Qantas announces thousands of seats in special summer points planes

With travellers preparing for sky-high flight prices this summer season, an initiative will see more than 200,000 flights go to certain customers.

In a bid to lure more passengers in the air and get Aussies spending their frequent flyer points this festive season, Qantas has rolled out thousands of seats to some of Australia’s most sought-after destinations.

The carrier has announced that frequent flyer members will have the chance to jump on board 3000 points planes – adding up to a whopping 225,000 seats across 21 routes – in an initiative the airline has dubbed the ‘Summer of Points Planes’.

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Qantas announced more than 200,000 points seats will be available across 21 routes.

In a bid to counter some of the airline’s exorbitant airfares heading into the Christmas period, some of the key destinations include the Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Byron Bay, Townsville, Broome and Kangaroo Island.

For members hoping to snap up a seat, travel must be undertaken in the period from January 9-22 or anytime in February, with at least 8000 points required for a one-way ticket. Some of the most popular routes will likely set you back a little more, such as between Sydney and Hamilton Island which will cost 27,600 points for business class and 12,000 points for economy (along with $55 in taxes, fees and carrier charges).

Most flights will require around 8000 points each way. Picture: NewsWire/Sarah Marshall

“This is a record release of points planes that will help thousands of our frequent flyers use their points to book a coastal holiday this summer,” Qantas loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said.

“While strong demand and higher fuel prices have seen the price of airfares for all airlines increase off historic lows over the past 18 months, the points required to book these seats haven’t increased in years.

“Reward seats on most of these routes can be booked from 8000 points one way, with a family of four being able to travel from Sydney to the Gold Coast and back for under 65,000 points.”

The announcement comes after experts warned passengers to expect skyrocketing airfare prices heading into the festive season, with rising jet fuel costs, fewer scheduled flights, and pent-up travel demands all contributing to some of the highest fare prices seen in five years.