Understanding Qantas Points: How They Work and Where You Can Go
Whether you’re already fluent in the language of Qantas Points, or they’re completely foreign to you, there’s always more to learn about how Qantas Points work and where you can go with them.
What you'll learn
- How you earn Qantas Points
- How you spend Qantas Points
- How to fly using Qantas Points
- How many Qantas Points do I need for my flight?
1. How you earn Qantas Points
Earning Qantas Points can be done through a variety of methods, and you can also claim heaps of bonus points on things like Qantas Points earning credit cards, everyday purchases, bills and subscription services, as well as by booking flights and accommodation. Before worrying about that, it’s important to understand how Qantas Points work.
What are Qantas Points?
Qantas Points are the currency of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program and can be used on various products and services of Qantas and their partners. If you want to save your Qantas Points for an expensive purchase, there’s no need to worry about your points expiring, as Qantas Points last as long as you earn or spend Qantas Points at least once every 18 months. To start earning Qantas Points, you’ll need to sign up to become a Qantas Frequent Flyer member. There is normally a sign-up fee, but this can be avoided by applying for a Qantas Points earning credit card. Each dollar spent on an eligible purchase will earn you Qantas Points, but if you shop smart, you can find many deals that offer eligible products and services at a higher Qantas Points earn rate.
Qantas Points-earning credit cards
One of the most effective ways to regularly earn Qantas Points is with a Qantas Points earning credit card, which will allow you to earn points on all eligible purchases. These cards will also often come with heaps of bonus Qantas Points when you sign up and free membership to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. You can find these Qantas Points earning credit cards at Westpac (and other credit card providers), with great sign-up offers to begin your Qantas Points journey with a bang.
Altitude Qantas Black card
Get up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points~ – 90,000 Qantas Points if you spend $6k+ on eligible purchases† within 120 days of new card approval and an extra 30,000 points on your first purchase after having the card for a year.
Credit criteria and T&Cs apply.
Altitude Qantas Platinum card
Get up to 80,000 bonus Qantas Points++ if you spend $4k+ on eligible purchases† within 90 days of new card approval.
Credit criteria and T&Cs apply.
Everyday purchases
With the aid of a Qantas Points earning credit card, you can increase your points balance by earning Qantas Points on everyday items including groceries and petrol. This can be maximised further with a Woolworths Everyday Rewards membership, which will earn you Everyday Rewards points that can be converted into Qantas Points.
You should also consider shopping online with Qantas Shopping Mall for your fashion, entertainment, homewares, and health & beauty needs. With endless brands and insane Qantas Points earn rates on your favourite products, you can increase your Qantas Points significantly.
Bills and subscription services
Setting up direct debit on your Qantas Points earning credit card for any bills and subscription services is an easy way to passively earn Qantas Points. Whether that’s monthly energy bills, phone and internet bills or streaming services and meal services, there’s guaranteed Qantas Points, and in many cases, bonus points for the taking.
Flights and accommodation
Earning Qantas Points on flights and accommodation with Qantas and their partner airlines is a no-brainer. You’ll get heaps of points with eligible flights, and your points can be increased even further depending on factors like flight distance, choice of airline, choice of cabin class and ticket cost. And when you’re booking your accommodation, make sure you book through the Qantas Hotels website to get a higher Qantas Points earn rate. You can even book an Airbnb stay through this site and get bonus points on your first booking.
For more information on how to earn Qantas Points and details on specific bonus Qantas Points offers, check out our Maximising Your Qantas Points article.
2. How you spend Qantas Points
While you may think Qantas Points are only for flights and flight upgrades, there’s plenty of other spending uses, such as accommodation and everyday items.
Flights
You can use Qantas Points to book domestic or international flights with Qantas, Jetstar and other airline partners. If you think booking a flight seems the most rewarding way to redeem Qantas Points, it’s important to know how exactly to make this happen.
- Log-in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account
In order to use your Qantas Points, ensure you’re logged into your Qantas Frequent Flyer account before looking at flights. - Search for your flight
Enter your flight details and select ‘Search Classic Flight Rewards’ to see flights eligible to purchase with Qantas Points.
- Choose your flight
Available flights will be shown in the ‘Classic Flight Rewards’ column. Select the ‘View in Points’ button to see the Qantas Points needed for your flight. - Next steps
Choose your preferred seat, review your booking then pay for your flight in Qantas Points.
Flight upgrades
Using Qantas Points to book seat upgrades is a great use of points, however, there are many things that determine the priority of who is approved for a seat upgrade when competing with other passengers, such as Frequent Flyer status, Qantas Club membership, cabin class and when you request the upgrade. You’re able to upgrade on domestic or international Qantas flights (not Jetstar or other airlines), and there are a few upgrade options at your disposal.
- Immediate seat upgrade: When you initially book your Qantas flight, you can check for available seat upgrades and receive immediate approval upon request.
- Classic Upgrade Rewards: This involves requesting a seat upgrade during the eligible request period, which will put you in competition with other passengers.
- Bid Now Upgrades: You can bid for an upgraded seat with a lower amount of Qantas Points, or even a mix of points and money.
- Domestic On Departure Upgrade Rewards: Passengers with certain Qantas Frequent Flyer status are able to request a late upgrade (up to 3 hours before scheduled flight departure) for the standard ‘Classic Upgrade Rewards’ Qantas Points cost.
For more tips and information on upgrading with Qantas Points, read our Complete Guide to Upgrading with Qantas Points.
Accommodation
Qantas Hotels are great for spending Qantas Points, with many highly regarded hotels across Australia and the world waiting to accept your Qantas Points. While using the Qantas Hotels site, you’ll see there are often offers running on hotels, with reduced Qantas Points cost giving you even greater value.
Everyday items
While it may seem like an unusual use of your hard-earned Qantas Points, there are many products available to purchase with Qantas Points through Qantas Marketplace. No matter if you’re in need of a new wardrobe or mobile phone, or it’s time to upgrade your couch, Qantas Marketplace has an enormous range of options for you to spend your points on. Best of all, Qantas Marketplace has constant deals on popular items, so you can do your shopping for even less Qantas Points.
3. How to fly using Qantas Points
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to booking your plane ticket with Qantas Points. Not only can you use your Qantas Points to book flights with a few different airlines, but there are also multiple ways to pay with points. Because of this, it’s a good idea to be familiar with your options before blindly jumping in.
Airline options
For many of us, we would automatically assume using Qantas Points to book a flight with Qantas is the best course of action. However, with so many Qantas partner airlines (known as ‘oneworld members’), it’s best to do some research on the best Qantas Points deal depending on where you plan to fly. For example, if you’re dreaming of a trip to Tokyo, it may cost you less points to fly with Japan Airlines, or if you’re looking at London, British Airways may be your best bet. You can still use the Qantas website to search for flights with these airlines, just have a look at the flight number to determine which airline is operating a certain flight.
Even if you’re considering a domestic or short-haul flight, Jetstar may be preferable to Qantas. For certain flight routes, it’s 20% less Qantas Points to book with Jetstar than Qantas, so make sure you check before booking your flight.
Payment options
Depending on whether you have enough Qantas Points to cover the full ticket cost or you’re just out of reach, you can still use your points to pay for your ticket in a few different ways.
The most common way to book a flight with Qantas Points is using Classic Flight Rewards, which is valid on over 1200 destinations in Australia and worldwide, and can be used for Qantas and airlines they partner with. This involves paying for your ticket in full using Qantas Points and is the best value option if you have a large enough points balance.
Alternatively, if you’re low on points but still have a flight to catch, you have a few options. You can purchase points directly from Qantas, or, if a family member has a surplus of Qantas Points, they’re able to transfer some of their points to you, so you can pay using Classic Flight Rewards for the best value. Otherwise, you can use the ‘Points Plus Pay’ method, which allows you to pay with a mix of Qantas Points and cash. This should only be reserved for if you’re slightly off the required points, as there is a worse Qantas Points rate using this method.
4. How many Qantas Points do I need for my flight?
The Qantas Point cost for your flight is determined by many factors. This includes the flight distance, the airline, your selected cabin, flight dates and whether it’s a domestic or international destination.
The cheapest use of Classic Flight Rewards is a one-way domestic flight, starting from as little as 6400 Qantas Points (plus additional charges). The easiest way to find out how many Qantas Points you need is by using the Qantas Points calculator and selecting ‘Use points’.
Have a look at the Qantas Points required* for one-way tickets from Australia to some of the most popular destinations.
| From | To | Qantas Points |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Melbourne Brisbane Auckland Fiji Bali Tokyo London |
6400 6400 18000 18000 18000 26000 66200 |
| Melbourne | Sydney Brisbane Whitsundays Auckland Bali Fiji London |
6400 9600 14400 18000 18000 20300 55200 |
| Brisbane | Sydney Whitsundays Melbourne Queenstown New Caledonia London |
6400 8000 9600 18000 12000 55200 |
| Perth | Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Bali Auckland London |
14400 14400 14400 14400 20300 51200 |
*The Qantas Points required for these trips is correct as of 25/09/23.
Frequently asked questions
How many Qantas Frequent Flyer Points do I need for a free flight?
The amount of Qantas Points you’d need for an economy seat on a one-way domestic flight starts at 6400 Qantas Points.
Can you transfer Qantas Points to someone else?
You can transfer Qantas Points between Qantas Frequent Flyer members, however, this is only possible between eligible family members. You can transfer a minimum of 5000 Qantas Points at a time, up to a maximum of 600,000 Qantas Points.
Information correct as of 25/09/23.
This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness for the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.
Conditions, credit criteria and fees and charges apply, credit provided by Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.
Compare our Qantas Credit Cards
Compare features such as annual card fees, points earn rates and minimum credit limits to help you decide which Qantas Rewards credit card is right for you.
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Things you should know
Credit criteria, fees and charges apply. Credit Card Product Switches, upgrades or Westpac group staff are ineligible.
Be credit savvy: Before applying, consider a realistic credit limit and check all conditions, interest rates, fees and charges on your selected card.
~ Bonus Qantas or Velocity Points Promotion Altitude Black: To be eligible for up to 120,000 bonus Qantas or Velocity Points, you must apply and be approved for a new Altitude Qantas Black or Altitude Velocity Black credit card between 2nd November 2023 and 31st July 2024.
You will receive an initial 90,000 bonus points if you spend $6k or more on eligible purchases within 120 days of card approval. These will be credited to your points balance within 12 weeks of meeting this spend criteria.
You will receive an additional 30,000 bonus points if you keep your account open for more than 12 months and continue to use the card. These additional points will be credited to your points balance within 12 weeks, after the first eligible purchase is made in the second year of your card account being active.
If you do not meet the minimum spend criteria within 120 days of card approval, you forfeit the initial 90,000 bonus points only. However, you are still eligible for the additional 30,000 bonus points in the second year if you continue to use your card.
Existing Westpac customers who currently hold an Earth Classic, Earth Platinum, Earth Platinum Plus, Earth Black, Altitude Classic, Altitude Platinum or Altitude Black credit card, or who have held one in the last 12 months, are not eligible for this offer.
Qantas or Velocity Points earned during a statement cycle are added to your Qantas or Velocity Points balance on a monthly basis. Eligible purchases do not include interest, fees and charges, cash or ATM cash advances, cash equivalent transactions, gambling transactions, a purchase from or payment to a local, state or federal government or government related agency, BPAY or similar transactions (such as Post Billpay), refunds and balance transfers debited from the card account. Credit Card Product Switches, upgrades or Westpac group staff are ineligible for this offer.
++Bonus Qantas or Velocity Points Promotion Altitude Platinum: To be eligible for up to 80,000 bonus Qantas or Velocity Points, you must apply and be approved for a new Altitude Qantas Platinum or Altitude Velocity Platinum credit card between 28th February 2024 and 31st July 2024. You will receive an initial 60,000 bonus points if you spend $4k or more on eligible purchases within 90 days of card approval. These will be credited to your points balance within 12 weeks of meeting this spend criteria. You will receive an additional 20,000 bonus points if you keep your account open for more than 12 months and continue to use the card. These additional points will be credited to your points balance within 12 weeks, after the first eligible purchase is made in the second year of your card account being active. If you do not meet the minimum spend criteria within 90 days of card approval, you forfeit the initial 60,000 bonus points only. However, you are still eligible for the additional 20,000 bonus points in the second year if you continue to use your card. Existing Westpac customers who currently hold an Earth Classic, Earth Platinum, Earth Platinum Plus, Earth Black, Altitude Classic, Altitude Platinum or Altitude Black credit card, or who have held one in the last 12 months, are not eligible for this offer. Velocity Points or Qantas Points earned during a statement cycle are added to your Velocity or Qantas Points balance on a monthly basis. Eligible purchases do not include interest, fees and charges, cash or ATM cash advances, cash equivalent transactions, gambling transactions, a purchase from or payment to a local, state or federal government or government related agency, BPAY or similar transactions (such as Post Billpay), refunds and balance transfers debited from the card account. Credit Card Product Switches, upgrades or Westpac group staff are ineligible for this offer.
†Eligible purchases do not include interest, fees and charges, cash or ATM cash advances, cash equivalent transactions, gambling transactions, a purchase from or payment to a local, state or federal government or government related agency, BPAY or similar transactions (such as Post Billpay), refunds and balance transfers debited from the card account.