Which UK frequent flyer credit cards offer Qantas rewards?
If you fly regularly with Qantas from the UK, you may have wondered if there is Qantas reward credit card that you can sign up for. Unfortunately, Qantas-branded credit cards are only available in Australia and New Zealand. However, there are ways to redeem rewards on Qantas flights using other UK credit cards.
British Airways credit cards. As a Oneworld member, you can spend British Airways Avios Reward Points with partner airlines such as Qantas.
Tesco Bank credit cards. All Tesco Bank cards offer rewards in the form of Tesco Clubcard Points, which can be converted into Avios Points and spent on Qantas flights.
IHG Rewards Club credit cards. IHG credit cards offer IHG Rewards Club Points, which can be redeemed for Qantas flights. Every 10,000 points is worth 2,000 miles.
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. This hotel group credit card allows customers to transfer their points to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. Every 3 points equals 1 Qantas mile.
Although you can redeem some UK credit card reward points for Qantas flights, there doesn’t appear to be a direct way to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Points with a UK credit card. Whatever credit card you do decide on, it’s still worth signing up to the airline’s loyalty card program.
What about the Qantas Frequent Flyer program?
UK residents are eligible to apply for the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, which allows you to earn and redeem reward points on your travels. However, any credit cards linked to the program are not available to UK residents.
Qantas is part of the Oneworld alliance along with British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LATAM, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines. This means you can often earn and spend reward points from each airline’s loyalty program with another partner airline and enjoy lounge access and upgrades, depending on your tier of membership.
While no UK credit card offers you the chance to earn Qantas Points directly, you can always pick up points when you book a Qantas flight by quoting your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number. You can also earn Qantas Points when booking with any of Qantas’s worldwide partners, including its Oneworld partner airlines, its worldwide hotel partners (eg, Sofitel, Best Western, Hilton, Holiday Inn), its car rental partners (Avis and Budget) and some travel and retail partners (including duty free shopping and travel insurance).
Best credit card to redeem points for Qantas flights?
When comparing frequent flyer credit cards, it’s important to consider the following factors:
How simple is it to convert points? UK credit cards only offer an indirect way to redeem points with Qantas, so you should consider how easy it is to do so. For example, Tesco Bank credit cards require Clubcard Points to be converted into Avios Points first before they can be used on Qantas flights.
Redemption limitations. When redeeming points for Qantas flights, you may be limited to specific routes or off-peak dates. Some point schemes may only allow for long-haul, international Qantas flights to Australia and not include any domestic flights within Australia and New Zealand.
Bonus sign-up offers. The introductory bonus offer is an attractive “freebie” that credit card providers use to entice you to use their card. This is a one-off promotion that new cardholders are entitled to, usually framed as a bonus points giveaway if you fulfil certain requirements within a certain amount of time.
The earn rate. A card’s earn rate is simply the number of points you receive for every pound spent on eligible purchases. When comparing earn rates, note that a card may charge a higher annual fee for a better earn rate. You should always consider if a card’s fees are worth its earn rate in the context of how much you are likely to spend in a year and how many points that would earn you.
Interest rates. As always, a credit card’s interest rate plays a huge part in determining its suitability for you. If you are not one to carry an outstanding balance, this may be less of a consideration. Otherwise, lower is always better since you don’t want to be accruing debt in the form of interest just to earn frequent flyer points.
Annual fee. Some cards come with zero annual fees but lack the benefits you may wish for. High annual fees usually accompany premium features such as a higher earn rate, complimentary travel insurance, airport lounge access and more. When deciding on a card, you may wish to do some simple calculations to see if the card’s annual fee is worth the benefits you’ll derive from it.
Other fees. Do thorough research and consider the other fees you may incur with your chosen credit card. Fees you may encounter include a joining fee, administrative or account fees and even ATM fees when you withdraw cash. Accumulated miscellaneous fees tend to outweigh the benefits of a card, so it’s wise to know what you might be paying for before you sign up.
Extra features. As mentioned above, some cards come with more frills than others. Premium services such as travel and medical insurance benefits, airport lounge access, personal concierge services and more usually cost more in the way of annual fees. Carefully consider if these are perks you’ll use and if they justify the higher card cost.
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The Avios Travel Rewards Programme closed at the end of July 2018. Avios as a currency has carried on with all members being transferred to a British Airways (BA) Executive Club membership instead. If you already had an Avios account, you’ll have been transferred automatically and there is nothing you have to do. The deadline for opting out has passed.
You’ll still be able to redeem points for upgrades, hotel stays, goods and flights to any worldwide destination (subject to availability) with British Airways or its Oneworld alliance partners.
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