Qantas today announced it will begin offering flight discounts of up to 10 per cent off the base fare to members of its small and medium business rewards program, Aquire.
Australian-based businesses will be able to purchase discounted tickets for their employees’ work-related travel, across Qantas’ domestic and international network. Aquire Flight Deals will also extend to some Qantas codeshare flights with a QF flight number.
Qantas Loyalty CEO Lesley Grant said Aquire Flight Deals has been designed to complement the existing Aquire benefits, including the ability for business owners to earn points for common expenses such as parking, office supplies, couriers, printing, insurance and accounting services, as well as flights.
“Offering flight discounts, combined with the opportunity to earn Aquire Points on most fares, certainly makes our business rewards program hard to beat and unique in the Australian market,” she said.
“In real terms, the discounts equate to savings of over $950 on a return Business Saver fare from Melbourne to New York or London. And for a domestic return Economy Flex fare from Sydney to Perth you’d be looking at savings of around $150.”
Ms Grant said the changes announced today are aimed at strengthening the loyalty proposition of the Aquire program and attracting new customers within the small to medium business market.
“There are around two million businesses in Australia and the feedback from the organisations already in the Aquire program shows that a combination of points and flight discounts will help attract a larger share of what is potentially a multi-billion dollar per year revenue opportunity for the airline,” she said.
These changes mean Aquire members will get immediate benefits via discounts, but also be rewarded for their long-term loyalty through earning Aquire Points that may be converted one for one into Qantas Points. Those Qantas Points can then be redeemed down the track for rewards like flights and upgrades.
Aquire Flight Deals are available from participating travel agents around the country, as well as direct via qantas.com with special login details available exclusively to Aquire members.
Ms Grant said the Aquire program, which close to 70,000 businesses have already signed up to, has been well received because the points earned can translate into savings to the bottom line of a company.
“Business owners can in fact triple-dip on points when they fly if they’re personally a Qantas Frequent Flyer member, their business is an Aquire member and they pay for their flights on a points-earning credit card,” she said.
“When their employees fly, those employees can earn Qantas Points for themselves credited to their personal Frequent Flyer account, and the business will earn Aquire Points for that same flight.”
“Most businesses need insurance, as well as a gas and electricity provider and they’ll more than likely use a business credit card. So being part of Aquire means business owners get something back for that essential spend,” Ms Grant said.
Qantas also expects to periodically offer Aquire members exclusive one-off discounts on particular routes.
About Aquire:
Aquire rewards businesses for flying with Qantas and buying goods and services from Aquire partners that they would ordinarily buy as part of normal business activity. A full list of Aquire partners can be viewed at www.aquire.com.au/partners.
Aquire Points convert into Qantas Points at a rate of 1:1. Business owners can choose whose Qantas Frequent Flyer account is credited with the points earned via Aquire. Options include: splitting points among business owners; gifting points to employees as reward and recognition; or redeeming points for employees’ work-related travel and therefore saving on business travel expenses.
Qantas Points can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, hotel stays, travel insurance, car hire, food and wine, fuel vouchers, gift vouchers or thousands of products from the online Qantas Store.
All Australian-based businesses with an ABN can join Aquire via aquire.com.au. A one-off $89.50 joining fee applies. Aquire terms and conditions apply and can be viewed online at www.aquire.com.au.
Background:
- Aquire Flight Deals are available to Aquire members, for business-related travel only.
- Aquire Flight Deals will be available for sale on/after 28 July 2015, for travel in Economy from 4 August 2015, and travel in Premium Economy and Business from 7 August 2015.
- Members will save 10 per cent off the base fare of selected domestic Business and international Business and Premium Economy Saver fares when booked at least 10 days in advance.
- Members will save 5 per cent off the base fare of selected domestic and international Economy Flex fares when booked at least seven days in advance.
- Discounts apply to the base fare only and exclude taxes, fees and carrier charges.
- Aquire members can access the discounted fares either through participating travel agents or online at qantas.com after obtaining special logon details available to them as an Aquire member.
- There are no changes to the Aquire Points earn rate with Qantas Airways as a result of Aquire Flight Deals.
- Aquire Points can be converted into Qantas Points at a rate of 1:1 subject to minimum thresholds being met in accordance with the terms and conditions available at www.aquire.com.au.