Qantas Frequent Flyer members can now book award seats with China Eastern Airlines via the Qantas website, whereas until now you had to call Qantas to book. This is the last major airline partner to be added to Qantas’ online award booking engine.

China Eastern flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to its hub in Shanghai, and onward to destinations in Asia, Europe and North America. Depending on where you want to go, it could be a useful alternative to Qantas’ better known partners.

The airline releases a decent amount of award seats including in business and first class. Right now, for example, it’s very easy to get two business class seats on flights between Australia and Shanghai (and beyond) over the next 12 months.

China Eastern does also offer first class services on many long-haul routes, but in Australia we only see these during the summer months (and then not on all routes – for example, I can only see first class next summer on Sydney flights).

Plenty of award seat availability, including during the peak travel period

China Eastern mostly flies A330s to Australia, which unfortunately sport a dated 2-2-2 layout in business class (and no first class).

China Eastern A330 business class

On the airline’s Boeing 777s – which fly seasonally to Australia and are also seen on many routes to Europe and North America – business class has a more modern 1-2-1 layout.

China Eastern 777 business class

China Eastern 777 business class

The 777s also include first class “suites”, two of which can be converted into a “double bed”.

China Eastern 777 first class

China Eastern 777 first class “double bed”

A one-way flight from Sydney or Melbourne to Shanghai costs 78,000 points in business class or 114,000 points in first, plus modest taxes and fees.

The points cost between Brisbane and Shanghai is a little cheaper (65,000 points in business class; unlikely that first class will be offered).

A one-way flight from Australia to Europe or North America will set you back up to 139,000 in business class or 203,000 in first. You can also book a mixed business/first class fare, where the price will vary.

Note that for some odd reason, the Qantas website isn’t delivering results between Australia and some destinations. For example, seats don’t appear when searching for Melbourne-New York City, even though the airline flies there and seats are available.

You might be able to get around this glitch by using the multi-city tool to book. Simply search for each leg separately (i.e. Melbourne-Shanghai and then Shanghai-New York) and so long as the connection time is less than 24 hours, the fare will be priced as a standard one-way fare based on the total distance travelled.

You can also opt for a stopover in Shanghai, but then each flight will be priced separately.

Finally, I should add that I haven’t flown China Eastern before, but based on other travellers’ reviews, my impression is that the quality of the food, dining and service can be patchy. I wouldn’t expect the kind of polished service you’d normally get with Qantas partners like Japan Airlines or Cathay Pacific – but still, if this is the only option you have, go for it.

(Hat tip to Australian Frequent Flyer.)

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Last week I wrote about the news that Qantas Frequent Flyer members can now redeem Qantas Points to fly with Air Tahiti Nui on its Auckland and Los Angeles routes. This opens up a handy new way for Australians and New Zealanders to travel to Tahiti and California using their Qantas Points.

Air Tahiti Nui’s fleet currently comprises five old A340s, but these will soon be replaced by four new 787-9 Dreamliners. The first 787 is expected to arrive in October and the remainder by the end of 2019, at which time the advanced plane will fully take over all routes.

A couple of days ago, we finally got a glimpse of what the new Dreamliners will look like, via what appear to be authentic photos leaked on Twitter. First up, here is the aircraft livery: surely one of the beautiful designs in the sky.

And here’s a shot of the business class cabin, which will feature lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 layout.

While 2-2-2 in business class is hardly ideal if you’re a solo passenger at a window seat, I’d guess that most people travelling to Tahiti will be couples or groups going on holiday. The seat is a significant improvement over the airline’s current A340 angled business class seats.

Ait Tahiti Nui is introducing premium economy with its new Dreamliners, which will feature a 2-3-2 layout.

Finally, here’s economy in a 3-3-3 layout, with a standard 31 inch pitch (distance from seat back to seat back).

What do you think? I am definitely inspired to book a trip to Tahiti using my Qantas Points!

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Qantas has opened up access to reward seats with partner Air Tahiti Nui, enabling Qantas Frequent Flyers to travel to Papeete, Tahiti and beyond to Los Angeles, using their Qantas Points.

Previously members were only able to earn Qantas Points on QF marketed / Air Tahiti Nui operated flights.

Now, for the first time, members can book a classic flight reward seat with Air Tahiti Nui on the following routes:

• Auckland to Papeete (22,500 points in economy; 50,000 in business)
• Papeete to Los Angeles (28,000 points in economy; 60,000 in business)
• Auckland to Los Angeles (40,000 points in economy; 84,000 in business)

By adding a Qantas connecting flight from Australia to Auckland, the cost goes up a bit (e.g. from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to Papeete via Auckland, you’ll need 28,000 points in economy and 60,000 in business).

I had a play on the Qantas website and found a smattering of dates with business class seats available on some routes (with better availability in economy), but there are some glitches with online searches right now.

For example, some results from Australia to Tahiti came back with routings via Los Angeles or with unnecessary domestic connections within Australia.

Also, the system wouldn’t accept one-way searches departing PPT. I reached out to Qantas about this and a spokesperson advised they are working on these issues.

If you’re trying to compose an itinerary yourself using the multi-city tool, be aware that this may bring up other problems.

My advice is to call Qantas to book if you aren’t able to do so on its website.

Air Tahiti Nui’s fleet comprises five A340-300s, which are currently being phased out in favour of new 787-9 Dreamliners.

The new aircraft will begin services at the end of this year and should fully take over by the end of 2019.

Both types of aircraft feature a 2-2-2 layout in business class (angled, in the case of the A340s, but fully flat on the Dreamliners).

A preliminary design of Ait Tahiti Nui’s new business class seat

Economy in the new Dreamliners will be in a 3-3-3 config, with a standard 31 inch pitch (distance from seat back to seat back).

Customers travelling in business, Qantas Club members and frequent flyers with gold status and above, and their guests, will have access to the Air Tahiti Business lounge in Papeete.

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When trying to make a reward booking on the Qantas website last week, I was surprised to come across a glitch that was pricing my itinerary at ~50,000 more Qantas Points than it “should”.

I wanted to fly Toronto to Melbourne in business class, and my initial search for a reward seat on Qantas’ website came up empty.

But after doing some more research, I found several combinations of individual flights that could make this itinerary work, so I tried to compose the itinerary myself using the multi-city booking tool (this is a handy trick for those who aren’t aware of it).

The way this should work, and how it has for me in the past, is that, so long as the transit time between flights in a ‘multi city’ booking is less than 24 hours, they will be treated as connections, and the itinerary will be priced based on the distance travelled, as per Qantas’ award table.

Instead, the Qantas website priced each flight segment as an independent trip – which of course made the whole booking much more expensive.

I was quoted ~180,000 points from memory, when it should have been 128,000.

Yesterday I realised that other people were experiencing the same problem (see this discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum).

There’s no warning or disclaimer on Qantas’ website, despite the fact people may be being overcharged and can avoid this by calling Qantas to book over the phone instead.

If you’ve been overcharged or are planning to make a “multi-city” booking that includes connecting flights, make sure to do so by calling the airline – and, of course, insist that it waives its usual phone booking fee.

Update 24 May: A Qantas spokesperson has advised that this issue has been resolved and the Qantas website is now accurately displaying prices. Qantas also states that, despite the prices being misquoted, members were not overcharged because when members actually booked, the correct number of points was deducted. 

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