more value from their upcoming holidays and the broader program.
Other program improvements include:
Extra Status Credits: To help our most frequent flyers maintain their benefits throughout travel restrictions, eligible Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members will automatically receive 50 per cent of the Status Credits they need annually to keep their tier. Members most impacted, such as those whose membership year started at the peak of travel restrictions, will also be eligible for additional monthly Status Credits support. Loyalty Bonus’ for members will now also count towards reaching or retaining Platinum One until 31 December 2021.
Better value on accommodation: The number of points required for Points Plus Pay Qantas Hotels bookings will decrease by 20 per cent effective immediately. For a limited time only members will also receive 5,000 points back when they book a minimum of 3 nights and on selected Qantas Luxury offers earn up to 125 bonus Status Credits when they book before Monday 31 August 2020.
Greater flexibility: To enable members to plan their holidays with more confidence, bookings made using points on Qantas Group flights will have any change or cancellation fees waived until 31 October 2020.
More Points Planes: Qantas Frequent Flyer will launch more Points Planes – exclusive flights for frequent flyer redemptions – to meet the pent-up travel demand of members and boost Australian tourism. Timings and destinations of the flights will be released over the coming months.
Improved digital experience: Qantas Frequent Flyers will soon have a new way to plan their holidays with points. ‘Dream Planner’, launching on 28 July 2020, uses real time data and notifications to keep members informed on reward seat availability and special offers to their preferred destinations.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the changes were good news for members and for tourism.
“Australia is home to world-class destinations and Qantas is making it easier for frequent flyers to visit them,” Mr Joyce said.
“We’re adding more Points Planes and more reward seats to our most popular domestic destinations, because that’s where people will be holidaying for the rest of the year.
“We’re also helping our most loyal flyers maintain their travel benefits by giving them extra Status Credits in recognition of their long-term loyalty.”
Qantas Loyalty CEO, Olivia Wirth said Qantas Frequent Flyer is one of the most attractive loyalty programs in the world because it’s always evolving and innovating to meet the needs of its 13 million members.
“We’ve been listening to our Frequent Flyers closely over the last few months about how they feel about travel, where they want to go and how they want to use their points,” Ms Wirth said.
“What emerged was that despite what’s going on around the world, the notion of the dream trip is well and truly alive, they’re just looking a little closer to home.
“Qantas Frequent Flyers are some of the country’s biggest advocates for travel and this has been reflected in the number of bookings we’re seeing as travel restrictions ease.
“That’s why we’re continuing to invest in making our members’ travel dreams a reality with more choice, better value and greater flexibility.”
Fast facts:
Intention to travel for Frequent Flyers remains high at 90 per cent.
Majority of Qantas Points in the program are earned on the ground, this hasn’t changed.
Qantas Frequent Flyers typically save points over a long period of time for a big dream trip – travel still remains the number one preference to redeem points.
Qantas’ latest nationwide sale shows that Sydney-Brisbane, Melbourne-Sydney, Perth-Broome, Sydney-Cairns, Brisbane-Cairns as the most popular routes.
Medallion Members will be able to enjoy their current Status through 2021
Other program and card benefits will be extended between six months and one year
Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members will enjoy the same loyalty benefits throughout 2021 as they have in 2020. The 12-month Status extension is part of Delta’s work to offer greater flexibility as coronavirus impacts travel plans, so customers can rest assured their Status will be there when they’re ready to fly.
“On behalf of all of us at Delta, I want to thank our customers for your continued loyalty during these unprecedented times. While our focus is on keeping customers and employees safe and healthy today and always, you are a part of the Delta family and we know how important these benefits are to you,” said Sandeep Dube, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Customer Engagement and Loyalty, and CEO of Delta Vacations. “That’s why as coronavirus continues to dramatically impact travel across the globe, you don’t have to worry about your benefits – they’ll be extended so you can enjoy them when you are ready to travel again.”
The following updates will happen automatically over the coming weeks, with no action needed from customers.
Medallion Members:
All Medallion Status for 2020 will be automatically extended for the 2021 Medallion Year.
All Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) from 2020 are being rolled over to 2021 to qualify for 2022 Medallion Status.
Delta Sky Club Individual and Executive memberships with an expiration of March 1, 2020, or later will receive six additional months of Delta Sky Club access beyond their expiration date.
Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members:
If you have one of the following in your SkyMiles profile “My Wallet” that is valid now or has expired since March 1, 2020, we are extending the expiration dates to give you additional time to enjoy your benefits:
Delta SkyMiles Gold Card Members with a $100 Delta flight credit will get a six-month extension beyond their current expiration date.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card Members with Companion Certificates with an original expiration date between March 1 and June 30, 2020, can use them when they book and fly by Dec. 31, 2020, and those that expire between July 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, will receive an additional six months beyond the current expiration date.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members with Companion Certificates with an original expiration date between March 1 and June 30, 2020, can use them when they book and fly by Dec. 31, 2020, and those that expire between July 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, will receive an additional six months beyond the current expiration date.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members will also get a six-month extension to use their Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes beyond their current expiration date.
SkyMiles Members:
If you have one of the following in your SkyMiles profile “My Wallet” that is valid now or has expired since March 1, 2020, we are extending the expiration dates to give you additional time to enjoy your benefits:
Upgrade Certificates or $200 Travel Vouchers with an original expiration date between March 1 and June 30, 2020, are extended – now, they can be booked and flown by Dec. 31, 2020. And, SkyMiles Members with Upgrade Certificates or $200 Travel Vouchers that expire after June 30, 2020, will receive an additional six months beyond the current expiration date.
SkyMiles Select members will receive a six-month extension to the Priority Boarding benefit and any unused drink vouchers.
“We are continuously monitoring how coronavirus impacts travel and will make additional adjustments to support our customers’ needs as the pandemic evolves,” said Dube.
SkyMiles Members enrolled in a challenge or promotion to earn Medallion Status, such as the Status Match Challenge, Reclaim My Status or a promotion offered through their employer, can restart that promotion when they are ready to travel again. Those Members will receive next steps from Delta in the coming weeks.
Emirates is providing customers more flexibility, choice and value through its newly introduced waiver policy for all booked tickets issued on or from today, 7 March until 31 March 2020, allowing customers across its network the choice of changing their travel dates without change and reissuance fees.
The move provides Emirates’ customers with peace of mind should they decide to change their travel plans due to the evolving COVID-19 situation. Customers can change their booking to any date for travel within an 11 month date range in the same booking class without change penalties. Difference in fare, if applicable applies. The policy covers all existing destinations across the Emirates network.
Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline, said: “We want our customers to feel fully supported, comfortable and confident when making travel plans, while offering them the best fares, without incurring change fees should they decide to delay or adjust dates. The situation remains dynamic and we will continue to look at ways to provide flexibility, convenience and peace of mind for our customers.”
Emirates Skywards will also be providing more flexibility to its members who have been impacted by the outbreak of the coronavirus through imposed travel restrictions and flight reductions. Skywards Platinum, Gold and Silver members can maintain their current status by fulfilling 80% of their tier travel requirements between 31 March and 30 June 2020. In addition, Skywards members booked to travel between 1 March and 30 June 2020 will be able to benefit from an additional 20% bonus Tier Miles.
For additional peace of mind, Emirates is also taking its aircraft cleaning process to the next level through additional precautionary measures of implementing enhanced disinfecting procedures after flights from destinations most affected by COVID-19. If the airline is alerted to any suspect or confirmed cases of infectious diseases, teams will be immediately deployed for a deeper cleaning to thoroughly disinfect all cabins of that aircraft with stronger, approved chemicals. Across all its aircraft, Emirates utilises HEPA filters, which are proven to remove more than 99% of viruses in the cabin environment. If there is a suspected case onboard, Emirates will go a step further to replace all the HEPA filters on the aircraft.
Customers are advised that fare differences or applicable taxes may apply if they wish to change their bookings to a different fare class. Current refund and rebooking conditions for tickets issued before 5 March still apply. Customers impacted due to cancellations of flights impacted by the COVID-19 virus are advised to check emirates.com for rebooking or rerouting options.
Customers who wish to change their travel arrangements after making bookings between 7 March and 31 March can visit their travel agent or contact the Emirates call centre at +971 600 555555.
