Qantas is expanding its partnership Taiwan-based China Airlines so that you can now use Qantas Points to travel to more than 75 destinations across the globe with the carrier.

Previously, Qantas frequent Flyers were able to use points to travel on China Airlines between Australia and Taipei only.

Now, you can any flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to Taiwan and onwards throughout Asia, North America and Europe.

China Airlines is a very well-regarded full-service airline which offers business, premium economy and economy cabins.

In business class on its A350 fleet, for example, you’ll find comfortable seats in a 1-2-1 layout…

… as well as a solid-looking premium economy option…

… and a fairly standard economy cabin.

China Airlines has a very good reputation among frequent flyers. The dining and service onboard are also reported to be at a high standard.

There’s good availability of reward seats, especially towards the end of 2023, and taxes and fees are low too – so if you’re interested in a getaway, act fast!

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Qantas Loyalty has launched a new online shopping platform, Qantas Marketplace. 

The platform allows Frequent Flyers to earn and use Qantas Points on over 20,000 products from more than 900 premium and household brands.

This marks a large online retail expansion of the Frequent Flyer program, replacing the Qantas Rewards store and offering an increased variety of products and brands.

It also supplements the existing Qantas Shopping portal, which connects users to external shopping websites, where your purchases are tracked and earn Qantas Points.

With Qantas Marketplace, you shop directly with Qantas. The platform brings together brands and products across fashion, beauty, homewares, appliances and technology.

Popular brands such as Apple, BOSE and Dyson continue to be available, along with offerings from niche retailers.

Frequent Flyers are able to use their Qantas Points to shop using Points Plus Pay, with a 10 percent discount for Points Club Plus members and a 5 percent discount for Points Club members.

When you pay with cash, however, you can earn Qantas Points: at least 3 per dollar spent (up from two points at the former Rewards Store).

As an introductory offer, Points Club members will earn an additional three Qantas Points per dollar spent (i.e. a total of six) and Points Club Plus members will earn an additional six points per dollar spent (i.e. a total of nine) until 30 June 2023.

Members are also able to take advantage of regular bonus points offers.

For example, until 31 March 2023, you can earn up to 10,000 bonus points (worth hundreds of dollars when used for reward seats or upgrades) when paying for purchases with cash.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said the platform offers members a seamless and premium shopping experience that rewards them for every purchase.

“Our Frequent Flyers already earn more points on the ground than they do through travel. With Qantas Marketplace, we’re connecting them to hundreds of brands that they know and love, with the added benefit of being able to earn and use points,” said Ms Wirth.

“We know our members are always looking for more value and ways to boost their points balance, so we’ve increased the points earn rate on the platform too,” Ms Wirth added.

Qantas Marketplace is available at marketplace.qantas.com.

If you’re considering spending points at the Marketplace, be aware that you can usually get more value from your points by booking flights or holidays with Qantas.

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Qantas has announced that it’s pouring $100 million into enhancing lounges in Australia and overseas. This means four brand new lounges, as well as renovations to their existing ones.

Here’s a rundown of what’s in store:

• a swanky new First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport
• a refreshed Hong Kong International Lounge
• a complete overhaul of the International Business Lounge in Sydney
• a bigger and better International Business Lounge in Melbourne
• a new Hobart Qantas Club
• a new Broome Regional Lounge.

This is the biggest investment in Qantas’ lounge network in over 10 years, and it comes as the airline expands its domestic and international routes and gets ready for some next-gen aircraft.

London First Lounge

A brand new First Lounge at Heathrow Airport is being built to go along with the launch of Project Sunrise direct flights between the UK and Australia’s east coast (starting with Sydney).

The plan is to open it in late 2025, and it’ll be right next to the current International Lounge, which will become a dedicated Business Lounge.

Some expected highlights of the new First Lounge include direct access to boarding gates, awesome airfield views, a focus on wellbeing features, and top-notch dining.

This will be the fifth Qantas First Lounge, joining the ones in Los Angeles, Melbourne, Singapore, and Sydney.

“London is one of the most important destinations on our network and it’s the perfect location for a First Lounge, especially with our direct Project Sunrise flights on the way. Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports so we’re very pleased to be working with them to secure a great space in the terminal for an additional lounge,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.

Hong Long International Lounge

Qantas is reopening the Hong Kong International Lounge that closed down during the pandemic. The space is getting a makeover, and it’s set to open in April 2023.

Oh, and the yum cha trolley is making a comeback!

Melbourne International Business Lounge

One of the most underwhelming lounges in Qantas’ network will get a full makeover, with the first stage set to open in mid-2024.

It’ll also be expanded to handle more passengers in the future.

Sydney International Business Lounge

Qantas is planning a total redesign and rebuild of this space, which will increase capacity by 40% to more than 600 seats. They’ll also be introducing a new signature food and beverage concept. Work is expected to start in early 2024 and be completed by early 2025.

Hobart Qantas Club 

Qantas is moving their existing lounge to a new Hobart Qantas Club that’ll have 50% more capacity, going from 96 to about 150 seats. The timeline for this is still up in the air.

Broome Regional Lounge

Qantas is building a brand new Regional Lounge in Broome that’ll open in 2024, doubling the capacity of the existing space to around 100 seats. This is thanks to strong demand from premium leisure travelers.

Previously announced upgrades

This news follows a number of other lounge-related announcements recently, including:

• a new Auckland International Lounge set to open progressively from 2023
• a new Business Lounge at Adelaide Domestic Airport (set to open in stages from 2024) as well as an upgraded Qantas Club (2023) and Chairmans Lounge (2025) at the airport
• the redevelopment of the Regional Lounge at Port Hedland Airport (2024)
• a new Regional Lounge at Rockhampton Airport (recently completed).

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Good news, South Australian travellers!

Adelaide airport finally has an international departure lounge with the opening of the stylish Plaza Premium space today.

The independent facility is expected to be used by several airlines that fly out of Adelaide for their business class passengers and frequent flyers. 

It also welcomes pay-per-use visitors, who can currently purchase entry online for $39 for 1 hour or $71 for 2 hours.

Complimentary access is available to holders of the American Express Platinum Card.

The lounge features an array of seating choices for relaxing, dining and working. 

Guests can enjoy barista coffee, snacks and freshly prepared dishes showcasing local and international cuisine, including vegan options.

There’s also a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available.

Amenities include shower facilities, charging stations and fast Wi-Fi.

The lounge is open every day for the morning peak from 7am to 10am.

That currently suits passengers travelling on the morning services of Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Malaysia Airlines, but not those on the overnight Qatar Airways flights, who continue to miss out. Hopefully this will change as more airlines schedule evening services.

For more info and to book, visit Plaza Premium here.

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Victoria is getting another international route thanks to Qantas, which is starting a direct service from Melbourne to Jakarta.

From April 16, 2023, Qantas will fly between Melbourne and Jakarta three times a week using its spacious Airbus A330 planes.

These aircraft have excellent lie-flat seats in business class, arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, while economy class is 2-4-2.

This new route adds to the existing Sydney-Jakarta service, boosting the number of seats to and from Jakarta by over 6,600 per month.

This will help boost business and tourism connections between Australia and Indonesia.

It’s also going to be a hit with people travelling to and from other big Indonesian cities like Surabaya and Medan.

This Melbourne-Jakarta route is the third new international route Qantas has added out of Melbourne since borders opened back up. They’ve also started flying to Delhi and Dallas Fort Worth to keep up with the demand for travel.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the airline was excited to be expanding its international network from Melbourne.

“Victoria is an incredibly important part of our network and we’re seeing strong demand for travel to and from Melbourne,” Mr David said.

“We expect these flights to be popular with Victoria’s large Indonesian expat community wanting to visit family and friends back home as well as offering a new gateway for travellers looking to explore the region.

To celebrate the new route, Qantas is offering a special fare starting from $899 return, available until 7 February 2023, unless sold out prior.

There is also good availability of reward seats in economy and business class, so snap them up!

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