Qantas Is Quietly Selling Cheap First Class Airfare on Airbnb
You never know what you’ll find on Airbnb. You can stay in former celebrity homes, at an alpaca farm, and inside of a potato (yes, really). You can even rent the Spice Girls Bus. Now, keep an eye out for another type of housing accommodation: a private room on an airplane.
Australian airline Qantas cleverly hid airfare deals for first class and business class tickets within Airbnb listings. If you’re scrolling through the app looking for a place to stay, keep an eye out for listings with clever titles like “Cosy cabin nestled between the clouds” and “Premium one bedroom suite at 35,000 feet.” We see what you did there.
With the promotion, every flight will cost 50,000 Qantas Points, regardless of the route or destination. So, depending on where you’re flying, your tickets could be discounted well over 50%. The listings offer seats in pairs and groups of four, so start planning your next romantic getaway or group vacation.
It’s a clever promotion that reminds people that flying Qantas is like staying in a hotel with premium accommodations: easy check-in, a comfortable lounge, a private chef, and a sommelier.
“Some of our members fly with us more than 100 times a year so it can certainly feel like they’re living on one of our planes, eating, sleeping and working at 35,000 feet,” Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said in a statement, Business Insider reports.
There’s no word on exactly how many of these discounted tickets Qantas will release, but they said there will be “dozens of flights across the Qantas International network including London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Santiago, and more.”
In order to score the discounted airfare, you’ll need to be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member so you can book using Qantas Points. If you’re lucky enough to find one of the listings, follow the usual Airbnb protocol and request to book the “rental.” Then, someone from Qantas will reach out to confirm your frequent flyer number and help you book your flights.
You really never know what you’ll find on Airbnb.