Qantas, Australia’s flagship carrier, boasts a century-long history deeply intertwined with the nation’s vast distances and remote location. While historically, securing premium award seats on coveted routes between North America and Australia directly with Qantas has been challenging, the landscape for savvy travelers is rich with opportunity thanks to Qantas Partners.
As a cornerstone member of the prestigious Oneworld alliance, Qantas opens doors to a world of travel possibilities through its simply named Frequent Flyer program. Even if Australia isn’t your final destination, understanding Qantas partners can unlock incredible award travel potential.
The Qantas Frequent Flyer program stands out due to its accessibility. Accumulating points is remarkably easy, thanks to transfer partnerships with major credit card rewards programs. You can seamlessly convert points from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards points, and Marriott Bonvoy points into Qantas Points, making your everyday spending a gateway to your dream trip.
Let’s delve into the world of Qantas partners and explore how you can leverage them to elevate your travel experiences.
Exploring the Extensive Network of Qantas Frequent Flyer Partners
Qantas’s partnership strategy is twofold, encompassing both the Oneworld alliance and a curated selection of individual airline partners. This broad network significantly expands your options for earning and redeeming Qantas Points, regardless of your travel patterns.
Oneworld Alliance: Your Passport to Global Destinations
As a founding member of Oneworld, Qantas provides access to the extensive network of this global alliance. This means you can earn and redeem Qantas Points across all Oneworld member airlines, significantly increasing your flight options to virtually every corner of the globe. The Qantas Oneworld partners include:
- Alaska Airlines: Extensive network across North America’s West Coast and beyond.
- American Airlines: A major US carrier with a vast domestic and international network.
- British Airways: The UK’s flag carrier, offering strong European and transatlantic connections.
- Cathay Pacific Airways: Asia-Pacific powerhouse known for its excellent service and reach.
- Fiji Airways: Connecting hub for travel within the South Pacific.
- Finnair: Finland’s national airline, specializing in routes between Europe and Asia.
- Iberia: Spain’s flag carrier, providing access to Europe and Latin America.
- Japan Airlines: Renowned for its Japanese hospitality and extensive Asian network.
- Malaysia Airlines: Offering Southeast Asian connectivity and beyond.
- Qantas: Australia’s premier airline.
- Qatar Airways: Globally acclaimed airline with a modern fleet and extensive global reach via Doha.
- Royal Air Maroc: Morocco’s flag carrier, opening up travel across Africa.
- Royal Jordanian: Connecting the Middle East with the world.
- SriLankan Airlines: Your gateway to Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean region.
Related: The Oneworld alliance is growing with the addition of Oman Air – Expanding your travel horizons even further.
Beyond the Alliance: Unique Qantas Partner Airlines
In addition to the Oneworld alliance, Qantas has strategically partnered with a diverse group of non-alliance airlines. These Qantas partners offer unique route networks and redemption opportunities, complementing the Oneworld network and providing even more flexibility. These valuable Qantas partners include:
- Air France: France’s flag carrier, expanding your European options.
- Air New Zealand*: Connecting Australia and New Zealand with the world.
- Air Tahiti Nui*: Dreamy flights to French Polynesia.
- Air Vanuatu: Exploring the islands of Vanuatu.
- Aircalin*: Gateway to New Caledonia.
- Bangkok Airways: Southeast Asian specialist, perfect for exploring Thailand and beyond.
- China Airlines*: Taiwan-based airline with strong Asian and North American routes.
- China Eastern: One of China’s major airlines, expanding your reach within Asia.
- El Al: Israel’s national airline, connecting you to Tel Aviv and beyond.
- Emirates: Global giant based in Dubai, offering an extensive worldwide network.
- Fiji Airways (in the process of joining the Oneworld alliance): Soon to be a full Oneworld partner, further solidifying the Fiji connection.
- IndiGo*: India’s largest airline, ideal for domestic Indian travel.
- Jetstar: Qantas’s low-cost subsidiary, great for budget travel within Australia and Asia.
- KLM: Netherlands’ flag carrier, another strong European option.
- LATAM: South America’s largest airline, opening up destinations across the continent.
- Solomon Airlines*: Exploring the Solomon Islands.
- WestJet: Canada’s second-largest airline, expanding North American options.
* Note: Earning and redemption rules may vary for these partner airlines. Always check the Qantas Frequent Flyer program details for specific information.
Elevating Your Travel Experience: Qantas Elite Status and Partner Benefits
The Qantas Frequent Flyer program rewards loyal travelers with five distinct status tiers, each offering increasingly valuable benefits that enhance your journey, especially when flying with Qantas partners.
- Bronze: The entry point, granting access to earning and redeeming points across the Qantas network and Qantas partners.
- Silver (Oneworld Ruby): Achieved with 300 status credits (or 250 to maintain), unlocks benefits like priority phone service, check-in, extra baggage allowance, and preferred seating across Oneworld.
- Gold (Oneworld Sapphire): Reached at 700 status credits (or 600 to maintain), elevates your experience with premium security lanes, access to Qantas Club and Oneworld partner business class lounges.
- Platinum (Oneworld Emerald): Awarded at 1,400 status credits (or 1,200 to maintain), provides top-tier perks including priority waitlisting, guaranteed economy seat availability, and access to first-class lounges with Qantas and Oneworld partners.
- Platinum One (Oneworld Emerald): The highest tier, requiring 3,600 status credits (with 2,700 on Qantas flights) to earn and maintain. Enjoy the ultimate in travel privileges, including highest upgrade priority, waived change fees, additional award seats, and complimentary extra legroom seats.
Status credits are earned by flying with Qantas or any of its partner airlines, making it easier to climb the status ladder even when your travel patterns extend beyond Qantas flights.
A particularly valuable perk for Qantas elite members is access to American Airlines lounges on domestic US flights when flying American. This benefit is notably not extended to American Airlines’ own AAdvantage elite members, making Qantas status a strategic advantage for US domestic travel on American Airlines.
Related: 1st look: American Airlines, British Airways unveil 3 gorgeous lounges in JFK’s Terminal 8 – Explore the enhanced lounge experiences available through Oneworld partnerships.
Accumulating Qantas Points: Leveraging Partner Networks
Earning Qantas Points is straightforward and can be accelerated by strategically utilizing Qantas partners.
Flying with Qantas and Partner Airlines
The most direct way to earn Qantas Points is by flying with Qantas or its extensive network of partner airlines. Ensure you include your Qantas Frequent Flyer number when booking to automatically accrue points on eligible flights. The number of points earned depends on factors such as flight distance and fare class.
For example, here’s a general earning rate for an American Airlines flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Sydney (SYD):
- (Note: Refer to the Qantas Frequent Flyer website for the most up-to-date earning charts as rates can vary.)
Transferring Points from Credit Card Programs
While Qantas co-branded credit cards are not currently available in the U.S., the program’s transfer partnerships with major credit card currencies offer a convenient and powerful avenue for accumulating points. You can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio from:
- American Express Membership Rewards
- Capital One Miles
- Citi ThankYou Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
This means 10,000 credit card points convert to 10,000 Qantas Points, providing a seamless way to boost your balance through everyday spending.
Beyond Flights and Credit Cards: Additional Earning Partners
Qantas partners extend beyond airlines and credit cards, offering diverse opportunities to earn points through everyday activities:
- Car Rentals: Earn points with partners like Avis and Budget.
- Hotel Stays: Book accommodations through the Qantas website with partners including Accor, Airbnb, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Radisson, and more.
Related: How to choose a hotel loyalty program – Maximize your points earning across travel categories.
Redeeming Qantas Points: Unlocking Exceptional Value with Partners
Qantas employs a distance-based award chart for its “classic flight rewards,” offering the best value for redeeming points on Qantas, Jetstar, Fiji Airways, Air Vanuatu, and American Airlines flights.
Qantas calculates award costs per journey, not per flight segment. This can be advantageous when booking itineraries with connecting flights, as a connecting short-haul flight may not add to the points cost of a long-haul journey.
Redemption rates for other partner airlines, including most Oneworld members, follow a zoned one-way award chart, generally with slightly higher redemption levels compared to “classic flight rewards.”
Key Considerations for Qantas Award Redemptions
- Searching for Awards: Use the qantas.com website to search for “classic reward” flights.
- Award Seat Availability: Qantas releases award seats to its own members 353 days in advance, providing a significant advantage over partner programs (331 days). Book early for the best selection, especially for premium cabins.
- Dynamic Pricing: Qantas also offers “any seat rewards” with dynamically priced redemptions, which are typically less valuable than “classic flight rewards.” Focus on maximizing “classic reward” availability.
- Fuel Surcharges: Be aware that Qantas imposes fuel surcharges on award redemptions, particularly on flights operated by Qantas and British Airways. Factor these surcharges into your redemption calculations.
Related: Why are the fees, taxes and surcharges on Avios redemptions so high? – Understanding fuel surcharges in award travel.
Sweet Spot Redemptions: Maximizing Qantas Points with Partner Airlines
The true power of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program lies in strategically redeeming points with Qantas partners to unlock exceptional value and access unique travel experiences. Here are some notable “sweet spots”:
Qantas Business and First Class to Australia
Experience Qantas’s renowned premium cabins and exceptional airport lounges on flights between North America and Australia. These flights fall within Zone 8 of the award chart, requiring 108,400 points for business class or 162,800 points for first class each way (plus taxes and surcharges). Secure these coveted seats by booking as close to 353 days in advance as possible.
You can also utilize Qantas Points to book American Airlines flights to Australia at the same award rates, though the Qantas experience is generally considered superior.
Related: Awesome Aussie: A review of Qantas first class on the A380, Melbourne to LAX – A glimpse into the Qantas first-class experience.
Short-Haul American Airlines Flights
With American Airlines increasingly utilizing dynamic pricing for AAdvantage award bookings, Qantas Points offer a compelling alternative for fixed-price awards on American Airlines flights. The Qantas distance-based award chart starts at just 8,000 points for short-haul flights.
For example, two connecting domestic American Airlines flights totaling 601-1,200 miles would cost only 12,000 Qantas Points each way – a potentially significant saving compared to dynamically priced AAdvantage awards.
El Al to Israel
El Al, Israel’s flag carrier, is a valuable Qantas partner offering attractive redemption opportunities. While El Al’s own Matmid program and Amex transfer ratios may be less favorable, redeeming Qantas Points for El Al flights can be a sweet spot.
Flights between New York (JFK/EWR) and Tel Aviv (TLV), under 5,800 miles, can be booked for 38,000 points each way in economy or 90,000 points in business class. Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tel Aviv would be slightly higher at 50,300 points in economy and 119,200 in business class each way.
Related: Then and now: 6 ways that El Al’s most historic route has improved in just 2 years – Explore the enhanced El Al experience.
Business Class to Europe on American Airlines
Maximize value by redeeming just 57,000 Qantas Points for business class flights between New York (JFK) and London (LHR) on American Airlines. Choosing American Airlines over British Airways on this route helps avoid substantial fuel surcharges imposed by BA.
Domestic Australia Flights
If your travels take you to Australia, Qantas’s extensive domestic network and distance-based award chart offer excellent value. Flights under 600 miles start at just 8,000 Qantas Points in economy or 18,400 points in business class. Take advantage of Qantas’s wide-body aircraft on cross-country routes like Perth (PER) to the east coast to experience their flagship flat-bed business class seats domestically.
Flights to Fiji
Fiji Airways, a generous Qantas partner, offers flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Nadi (NAN) within the 31,500-point zone for economy class and 82,000 points for business class each way. You may even be able to add a connecting inter-island flight for the same price.
Related: Fiji Airways shows off new A350 – Experience Fiji Airways’ modern fleet.
Round-the-World Awards on Oneworld Carriers
Qantas remains one of the few airlines offering round-the-world awards, allowing you to explore the globe using Oneworld partners. Travel up to 35,000 miles for 132,400 points in economy, 249,600 in premium economy, or 318,000 in business class. Enjoy up to five free stopovers and create a truly customized global adventure across multiple Oneworld airlines.
Bottom Line: Unlock Global Adventures with Qantas Partners
While premium award availability directly on Qantas long-haul flights can be limited, the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, through its extensive network of Qantas partners, offers a wealth of opportunities for savvy travelers.
The ease of transferring points from Citi, Amex, and Capital One, combined with strategic redemptions on partner airlines, makes Qantas Points a valuable currency for your next award trip. By understanding and leveraging Qantas partners, you can unlock global travel adventures and maximize the value of your rewards.
