Your first flight on points

Set up a few free programs, earn on what you already spend, and book a seat you’d never pay cash for.

Three steps to your first trip

Set up once, earn as you go, then spend your points where they’re worth the most.

Join the right programs

Sign up to a few free programs and link them together. It takes about 20 minutes, and you only do it once.

Set-up progress: 3 of 4 done. Qantas Frequent Flyer, Everyday Rewards and BP Rewards are linked; David Jones Rewards is next.

  • Qantas Frequent Flyer
  • Everyday Rewards
  • BP Rewards
  • David Jones Rewards

Earn on what you already buy

Groceries, fuel, bills and shopping all add points, and small amounts build into one useful balance.

October statement: 1,890 Qantas points earned: 186 from Woolworths, 82 from BP, 420 from David Jones and 1,202 from Qantas Shopping.

Spend points where they count

From a weekend away to business class overseas, see what a balance can actually buy.

  • Jetstar reward flight, 9,200 points
  • Virgin Australia reward flight, 15,600 points
  • Qantas reward flight, 18,400 points
  • Cathay Pacific reward flight, 54,000 points
  • Qatar Airways reward flight, 90,000 points
  • Singapore Airlines reward flight, 120,000 points
  • JAL reward flight, 180,000 points

Two ways to start

Both routes get you to a reward seat. One just gets there faster.

The free route

No card needed. Join supermarket, fuel and shopping programs and earn on spending you already do.

The card route

A rewards card earns much faster, mostly through the sign-up bonus. Only if you pay it off in full every month.

Qantas or Velocity?

Australia’s two big airline programs. Most people do best focusing on the one they fly and shop with most.

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Best if you fly Qantas or Jetstar, or shop at any of the below partners. Airline partners span the oneworld airlines.

  • GroceriesEveryday Rewardsvia Woolworths
  • FuelBP
  • ShoppingDavid Jones
  • RideshareUber
  • StaysAccor
ProgramJoin Qantas Frequent Flyer(opens in a new tab)

Earn without trying

The easiest points come from spending you can’t avoid.

Scan your rewards card at the supermarket and servo. It’s the simplest habit, and it adds up.

Your first card

A sign-up bonus is the fastest way to a reward seat. Choose one where the bonus outweighs the fee, and pay in full every month.

  • The Qantas American Express Discovery Card

    Qantas American Express Discovery Card (Qantas Frequent Flyer)

    Bonus points

    None

    Earn rate

    0.75PTS

    per $1 spent

    1.75 pts per $1 on eligible Qantas products and services0.75 pts per $1 on everyday purchases0.5 pts per $1 at Australian government bodiesNo annual fee and no earn cap
    Annual fee

    $0

    a year

    Cost per point

    -

    per point, year one

    First year value

    $0 after the first-year fee

    est. value after fees

    How we get to $00 pts × 1.5¢$0First-year annual fee$0First-year value$0Year-one points only. Our estimate, not a guaranteed saving.

Spend them well

Where you spend your points matters more than how many you have. Put them towards reward seats first and gift cards last.

Based on a direct airline rewards earning credit card that earns 1 airline point per $1 spent. Values are examples, not guarantees.

Book your first seat

Reward seats are limited, so a little planning goes a long way.

How to book

Three steps from points to a confirmed seat.

  1. Search with points
  2. Be flexible with dates
  3. Confirm and pay the taxes

What to expect

A realistic timeline from your first sign-up to your first trip.

Keep reading

Guides to help you set up, earn and spend your first points.

    • Getting Started

    Loyalty points in Australia: a beginner's guide

    Pick one program, earn on what you already spend, and redeem where your points are worth the most. The starter guide I'd give a friend.

    • Getting Started

    What are your points worth? How to value a point

    The same point can be worth half a cent or seven cents. Here's the formula, typical values for 2026, and the two mistakes that make a redemption look better than it is.

Answers to your questions

Pick the one that matches the airline you fly and the places you already shop. Each has its own set of everyday partners. If you’re unsure, Qantas has the bigger domestic network and more earn partners.