The only thing I hate more than devaluing points is being lied to.

It’s laughable enough when Qantas describes the gutting of its award chart as “rebalancing.”

But now they explain the end of mileage upgrades on discount fares as a way

to support its most “loyal” customers.



The changes would give “more availability to those business and first class fares rather than just somebody who books a one-off and uses the very bottom, cheapest fare and then upgrades”.



“Because it is a loyalty program we’re rewarding those obviously more loyal to us,” the spokesman said.

So Qantas is doing this because full fare paying passengers have been unable to buy business and first class tickets?

I buy that they define loyalty as high revenue rather than high frequency or fidelity to a single airline. Or I should say redefining loyalty.

But it’s outrageous to say that taking away mileage upgrades is somehow a way to reward anyone.

Tell me you’re cutting the program. But don’t lie to me about it.