Business class seats starting at $369 and economy from $109 in seven-day Qantas sale

The airline is offering one million discounted business class and economy seats on flights to 60 destinations across Australia. See our expert’s tips on getting the best deal.

Qantas has launched a seven-day sale offering one million discounted business class and economy seats on flights to 60 destinations across Australia.

Business seats start from 23,500 Qantas points or $369 one-way, while economy seats start from 5400 points or $109 one-way, with more than 35 routes under $150 up for grabs.

Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said the sale offered value for customers wanting to lock in 2025 travel plans.

“We know Australians love a getaway. Today another one million sale fares will become available across our domestic Business and Economy cabins offering customers more choice and more value for their travel this year,” he said.

“And with 60 regional and capital city destinations covered, it’s a fantastic opportunity for those looking to book a weekend getaway, family interstate trip or travelling for business.”

The seven-day Qantas sale applies to 60 Australian destinations. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

While the Qantas sale offers big flight discounts, a frequent flyer expert said there are better ways to take advantage of Qantas points.

iFLYflat’s Points Whisperer Steve Hui said savvy travellers are also better off paying with cash rather than points.

He said this because the value of points under the Qantas Classic Plus system is “disappointingly low”.

“The challenge is that earning points can often cost more than their redemption value,’ he said.

“Many people pay a 1.5 per cent surcharge when earning Qantas points through credit card payments (common in restaurants and cafes, etc), meaning they’re effectively paying more than 1 cent per point — making Classic Plus redemptions a backwards choice.”

Mr Hui said those fortunate enough to earn Qantas points for less than 1 cent, there’s a slight advantage.

However, it’s nothing compared to the 3+ cents per point value that was once possible under Classic Rewards.

“Unfortunately, these reward seats have become increasingly scarce as Qantas shifts more travellers towards the more expensive Classic Plus model,” he said.

Mr Hui said frequent flyers with a significant Qantas Points balance need to be strategic with redemptions.

“The smart way to use points is to aim for redemptions like Classic Rewards where they are worth more than what it costs you, that’s the definition of a reward. Anything less than that is simply a bad deal,” he added.

iFLYflat’s Points Whisperer Steve Hui.

The sale comes as Qantas attempts to lure more customers after Virgin Australia overtook the airline as the biggest carrier of domestic travellers after the demise of Rex, and a boost to Virgin’s fleet.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s latest airline monitoring report showed Virgin had increased its market share ahead of Qantas by 3.1 per cent in December 2024.

Virgin Australia now owns a bigger slice of the domestic market than Qantas, hitting 35 per cent compared to 34.6 per cent.

Qantas has defended its sale saying there are four times more seats available under the Classic Plus program than Classic Rewards, and many are more affordable.

Classic Plus fares vary like normal airfares, lower when booked early or during sale periods and higher during peak periods.

Sale fares, which customers can purchase using Qantas points or cash, are for select travel dates and periods from April 29 to June 26, July 22 to September 18 and October 14 to December 10, and are available for purchase until 11.59pm (AEDT) March 2, or until sold out.

Originally published as Business class seats starting at $369 and economy from $109 in seven-day Qantas sale