Your guide to making the most of Qantas Business Rewards

When your business takes you across oceans, it pays to understand the power of frequent flyer points. They can literally be your ticket to flying flat for a fraction of the retail price. As it happens, earning and spending Points through Qantas Business Rewards can be a super-savvy play.

For starters, Qantas flies its own planes to every inhabited continent. That opens the door to spending points on premium travel as part of most international journeys. But Qantas also counts more than 20 partner airlines among its ranks. Those tie-ups create even more opportunities for traversing the globe in business class, and perhaps, even first class.

We’ll be the first to admit that with stacks of Qantas members looking to spend piles of Qantas Points, securing a journey that suits your agenda can take a little bit of strategy. Here are some tips and tricks to keep up your sleeve to stay ahead of the pack, helping you to put those well-deserved points to work.

Turning your PayRewards Points into Qantas Points. 

Through pay.com.au’s flexible PayRewards program, you can already earn uncapped points on your business spending. Those rewards can become Qantas Points in just a few clicks.

By linking your Qantas Business Rewards membership to your PayRewards account, you can convert PayRewards Points into Qantas Points at a 2:1 rate. For instance, 500,000 PayRewards Points can become 250,000 Qantas Points.

To book, you can search for reward flights via the Qantas Business Rewards portal. You can also transfer points from your Qantas Business Rewards account to any personal Qantas Frequent Flyer account at a 1:1 rate.

What can you do with Qantas Points?

It doesn’t take many Qantas Points to get flying. In our domestic skies, flights start from just 8,000 Qantas Points on Qantas itself or 6,400 Qantas Points on Jetstar. But the best value comes from booking long-haul international flights, especially in the most comfortable rows.

Along with booking Qantas flights – and upgrading on Qantas – those points can also unlock seats with airlines across the globe, starting with Oneworld Alliance carriers. Think American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, SriLankan Airlines… the list goes on.

Qantas also has an eclectic mix of other partners on which you can spend points. Among them, there’s Air France, Bangkok Airways, Taiwan’s China Airlines, China Eastern, El Al, Emirates, Fiji Airways, LATAM, KLM, Oman Air and WestJet.

Flying to North America on Qantas Points

Here’s a real-world example of how to unlock serious value using Qantas Points. In fact, on my last trip to North America, I snagged tickets at the front of the plane worth over $20,000. But I paid only $758 in taxes and fees. My Qantas Points covered the rest – and it won’t be long before you’re achieving the same level of wizardry.

Planning your trip to North America? Here are the routes to focus on and how many Qantas Points you’ll need. These are the direct flights offered by Qantas and its main Stateside partner, American Airlines.

On each booking, taxes, fees and charges are payable. These vary between routes, cabins and operating airlines. Most often though, they’re in the region of $250-$500 per passenger, one-way to or from North America. For instance, my business class journey attracted fees of $395 from Australia to LA and $363 from Canada back to Australia.

Europe

As for the UK and Europe, Qantas flies its own planes to London and Paris year-round, along with seasonal flights to Rome. Many of Qantas’ partner airlines can also whisk you between Australia and Europe. In fact, for Europe, you’re more likely to find reward seats on those partners than Qantas.

When booking a Classic Flight Reward, you’d pay no more than 144,600 Qantas Points from Australia’s east coast to London in Qantas business class, one-way. Or 159,000 Qantas Points for a business class ticket on most partner airlines. If you can snag first class, it’s 216,900 Qantas Points aboard Qantas itself or 227,500 Qantas Points on partner airlines, where available.

Five tips to find and book your reward flights

To find flights using your Qantas Points, head to the Qantas Business Rewards portal or the general Qantas website. Enter your route, travel date and passenger count. These five hot hints can help you along the way.

• The more seats you need, the harder it gets. Finding flights is easiest for just one passenger. Travelling as a pair can also be doable, but if you’re in a group, expect to fly separately and reunite at the destination.
• Have Qantas status? You’ll see more seats. Log into your Qantas account before searching for flights. Silver, Gold and Platinum flyers can sometimes see more reward options than entry-level Bronze members. Bronze members can also only book Qantas’ long-haul premium cabins up to 297 days in advance. For Silver members, it’s 323 days, and for Gold and higher, it’s 353 days – almost a year out.
• Classic Flight Rewards differ from Classic Plus. The former are the advantageous, fixed-value seats for which the rates are quoted above. Classic Plus is instead like turning your points into money and buying a seat. It’s rarely the best option.
• Be flexible. By considering different airlines and transit points, you’ll increase your chances of securing a seat when and where you need one. Searching a few days on either side of your ideal departure can also open doors.
• Use tools and services to help. Sites like aero and ExpertFlyer can help you dig deep for reward flights, including options only bookable by phone. You can also ask our PayTravel team to find and book reward flights on your behalf (subscription required or fees may apply).

Troubleshooting tips

Still need some help? Everybody wants the most direct, most convenient flight. But a little compromise can go a long way.

• Think outside the box. Can you get a reward flight somewhere near your final destination, and pair that with an affordable cash flight to cover the final hop? For instance, London might have no seats one day, when Paris does. It’s a short flight or train journey between the two.
• Look beyond the non-stops. My own recent journey from Melbourne to LA took me via Sydney, because that’s where reward seats were available. It’s a small inconvenience for 13 hours flying flat.
• Have Qantas Platinum, Platinum One or Chairman Lounge membership? It’s not widely known, but you can call Qantas and ask for reward seats to be created for you. You can read more about this at Point Hacks.
• Accept that sometimes, you just won’t find a seat. But don’t give up: your PayRewards Points are flexible. By keeping them in PayRewards until you’re ready to book, you’ll keep your options open.
• Consider other PayRewards partners. There’s a lot of value in flexibility. If one frequent flyer program doesn’t have seats when you need them, another program might. For North America, for instance, you could convert PayRewards Points to Velocity and book Air Canada, United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
• Different programs can see different seats. Looking for a jaunt in Qsuite business class on Qatar Airways? It’s rare to find these available through Qantas. You might instead convert PayRewards Points across to Qatar Airways Privilege Club to book. Or perhaps, convert from PayRewards into Velocity Points or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. It pays to check what’s available every time you’re planning a trip, including how many Points or miles you need with each program.
• Watch out for high ‘carrier charges’. Some airlines levy significant fees on reward flight bookings, atop the genuine airport and government taxes. For instance, spend Qantas Points on a return Emirates business class or first class ticket from Sydney to Paris and you can expect to pay around $3,500 in total fees and charges. Booking a different airline could save you thousands, all while spending a similar number of Points.

One final Points booster

Planning a big trip? Keep an eye out for transfer bonus offers from PayRewards to Qantas, along with pay.com.au’s other conversion partners. With Qantas alone offering five million Classic Reward seats each year, flying in style is achievable on points. Sure, it can take some effort and strategy to plan and book, but it’s so worth it. Enjoy the Champagne and 1A. You’ve earned both.

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.