AUCKLAND: New Zealanders will now earn Qantas Points on every Jetstar domestic flight across the country, including flights to four new regional destinations on sale from September.
Qantas Loyalty CEO Lesley Grant said expanding the opportunities to earn was expected to grow the membership of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program in New Zealand.
“New Zealand already has the biggest population of Qantas Frequent Flyer members outside Australia, so we want to expand the offering to these loyal customers as well as attract new ones.
“When you combine the ability to earn Qantas Points on Jetstar’s growing domestic footprint with the ability to redeem points across the entire Qantas and partner network, it makes our Frequent Flyer program excellent value for New Zealanders.
“In practical terms, it means flying to somewhere like Dunedin on Jetstar will earn you points to help you fly to the likes of Denmark with Qantas and our partner Emirates,” added Ms Grant.
Previously, Qantas Frequent Flyer members travelling on Jetstar New Zealand have earned Qantas Points only when adding Plus and Max bundles to their Starter fare to include extras such as food, baggage and ticket flexibility.
From today, all Jetstar domestic Starter fares within New Zealand will attract a minimum of 400 Qantas Points. Customers purchasing Plus bundles will earn a minimum of 800 Qantas Points, while those buying the Max bundle will receive a minimum of 1,200 Qantas Points.
The Qantas Points offering on all domestic flights will be unique to Jetstar’s customers in New Zealand. Qantas Points will not be extended to other parts of the Jetstar network. This reflects that Jetstar is one of only two domestic airlines in the country and has a significant share of the New Zealand business market.
Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the airline, which has operated domestic services in New Zealand for six years, would continue to innovate for its customers.
“Jetstar has a proven track record of offering New Zealanders the lowest fares, and lots of them,” said Ms Hrdlicka.
“We play a unique role in New Zealand’s aviation market as the only real competition to the national carrier in the domestic market. This initiative will allow us to improve our offering to New Zealanders and to continue to provide genuine competition.
“Jetstar has tens of thousands of loyal New Zealand customers, many who are already Qantas Frequent Flyer members, and this improvement will see them rewarded when flying with us.
“We expect this will be appealing to the growing number of business travellers who are choosing to fly regularly with Jetstar, particularly given our regional plans.”
New Zealanders purchasing the lowest fares will reach a domestic reward flight faster by flying with Jetstar domestically, versus flying with its key domestic competitor.
The expansion of Qantas Points to more Jetstar customers follows last week’s announcement that will see Jetstar flying to four new regional destinations from December 2015. Jetstar executives have held meetings with representatives from Nelson and Rotorua this week and will visit other potential destinations next week.
New Zealand residents can join Qantas Frequent Flyer for free at www.qantas.co.nz, with the usual NZ$50 join fee waived until 31 December 2015.
Background:
The most popular redemptions for Qantas Frequent Flyers are flights and upgrades to Qantas’ Business and First cabins internationally.
Qantas Points can also be redeemed for over a thousand products available through the online New Zealand Qantas Store, including: Apple products; homewares and kitchen appliances; movie tickets; and magazine subscriptions.
In addition, the Qantas Store stocks gift cards for popular local retailers including:
Qantas Store redemptions start from just 2,500 Qantas Points. Members can also use their points to book car hire in Australia and New Zealand with Avis and Budget Car Rental.
Qantas Frequent Flyer offers New Zealanders a number of opportunities to earn points for activities other than flying, giving members additional ways to easily add to their points balance. Partners include ANZ, American Express (points-earning credit cards), Avis and Budget Car Rental, as well as thousands of hotels worldwide.