Qantas switches on Bangkok Airways reward seats

Dreaming of kicking back on the sandy shore of Koh Samui or exploring the ruins of Angkor? Qantas Frequent Flyer members can now look forward to using points across more of Asia. Bangkok Airways reward seats have finally come online.

With Qantas Points, Economy reward seats start from 10,000 points + taxes, with no carrier charges or fuel surcharges. Bangkok Airways flies to over 20 destinations, including some routes that bypass Bangkok, such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to Koh Samui.

Economy Reward seats are okay value, but not outstanding. For example, Singapore-Koh Samui return flights in Economy are being sold for SG$439 (~AU$482) return.

But a return reward seat booking will set you back SG$90 (~AU$99) and 28,000 points return, which gives this redemption a value of 1.37 cents per point. (We try to target at least 1.90 cents per Qantas Point for reward flights).

At least Bangkok Airways is a full-service carrier, which includes meals and luggage allowances. This works out favourably compared to Jetstar Asia, for example.

And as an added perk, all Bangkok Airways passengers (including those in Economy) can access the airline’s ‘Boutique Lounges’ in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket!

Want to indulge a bit more? Bangkok Airways flies a Business Class cabin, called ‘Blue Ribbon’, on limited routes such as Bangkok-Malé. But at the time of writing, Business reward seats don’t appear to be available via Qantas.

Bangkok Airways has a long history with Qantas

Qantas has been a codeshare partner with Bangkok Airways since 2014. But that arrangement has been limited to booking QF-coded seats on Bangkok Airways flights and lounge access for eligible passengers.

Back in June 2019, Qantas announced that members could soon use Qantas Points on selected KLM, Air France, Air New Zealand and Bangkok Airways flights. But Bangkok Airways reward seats never eventuated, and COVID-19 slowed the plans to a halt, until now.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said Thailand was one of the most popular destinations for the airline’s frequent flyers.

The option to book reward seats on Bangkok Airways’ expansive network across Thailand and South East Asia will also open up thousands of new redemption opportunities. Reward seats continue to be great value and there are millions available for booking now across domestic and international routes for the next year on Qantas, Jetstar and our partner airlines.

– Olivia Wirth, Qantas Loyalty CEO, 1 November 2022

On reward seats, you can now connect to Bangkok Airways flights after flying to Singapore, Bangkok or Phuket with Qantas or Jetstar. By booking everything under one ticket, your luggage can be checked through. You’ll also be protected if any flights are cancelled or delayed.

Summing up

Bangkok Airways is a small boutique airline covering vast swathes of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Qantas and Jetstar passengers can easily connect to Bangkok Airways in Singapore, Phuket and Bangkok. As a full-service airline, bags, meals – and even lounge access at some ports – are included.

Now that we can finally use Qantas Points on Bangkok Airways, it’ll be even easier to plan your next Asian adventure. Where will you head next?