How to mix and match PayRewards partners for the perfect journey 

As competition for frequent flyer reward seats remains fierce, savvy travellers need to stay ahead of the game. Fortunately, you’re already doing that, by earning uncapped and flexible PayRewards Points on your business’ transactions. But are you making the most of that flexibility?

Sure, if you mainly book domestic flights and have a preferred airline, you’re probably going to send your PayRewards Points in that direction. And, may we say, there’s nothing wrong with that! But if you’re tempted by a journey further afield, could your favourite airline still get you there on points? Will they have enough reward seats, to the places you want, in the cabin you desire – and most importantly, on the dates that you’re free to travel?

That’s a common problem people face if they stick with just one frequent flyer program. That program might be great for a specific route, but venture somewhere else and things can be very different. That’s where PayRewards comes in, serving up points that can keep you travelling at the pointy end: or get you into business class for the first time. (Trust us, you’ll quickly be hooked!)

Allow us to open your eyes to the great world of points partners attached to PayRewards. And, more importantly, how transferring points to more than one program for a single trip can really pay off.

A quick dash to New Zealand

Let’s start with one of the most popular destinations for Aussie travellers: New Zealand. Here’s the scenario. You find a great reward flight for the journey outbound, huzzah! But, you’re stuck. You need a way to get home, and your usual airline doesn’t have a reward seat.

What are you going to do? Suck it up and buy a full fare ticket, after getting that great flight over? Hey now… not so fast. It’s PayRewards’ time to shine.

As it happens, there are eight airlines currently running direct flights between Australia and New Zealand. You probably know about Qantas, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia – and Jetstar too, if you’re in a pinch. But that’s only half of what’s on the table.

Taiwan’s China Airlines runs year-round Brisbane-Auckland flights. Emirates has daily Sydney-Christchurch services. LATAM has regular Sydney-Auckland flights (until 25 October 2025, anyway). These can all be booked using Qantas Points. And, on top, China Eastern has its own Sydney-Auckland route, bookable through Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles.

Here’s the strategy. Book with the airline you most prefer, if you can find a seat. But when you can’t, expand your search. Consider the other programs that you can convert your PayRewards Points into. And which airlines those partners can book.

For instance, try searching for Air New Zealand reward seats through Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Thai Royal Orchid Plus and United MileagePlus. Or, for travel on Virgin Australia, use Velocity – or Virgin Australia’s other partners like Aeroplan, KrisFlyer, and MileagePlus.

Every journey could be different. But with PayRewards Points, you’re ready to move where and when the reward seats appear. Even if they aren’t with the airline you might otherwise fly. Isn’t spending points on business class nicer than buying economy to get home?

Mixing and matching PayRewards partners for other destinations

Eyeing off a flatbed all the way from Australia to Europe? Look, these bookings are some of the most popular, so it can take a little bit more patience. But PayRewards Points can help you get ahead.

For instance, carriers like Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines can be more generous than others with reward seats between Australia and Europe. And there are several ways you can book these flights with PayRewards Points.

You might find reward seats through Velocity, and convert your PayRewards Points to Virgin Australia Business Flyer at a 2:1 rate. Or you might spot something exclusively for Singapore Airlines’ own frequent flyers, and convert your PayRewards Points into KrisFlyer miles at a 2.5:1 rate. Perhaps, you’ve stumbled upon one of Qatar Airways’ coveted Australia-Europe business class bookings for just 90,000 Privilege Club Avios. Which, of course, you could get by converting PayRewards Points to Privilege Club at a 3:1 rate.

Found a reward seat on Qantas or Emirates? Convert from PayRewards to Qantas Business Rewards at a 2:1 rate. Noticed some reward space on Cathay Pacific? You might find the best value to be booking using Asia Miles through Cathay – transferred from PayRewards Points at a 3:1 rate. Maybe a journey through Vietnam is the most practical… and you book through Vietnam Lotusmiles after making a 3:1 conversion from PayRewards.

Spotted a seat through Bangkok? Convert to Thai Royal Orchid Plus at a 3:1 rate and book with Thai Airways. How about British Airways from Sydney to London via Singapore? Transfer from PayRewards to The British Airways Club at a 3:1 rate to get it done. Eyeing off Japan Airlines to Tokyo or China Southern to Guangzhou? Convert to JAL Mileage Bank and Sky Pearl Club, respectively. And we’re only just scratching the surface.

If you’re tired of scratching your head and wondering where all the reward seats are, start embracing the power PayRewards Points. They could take you just about anywhere – and at the front of the plane to boot. Using the program’s impressive flexibility, you could fly over using points from one program, and fly back using points from another. The power is in your hands.

For the savvy frequent flyer…

Yes, we have plenty of transfer partners attached to PayRewards. But as it happens, those frequent flyer programs have entire networks of airline partners themselves. What that means is that there may be several different ways to book the same flight, when you have PayRewards Points to spend.

For example, Air Canada Aeroplan offers some great value flights on Star Alliance. Some of its reward seats on Singapore Airlines cost fewer points than through Singapore Airlines’ own KrisFlyer program. But the transfer rate from PayRewards is the same. Wink.

It’s a similar thing when it comes to reward bookings on United Airlines. Sure, you could book through United MileagePlus… but many of those seats are also redeemable through Velocity. While United MileagePlus has a 3:1 conversion rate from PayRewards, there’s a new and improved 2:1 rate in play with conversions to Velocity. Not to mention, sometimes, Velocity’s reward rates can be comparable to United when there’s a standard classic reward seat available… ahem.

Not only is PayRewards great for providing access to a broader array of airlines, but the multitude of transfer options from PayRewards can help you get the best available deal, every time you fly using points.

Did we mention PayRewards’ hotel partners, too?

We’ve talked a lot about getting there. But what about those hefty hotel costs once you’ve reached your destination? Fortunately, PayRewards has you covered there too, with four hotel partners also attached to the PayRewards program.

You could convert your PayRewards Points to Accor Live Limitless at a 4:1 rate, to IHG One Rewards at a 2:1 rate, or to Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy at a 1.75:1 rate. Between these four programs, you could book a reward stay at over 25,000 participating hotels around the globe. From luxury brands like The Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, InterContinental and Raffles through to more economical stays at properties like Novotel, Crowne Plaza, DoubleTree and Four Points, your PayRewards Points are just as useful on the ground.

If you’ve been making the most of Pay.com.au and have plenty of PayRewards Points up your sleeve, hotels are an option worth considering. After all, you may even be able to book your flights through our airline partners, and your hotels through our accommodation partners, all for the same trip. All that’s left is to have a wonderful time away, knowing that PayRewards Points got you there. And, you’ll know exactly what to do next time you travel. It all starts with PayRewards.

Written by Chris Chamberlin

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About the author

Chris enjoys making the most of frequent flyer points, which have taken him around the world – usually, at the front of the plane. He’s travelled over 1.5 million miles sampling the best in Business Class and First Class. That’s further than three return trips to the moon! Chris is based at Point Hacks' Melbourne office as News Editor, and shares his experiences via @chris_chamberlin on Instagram. When he’s not travelling, he enjoys tennis, keeping fit, and discovering new gins.