This was published 4 years ago
Qantas frequent flyer Airbnb seats: First and business class seats available in 'secret' listings
By Craig Platt
If you've ever wanted the chance to fly first or business class internationally, but didn't have enough points to do so, this could be your chance.
Qantas will sell first and business class seats to frequent flyer members for less than one quarter the normal amount of points required as part of a promotion with Airbnb.
The airline will register Qantas Frequent Flyer as a host on the home-sharing website, and over the next two weeks, secretly list several opportunities for first and business class flights, disguised as accommodation listings.
Qantas is promising "dozens" of flights across the airline's international network including London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Santiago. Seats will be sold in pairs and groups of four.
Examples provided by Qantas include two first class seats one-way from Melbourne to Los Angeles for 50,000 points, normally 144,000 points a seat, and one-way business class from Sydney to London for 50,000 points, normally 128,000 a seat.
So, how do you find these secret flights?
That's not entirely clear (perhaps to ensure it's not too easy). Based on the mock-up listings provided by Qantas, it appears that the seats will appear under the relevant destinations (Los Angeles, for example) with descriptions that give away that they're not your typical Airbnb rental.
"Cosy cabin nestled between the clouds" and "Premium one bedroom suite at 35,000 feet" are two of the examples given, with the host listed as "Qantas Frequent Flyer Team" with a profile pic of a Qantas flight attendant.
They're also listed as "Private room in plane" as the accommodation type. The photos on the listing will feature Qantas lounges and aircraft interiors.
Once a request to book is made, Qantas will contact the applicant to confirm their frequent flyer number and points balance.
This is the second gimmick Qantas has applied to promote frequent flyer bookings this month. Last week the airline launched its first "Points Plane" flight – an A380 superjumbo where all the seats were reserved for frequent flyer points bookings. The flight, from Melbourne to Tokyo on October 21, still has seats available in economy class after business and first class quickly sold out. A return Points Plane is flying from Tokyo to Melbourne on October 26.
See also: Qantas reserves entire A380 superjumbo for frequent flyer points bookings
See also: The worst ways to use your Qantas frequent flyer points
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.