QANTAS: New search tool allows region-to-region Classic Rewards search across partner airlines

Qantas is promising to roll out a major upgrade to how members search for Classic Reward seats in March 2026. It could dramatically improve your chances of finding low-points Classic Rewards redemptions. Over at ET they have seen a preview, and this is what they found.

Region-to-Region search

The new website tool will allow members to search region-to-region (e.g., Australia to Europe) over a 12-month window, rather than being limited to specific city pairs and dates. It will display all available Classic Reward seats by destination and cabin in one view.

Qantas and partner results

Importantly, the search will cover not just Qantas flights, but also Jetstar, Emirates, all Oneworld airlines and more than 30 partner carriers. This will significantly expand the visibility of the lowest fixed-point redemption seats available as Classic Rewards.

Currently, members must search point-to-point (e.g. Sydney to London) and test individual dates, which makes finding availability time-consuming. The new system is designed to improve ‘discoverability’ by showing alternative routes, airlines and dates in a single interface.

Classic Rewards

Classic Reward seats remain highly prized because they are priced at fixed, relatively low points levels (for example, 82,100 points one-way in business to Singapore or 166,300 to London or New York).

This contrasts with Classic Plus redemptions, which offer more availability but are dynamically priced and can cost several hundred thousand points in premium cabins. The provision of the Classic Plus rewards is effectively a devaluation of the value of Qantas points.

2PAXfly Takeout

If the tool performs as described in the preview, it will be what I have been dreaming of. If it works, it should make it much easier for Qantas Frequent Flyers to find those hard-to-secure Classic Reward seats. It will also save hours of playing reward search calendar roulette.

However, all this will be in vain if there are not sufficient Classic Reward seats made available. It’s all very good to recruit millions of new Frequent Flyers to the scheme. But if the number stays the same, it’s just going to be a more efficient way to confirm that there are no Classic Reward seats available. And that will really piss loyal members with millions of points, right off.