Which frequent flyer program is best in Australia?
From Qantas to Velocity and all the programs in between, we compare best for earn rate, status perks and associated credit cards.
Frequent flyer programs offer a range of features and benefits to suit all kinds of travellers, which means there isn't really one "best" option for all.
See our picks for the best programs, compare key features to find the best program for your needs and how much reward flights can cost including Qantas Frequent Flyer and Velocity Frequent Flyer.
Our picks for the best frequent flyer programs
Best for international travel: Qantas Frequent Flyer
Consider yourself a world-traveller? The Qantas Frequent Flyer program may be the best program for you.
Why we chose this program: Qantas is a member of the oneworld alliance allowing you to earn and transfer frequent flyer points across 13 different airlines. Qantas has 26 airline partnerships making it the best program for those who travel across multiple continents. Recent changes to add Classic Plus rewards – which require more points than Classic Rewards – means you have to be strategic to get the best value.
Best for families: Velocity Frequent Flyer
Travelling with the family? Pool your points under 1 family member to maximise the savings you can find.
Why we chose this program: Velocity allows members to transfer points to family members and combine their Status Credits into a single account for a family of up to 6, including 2 adults and 4 children, allowing the primary holder to spend those points wisely.
Best for flight redemptions: Velocity Frequent Flyer
When it comes to flight redemptions, you'll get them faster with Velocity Frequent Flyer.
Why we chose this program: The cheapest available flight redemptions for Velocity are 7,800 points, which is actually more expensive than Qantas, which as of February 2025, offers Classic Plus Flight Rewards starting from 6,200 points for select domestic routes on Qantas, and 5,700 for select Jetstar routes. However, availability is generally better with Velocity as the cheapest Qantas fares usually book up fast.
Best for Businesses: Velocity Frequent Flyer
If your small-medium business needs an air travel solution then Velocity is your bet.
Why we chose this program: Unlike Qantas, there's no joining fee and Velocity has far more benefits including 2 Velocity Pilot Gold Memberships when you spend $2,000 within the first 3 months.
Best for earning points without flying: Qantas and Velocity Frequent Flyer
No matter which program you choose to invest in there's a whole host of ways to earn points without flying.
Why we chose these programs: When it comes to earning points without flying in Australia, Qantas and Velocity are equally matched. Each are paired with 1 of the 2 largest supermarket chains and each has partnerships across hotels, car hire, energy companies, insurers and many more.
Best for credit card point transfers: Velocity Frequent Flyers
Looking to maximise your points earnings by transferring credit card points to your frequent flyer program?
Why we chose this program: Velocity wins because it has far more cards than Qantas does which let you transfer directly so you can be rewarded sooner.
Our expert says
"The key to frequent flyer success is picking one program and sticking with it. Fly with that airline, get a credit card that earns points with that airline, and shop at the supermarket that earns points for that airline."
Is Virgin or Qantas frequent flyer better?
As outlined above, each program has their pros and cons, depending on your travel needs.
Generally, the valued offered by both programs is pretty similar – so it can be a good idea to choose one, and work towards building status and points with that one airline. That means you shop at the grocery store that earns their points, take advantage of credit card deals that offer boosters for that airline, and aim to use that airline as your preference when travelling, so you can build a good points and status balance.
Which airline offers the best points?
The structure of frequent flyer programs can vary, so the program you get the best value from depends on your personal situation – how much you fly, whether you travel domestically or overseas, how much you spend on credit cards and more. These are the major features to consider when you want to get the most value out of being a frequent flyer member.
Earning frequent flyer points
Points are the bread and butter of any rewards program and all frequent flyer programs offer points (sometimes called miles) for flights you take with them.
The exact number of points you can earn per flight depends on factors such as flight distance, fare class, connections, codeshare segments and even the cost of the ticket in some cases.
Not every program calculates points earned the same way for example with Velocity Frequent Flyer you earn 5 points per dollar spent on domestic and international flights while Qantas Frequent Flyers earn different amounts depending on how far they're flying and in what cabin class.
Other ways to earn points include:
- Airline partners. Fly with partner airlines and earn points on flights where your regular airline doesn't fly. Typically you'll earn fewer points on partner flights.
- Hotels. Frequent flyer programs often partner with hotel companies so that you can earn points when you stay with particular hotels or brands.
- Car hire. It's also common for frequent flyer programs to offer points when you book a car with a partnered car hire company. For example, Qantas Frequent Flyer offers points for bookings with Avis and Budget, while Velocity offers points for bookings with Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.
- Supermarket shopping. If you're in Australia, you can earn Qantas Points or Velocity Points for your supermarket shopping via the Everyday Rewards and Flybuys rewards programs respectively. If you're overseas, you may be able to earn frequent flyer points with other supermarkets or retailers, but it does depend on the frequent flyer program and where you're based.
- Other program partners. Depending on the frequent flyer program you may also be able to earn points on online shopping, utilities, and plenty of other ways.
Credit cards
After flights, credit cards are the next fastest and most popular way to earn frequent flyer points. They typically offer a set rate of points for each $1 you spend. Some cards automatically credit points to your frequent flyer account, while others let you transfer points to a frequent flyer program.
In Australia, the main frequent flyer credit card options are linked to Qantas and Velocity. However, a wide range of credit card reward programs also let you transfer points to other airline loyalty schemes, including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Asia Miles/Cathay Pacific and Air New Zealand Airpoints.
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How we picked theseReward options
All frequent flyer programs allow you to use points for reward flights. Most also allow you to use points for flight upgrades, although there are often more rules and requirements for this option – and this is where it can get tricky.
Finder research shows that when trying to redeem points, 4 out of 10 Australians encountered a problem. Around 12% of those surveyed were able to use their points, but it was more expensive or difficult than they had anticipated, and 5% had a bad experience and were unable to use their points.
That's because redemptions can be hard to come by on popular routes, and you need to book many months in advance – and even then, sometimes the rewards fares have already been snapped up.
Beyond flight rewards, there are other options for using your points, like:
- Hotel stays
- Discount car hire
- Gift cards
- Retail rewards
Point expiry and status
If you don't fly that often or if you fly with a lot of different airlines that aren't linked to the same frequent flyer program, point expiry will be a key factor in choosing which scheme you join. These conditions are very different between frequent flyer programs.
For example, you may avoid point expiry with programs such as Qantas or Velocity if you earn or redeem points continuously. On the other hand Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles expire 3 years after they were earned so you'll need to redeem them more often.
The more you fly with an affiliated airline, the more status credits you'll earn. This status is your key to unlocking a growing number of frequent flyer benefits, such as additional points, lounge access, extra checked baggage allowances, priority check-in and complimentary flight upgrades. Frequent flyer status is usually grouped into 4 tiers: Entry-level (sometimes called Bronze), Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Each frequent flyer program has different requirements around how many status credits you'll need to earn to reach a new membership level. The benefits also vary between programs, so make sure you check these details to figure out what's realistic for you.
Compare frequent flyer programs
Here are a few of the more popular frequent flyer programs available in Australia, compare the number of points for the cheapest reward flight, the number of airline points and ways to earn and spend your points.
Program | Joining fee | Airline alliance | Earn points on flights? | Earn points on credit cards? | Use points on upgrades | Points expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | Free | Star Alliance | Yes | Yes, via transfers | Yes, only Elite members | After 4 years |
| Cathay Pacific | Free for Asia Miles, US$100 for Marco Polo Club | oneworld Alliance | Yes | Yes via transfers | Yes | Asia Miles, after 18 months of inactivity Marco Polo Club Points, after 12 months |
| Emirates Skywards | Free | None, 15 partners | Yes | Yes, see Emirates credit cards | Yes | After 3 years |
| Etihad Guest | Free | None, 23 partners | Yes | Yes, via transfer | Yes | After 18 months of no activity, never for Platinum members |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | Free | oneworld Alliance | Yes | Yes, via transfer | Yes | After 3 years, extension possible |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | $99.50* | oneworld Alliance | Yes | Yes, see Qantas credit cards | Yes | After 18 months of no activity |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Free | Star Alliance | Yes | Yes, via transfer | Yes | After 3 years |
| Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer | Free | None, 13 partners | Yes | Yes, see Velocity credit cards | Yes | After 24 months of no activity |
*See our guide to signing up for the Qantas Frequent Flyer program for free.
​​If you're already a member of one or more frequent flyer programs, head to the Points Finder homepage for the latest offers, tips and insights to help you get more out of your membership.
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Where can I fly with 60000 points?
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your question.
This will depend on the frequent flyer program you’re with. If you could please confirm which frequent flyer program you’re with, we can help you discover where your points can take you.
Cheers,
Sally
I spend around $3,000 weekly on credit card what would be best frequent flyers points for me how much qpoints would I need for a flight to Singapore
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your question.
You can start comparing frequent flyer credit cards to see which card is suitable for you. If you are spending $3,000 a week on your credit card, you might want to look for a card that has low interest on purchases and does not have a cap on points, so you are not limiting the number of points you could earn.
How many points you will need for a flight to Singapore will depend on your departure location and the status of your flight (e.g. economy, business, first). You can use the Qantas Points calculator on the Qantas website to determine how many points you will need for your preferred flight.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Sally
I would like to join frequent flier
Hi Colin,
Thanks for your comment.
Did you know which frequent flyer program you were interested in joining? If you could confirm this, we’ll be able to direct you to the relevant sign up page.
Cheers,
Sally
I want open my account in Frequent Flyer, Please
Hi Maria,
Thank you for your comment.
Just to confirm, you have come through to finder.com.au, not a frequent flyer program.
Just to confirm, if you’d like to open a new Frequent Flyer program, you’ll need to contact the program provider (e.g. Qantas Frequent Flyer or Velocity Frequent Flyer) or complete an application form online.
If you’re referring to an existing Frequent Flyer program, you should be able to access your account by logging in to your online portal using your username or membership number and password.
If you could specify which frequent flyer program you’re referring to, we may be able to provide you with further assistance.
I hope this has helped.
Thanks,
Sally
How do I join frequent flyer program with Jetstar?
Hi Anne,
Thanks for your question.
You can join the Jetstar rewards program by using either the Jetstar MasterCard or Platinum MasterCard to accumulate Jetstar dollars. As the Jetstar is a part of Qantas, you will also have the option to join the Qantas Frequent Flyer Program and accumulate Qantas points using your Jetstar credit card.
You may wish to visit our guide to the Jetstar Frequent Flyer program for further information.
I hope this has helped.
Thanks,
Sally