From 1 July 2026, Qantas Gold and Platinum frequent flyers, along with Qantas Club members, will lose automatic access to Qantas lounges when travelling on international Jetstar flights booked under a JQ flight number. Qantas has added the policy change to its lounge access eligibility page, where it says the perk will no longer apply on international Jetstar services from that date.
Platinum One members aren’t mentioned, suggesting they will continue to have access.
This is a notable downgrade for frequent flyers who have long treated lounge access as a reliable benefit of status or paid membership, even when flying the lower-cost Jetstar arm of the Qantas Group.
For travellers heading to popular Jetstar destinations such as Bali, Japan or Thailand, it means one less reason to assume a Gold card, Platinum card or Qantas Club membership will smooth the airport experience.
The airline points customers to three remaining ways to access a Qantas lounge when flying with Jetstar: book a Qantas codeshare flight operated by Jetstar, take a Jetstar domestic flight, or purchase a Jetstar Business Max fare.
What this means for travellers
The biggest practical change is that your flight number now matters more than your status card. From July 2026, a passenger booked on a standard international Jetstar flight with a JQ code will no longer get into the lounge simply by holding Qantas Gold, Qantas Platinum or Qantas Club membership. But a traveller on a Qantas-coded flight operated by Jetstar can still retain lounge access where eligible.
In other words, two passengers could be sitting on the same aircraft, in the same cabin, heading to the same destination — but only one may get lounge access, purely because one booked the flight as a Qantas codeshare and the other booked it as a straight Jetstar JQ service. That is the clearest real-world impact of this change, and it is likely to catch out travellers who focus on schedule and fare but not the marketing flight number.
The update also puts a brighter spotlight on Jetstar Business Max. Qantas’ eligibility page continues to list Jetstar Business Max fares as offering lounge access at applicable locations, making that fare bundle one of the few remaining ways to preserve the pre-flight lounge experience on Jetstar without needing a Qantas flight number on the booking.
For some travellers, this will be more than a minor irritation. Lounge access can be one of the most tangible benefits of airline status: a quieter place to sit, food and drinks before departure, a workspace, showers at some ports, and a buffer against crowded terminals. Removing that benefit from international Jetstar flights booked as JQ services chips away at the practical value of both mid-tier and upper-tier Qantas status, as well as Qantas Club membership, for travellers who regularly choose Jetstar for leisure trips.
Great news, frequent flyers! Qantas has launched its ever-popular promo offering double Qantas Points or Status Credits on new bookings.
This is a great opportunity to boost your points balance or accelerate your journey towards elite status.
To take advantage of this offer, you must register either via the Qantas app or website and choose either double points or status credits.
You can’t get both bonuses – so choose wisely.
Then, book any Qantas marketed and operated flight by 2 March 2026 for travel between 3 March 2026 and 12 February 2027 (excludes codeshare and partner airline flights).
The booking must be one where Qantas Points or Status Credits are normally earned (ie. not a reward booking, unless you are a Points Club member in which case you will earn status credits).
You can book as many flights as you like, but make sure each person travelling on the booking registers independently.
Qantas Points are so popular in Australia that they’re often referred to as the nation’s “second currency”.
With more than 15 million Qantas Frequent Flyer members and hundreds of billions of points in circulation, it’s easy to see why.
But the harder question is: how should all these points collectors use their points to get the most value?
It remains the case in 2026 that redeeming Qantas Points on flight reward seats and upgrades gives you the most ‘bang’ for your points ‘buck’.
Qantas tempts members with a growing list of other redemption options: gift vouchers, hotel stays, car hire, wine, household goods … the list goes on. But these almost always provide less value that spending the equivalent number of points on flights.
If you’re sitting on a stash of Qantas Points, here are some tips for putting them to use.
Qantas and partner ‘Classic’ reward seats
Classic reward seats have been around for many years and are well known to frequent flyers. They have a fixed points price based on distance and cabin class, and are generally the highest value use of points.
Classic reward seats are available on flights operated by both Qantas and partner airlines such as Emirates, Cathay Pacific and American Airlines.
The ‘holy grail’ is securing a seat in business or first class, but these are in short supply.
Economy can also represent good value when cash fares are high.
One factor impacting Qantas right now is that partner airlines are releasing fewer and fewer reward seats – especially in premium cabins.
This trend has been in place for a while, and we’re seeing it with carriers all around the world.
With increasing demand for reward seats globally, airlines are favouring their own loyalty program members by giving them preferential access to reward seats while restricting access by partners.
That means it’s now much harder to use Qantas Points to book seats with partners.
Classic rewards on Qantas flights have also become more difficult to secure over the last two years. That’s partly due to increasing demand, but also reduced supply by the airline.
To improve your chances of finding a seat, plan as far ahead as possible and be flexible with your departure date and route.
Look at routes outside Australia (eg. Asia-Europe), as there tend be a lot more seats available there.
If you’re in the fortunate position of being able to fly at relatively short notice (within the next 30 days), many airlines release reward seats late in order to help fill their planes. This is a great way to get sought-after business and first class seats.
Qantas ‘Classic Plus’ reward seats
In 2024, Qantas launched a new type of reward seat, Classic Plus, to address the increased demand for using points to travel.
Classic Plus seats are only available on Qantas flights, not partners.
These seats are widely available, but come at a cost: they are generally much more expensive than Classic reward seats.
“Classic Plus” seats have a flexible points price that changes based on the underlying cash fare.
Therefore, the best time to book Classic Plus seats is when cash fares go on sale, as the number of points required will also drop.
Significant price difference for Classic and Classic Plus seats
Despite their higher cost, Classic Plus rewards provide more value than non-flight points redemption options, like using points for gift vouchers.
100 Qantas Points will cover $1 of a Classic Plus economy fare, $1.25 of a premium economy, business or first class fare. (For gift vouchers, you usually only get 50 cents per 100 points.)
Upgrading on Qantas flights
Qantas Points can be used to upgrade from one class to another on Qantas flights, and this is an excellent use of points.
Be aware that Qantas Points cannot be used to upgrade on partner airline flights – only Qantas operated flights.
On domestic flights, you can upgrade from any economy fare to business class.
However, on international tickets, restrictions are in place, meaning not all economy fares are upgradeable. You can only upgrade economy reward seats and paid fare classes G, K, L, M, S and V (“Economy”) and B, H and Y (“Flexible Economy”). The cheapest economy sale fares are not eligible.
Eligible economy tickets can be upgraded to premium economy or business class.
All premium economy fares are upgradeable to business class.
Upgrades to first class are restricted to passengers flying on paid business class fares (not reward seats).
When there are multiple upgrade requests on a flight, the upgrades are processed close to departure based on the passengers’ status and original fare class booked. Your chances of scoring the upgrade depend on how many empty seats there are and how many people are ahead of you in the queue.
The cost of upgrades can be viewed on Qantas’ website here.
Booking a tour or holiday package with Qantas Holidays
If you don’t want to (or can’t) use Qantas Points for reward seats or upgrades, the best option is to book a holiday with Qantas Holidays.
Qantas has partnered with TripAdeal to sell holiday packages (which combine airfares and accommodation) as well as premium small group tours.
All of these ready-made holidays can be booked using Qantas Points and the value is often pretty good.
Summing up
The best uses of Qantas Points are reward seats (especially in premium cabins) and upgrades.
The value you get from spending Qantas Points this way is much higher than with any other redemption.
While reward seats and upgrades can be tricky to secure, with a little planning and effort you can make it work.
And if none of that works for you, the holiday packages and tours Qantas offers with Qantas Holidays are worth considering.
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Qantas has today announced important changes to how Qantas Points are used for booking Emirates reward seats.
Increased pricing
The number of Qantas Points required to book an Emirates reward seat will increase from 31 March 2026.
Right now, pricing for Emirates and Qantas seats is the same – but that changes at the end of March.
While all prices are going up, the increases are most dramatic for premium cabins.
For example, a one-way Classic Flight Reward in Emirates Business from Sydney to Dubai will increase from 130,100 points to 143,000 points (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges).
In First, the price goes from 195,400 to a whopping 234,500 points.
Here are the current prices, valid to 30 March 2026.
Here’s the new pricing table, valid from 31 March 2026.
Emirates also charges huge fees which must be paid in money on top of the points cost. That makes Emirates reward seats quite expensive overall.
Eligibility for First Class rewards
Qantas says that Emirates has implemented new eligibility criteria for booking reward seats in First:
Minimum Age: As of 21 January 2026, all passengers must be at least 9 years old.
Frequent Flyer Status: As of 18 February 2026, only Qantas Frequent Flyers who hold Silver status or higher will be eligible to book Emirates First reward seats.
Existing bookings will not be impacted, however any changes made after the effective dates will be subject to the new restrictions.
Many people think that flying round-the-world in business class is an impossible dream – but in fact, this ‘bucket list’ experience is actually quite attainable, thanks to a unique and highly rewarding way of using Qantas Points.
The ‘oneworld award’ is a special type of booking that allows you to fly with oneworld member airlines up to 35,000 miles. That’s enough for a round-the-world journey – though you don’t have to fly RTW if you don’t want to (more on that later).
This booking costs up to 152,200 points in economy, 287,000 points in premium economy, 365,800 points in business class or 523,200 points in first class, plus taxes and fees.
Business class is the sweet spot, as it’s a higher-value use of points than economy.
Premium economy isn’t available on many airlines, so it’s quite difficult putting together a full itinerary in this class of travel.
As for first class, that’s also very hard to book because the number of routes with this cabin is small.
The main ‘catch’ is that it can be time consuming and difficult to research and book flights, so here are some tips to make the job easier.
The rules
Here are the specific rules you must follow for a valid booking:
maximum total distance of 35,000 miles
maximum of 5 stopovers (a stopover is when you have 24+ hours between flights; if you land in one city and depart from another, it counts as just one stopover)
a maximum of 16 individual segments – a segment is each individual flight AND any journey you make over land yourself. These land segments are also counted towards the 35,000 mile maximum
no more than one stopover and two transits through a single aiport
you must fly with at leasttwo oneworld airlines that are not Qantas (in fact, you don’t have to fly Qantas at all – just two or more other oneworld airlines – see below for the list)
you have 12 months to complete the travel
once you return to your country of origin you can’t leave it again
you must finish booking all flights in the itinerary before the first flight takes off.
The oneworld member airlines are:
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Oman Air
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian
SriLankan Airlines
Possible itineraries
You can fly anywhere and in any direction you want, so long as you comply with the above rules.
There are no restrictions on how many continents you can visit or regarding backtracking (which are limitations in most paid round-the-world fares).
If you make some land segments on your own, you can actually visit more than five destinations. That’s because when you land in one city and take off on your next flight from another city, it doesn’t count as two stopovers – just one. The land segment is counted towards the 16 maximum and the distance towards the 35,000 mile maximum.
To illustrate: here’s an example where you fly from Sydney to Tokyo (first stop), make your own way to Hong Kong, fly to Helsinki (second stop), make your own way to Paris, fly to Marrakesh (third stop), make your own way to Casablanca, fly to New York City (fourth stop), make your own way to Montreal, fly to Lima (fifth stop) make your own way to Santiago, and fly home.
Also, there’s no requirement to fly round-the-world, though that’s how most people use this award. You could do a loop around a specific region or criss-cross between continents – it’s totally up to you.
For example, here’s one of my past itineraries, which started in Singapore and took me to the USA, followed by Australia, Japan and back to Australia.
How to book
Now, here’s the catch: it can be very time consuming to book this award because finding business class seats on popular routes is often tricky and the booking process usually requires several phone calls to Qantas.
Here are some tips:
start planning early – ideally more than a year in advance – and research which specific flights you want to book, and when you can expect the seats to become available for the dates you want (more on that below)
be flexible with your dates
explore the different flight and route options at the oneworld alliance route map here
use Qantas’ website to search for award seats for each individual leg. Use the multi-city tool (yes, it’s designed for multiple flight searches, but it works for single flight searches as well and has the advantage of giving you results in a handy monthly calendar view unlike the default search tool on Qantas’ homepage.) Make sure to select “Use points – Classic Flight Rewards only” and “Flexible with dates for all flights”.
be flexible with cities in Australia for departures and arrivals – ie. if you can’t find a long-haul flight ex-Adelaide, try Perth or Sydney. Don’t assume that the search results on Qantas’ site will have considered this option along with a domestic connection from your home city
book the initial flight(s) online yourself on the Qantas site. Use the multi-city tool if you can book multiple flights. It’s very unlikely all the flights in your itinerary will be available to book at the same time, since airlines release reward seats at different times. Also, Qantas’ site isn’t capable of handling complicated itineraries, and you may get an error message.
once you’ve booked what you can online, to add more flights, you’ll have to call Qantas
you cannot make a series of individual bookings online with different reference numbers and then ask for them to be “stitched” together
you’ll be charged 5000 points per person each time you make a change via the Qantas call centre, like adding flights – this is an extra cost to factor into your planning
if you call Qantas to make a change, make sure you receive a new e-ticket within 24 hours. If it’s not in your inbox by then, it’s essential to call Qantas to get the ticket issued properly otherwise you may lose your seats.
to calculate thetotal miles flown to make sure you don’t exceed the 35,000 mile limit, use this mapping tool. Just type in the airport codes separated by hyphens (for example, MEL-LAX-JFK-LHR-HKG-MEL). You can search for the codes on the site or use google.
you don’t have to finish in the city you started, but the booking system will calculate the distance back to the original departure airport in determining whether you’re within the 35,000 mile limit
book seats as soon as they become available, otherwise someone else may snap them up. Airlines release award seats at different times, usually 330-360 days ahead. They also sometimes release them in batches. You’ll need to keep your eye out.
you can only fly with oneworld member airlines, which does not include some Qantas partners like Emirates – so be careful when looking at search results on Qantas’ site
airlines have varying taxes and charges they levy on reward fares, which must be paid with money, not points. Airlines with lower charges include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and Japan Airlines. On the other hand, high charges are most often found with British Airways, Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian.
if you mix different classes, the highest class will be used to calculate the cost – i.e. just one first class flight in an otherwise all-business class itinerary will make the cost jump to the first class level. You can include lower classes if you wish with no price change
you cannot use Qantas’ new Classic Plus reward seats – it must be a regular Classic reward seat
if you decide to cancel your itinerary, you can get a full refund of points and money paid less the cancellation fee of 6,000 points per person.
Summing Up
The oneworld award is easily one of the best uses of Qantas Points. While booking it is complex, it’s definitely worth the effort given what you get to experience: flying in style, visiting a range of destinations and having bragging rights for years!
Remember to plan carefully, be patient, and familiarise yourself with all the rules. That way, the booking process will go as smoothly as possible.
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Being asked to pay money to join an airline loyalty program sounds crazy, right?
Well, Qantas is one of the few airlines in the world to charge a fee for joining its frequent flyer program – or to be more precise: Australians have to pay to join. Most of the rest of the world gets in for free.
The fact they can get away with this shows how popular and dominant the loyalty program is here.
The usual cost to join is $99.50 for Australians – which is a lot of money.
But the good news is, there are several ways to get around this fee and join for free.
The easiest way for Aussies is by signing up via the link below on the Qantas website.
This link has been working for years now and anyone can use it:
When it comes to booking Qantas reward seats, knowing a few tricks can give you a big advantage.
That’s truer than ever in 2026, with so many Aussies collecting Qantas Points and seeking to use them for flights.
To give our readers an edge with finding the best seats, we’ve compiled the following must-know tricks.
Classic v Classic Plus reward seats
Qantas Frequent Flyer members can access two different types of reward seats: Classic (which have been around for many years) and Classic Plus (which launched in 2024).
Classic reward seats have a fixed price based on distance and cabin class. They are issued by Qantas and partner airlines like Emirates, but availability is extremely limited.
Classic Plus seats, on the other hand, are much more plentiful – but they are usually a lot more expensive and are only available on Qantas operated flights.
Classic Plus seats have a flexible points price that fluctuates based on the underlying cash fare. In short: 100 Qantas Points will cover $1 of an economy fare or $1.25 of a premium economy, business or first class fare.
Classic Plus availability is also restricted – just because cash fares can be purchased doesn’t mean Classic Plus seats are available – however they are much easier to find than Classic reward seats.
Significant price difference for Classic and Classic Plus seats
The best time to book Classic Plus seats is when there’s a sale on cash fares, as the number of points required will also drop.
Qantas domestic and short-haul international reward seats
Qantas releases economy and business class Classic reward seats on domestic and select short-haul international (e.g. New Zealand) routes at 353 days out from departure.
These seats are available to all frequent flyer members regardless of status.
In recent years, the number of seats released this way has been falling, so that on many flights now there are no Classic reward seats – only Classic Plus.
Qantas long-haul international Classic reward seats
Getting Classic reward seats on long-haul flights is the goal of most travellers.
Qantas used to automatically release seats from 353 days out from departure on most of its flights, but that is no longer reliably the case.
When it does occur, Gold and higher status holders get access first. Any seats that remain become available to Silver members at 323 days out, and Bronze members at 297 days out.
If you don’t have gold status but a close family member does, they may be able to book the seats for you as soon as they are released.
Qantas batch seat releases
For most Qantas international flights, by far the best way to book Classic reward seats is when Qantas releases a batch at once.
In recent years, Qantas has regularly made hundreds or even thousands of seats available at once.
Typically, these batch releases are not announced ahead of time, which makes it hard to plan. The business and first class seats are also snapped up within a few hours, so you really need to monitor availability closely or sign up for one of the many reward seat alert services that are around (you can Google them).
Partner airlines
Qantas doesn’t control how or when partner airlines release reward seats. Those airlines are responsible for the timing and quantity of seats released, and their methods vary.
Sadly, we’ve seen a trend the last few years of partners releasing fewer and fewer reward seats, particularly in premium cabins.
Due to high demand, airlines are favouring their own loyalty program members by giving them preferential access to reward seats while restricting access by partner airlines.
That means it’s now much harder to use Qantas Points to book seats with partners at the pointy end of the plane.
When they are released, they are available to all Qantas frequent flyers. Status doesn’t matter.
The seats will show up in searches on the Qantas website.
Other things to know
Qantas seats are released at exactly midnight GMT, which is 8 am in Perth and 10 am in the east (or 11 am during daylight savings).
When searching for international seats, we recommend using the multi-city tool on Qantas’ website, even if you’re only looking at one route. The advantage is that it gives you results in a handy monthly calendar view, unlike the default search tool on Qantas’ homepage. Just make sure to select “Use points – Classic Flight Rewards only” and “Flexible with dates for all flights”.
Customer notice: this article provides general information only and does not consider personal circumstances. We may receive a commission if you apply for a card via our Amex partner link (read more in our Cards Disclosure). Thank you for your vital support!
If you love to travel, right now you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Velocity Points¹ with the American Express Velocity Platinum Card, which also comes with a range of premium travel perks, including Virgin Australia Lounge Access²!
This is Amex’s most rewarding Velocity card. Other benefits include a complimentary domestic economy return flight every year³, a very strong points earn rate on spend, and the opportunity to earn up to 100 bonus Velocity Status Credits each year⁴.
New Card Members can receive 50,000 bonus Velocity Points¹ when you apply online via our Amex partner link
, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months (T&Cs apply; new Amex Card Members only).
With Velocity Points you could take off on holiday with Virgin Australia and partners like Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.
Velocity Points don’t expire so long as you keep your Velocity Frequent Flyer account active by earning or redeeming at least one point every 24 months. Plus, points bookings are refundable if your plans change.
Here’s an overview of the Card benefits you can enjoy.
1. Earn piles of points and fly with top airlines
Turbocharge your Velocity Points balance by earning 1.25 points per $1 spent on eligible Card purchases⁵: one of the highest Velocity Points earn rates in Australia.
You’ll earn 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent with Virgin Australia and 0.5 points per $1 spent with government bodies in Australia.
Hundreds of thousands of merchants accept Amex in Australia, and that number is growing, so there’s no shortage of places where you can earn points with this Card.
There’s also no cap on how many points you can earn⁶.
You can use those points to fly with Virgin Australia and an array of partners, including:
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
United Airlines
Air Canada
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
South African Airways
Virgin Atlantic, and others.
With so many partners to choose from, the whole world is within reach.
2. Take off with a complimentary domestic return flight each year
You can book a complimentary Virgin Australia domestic economy return flight when you first receive the Card, and then after each anniversary of your Membership.
This gives you an opportunity every year to enjoy a holiday, explore somewhere new, or visit family and friends.
Best of all, this perk can offset most or all of the $440 annual Card fee.
There are many eligible routes to choose from. These include (as at 1 September 2025):
from Sydney to Adelaide, Ballina, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne or Sunshine Coast
from Melbourne to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast or Sydney
from Brisbane to Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Emerald, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Newcastle, Proseprine, Rockhampton, Sydney or Townsville
from Perth to Adelaide, Kalgoorlie, Melbourne or Sydney
from Adelaide to Alice Springs, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne or Sydney
from Gold Coast to Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne or Sydney
from Canberra to Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne or Sydney
from Newcastle to Brisbane or Melbourne
from Sunshine Coast to Melbourne or Sydney
from Hobart to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney
from Darwin to Adelaide or Brisbane.
The complimentary flight is also available from other regional locations.
It’s simple to book the flight online or over the phone, and you can reserve it for yourself or any person you choose.
3. Enjoy VA Lounge Access every time you fly domestically with Virgin Australia
Your American Express Velocity Platinum Card gives you access to Virgin Australia lounges at select domestic airports, every time you fly Virgin Australia domestically.
Slip away from the crowds, sample an array of complimentary food and beverages, and relax before you take off.
Virgin Australia currently has lounges in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney airports.
This benefit is available to Primary Card Members only (enrolment required).
Kick back in style before your next flight
In addition, each Membership year you will receive two complimentary Virgin Australia Guest Lounge Passes to treat friends or family to VA Lounge access, when travelling with you on a domestic Virgin Australia flight.⁷ Infants under 2 years get in for free.
4. Earn up to 100 Bonus Velocity Status Credits each year
Attain elite Velocity status faster by receiving up to 100 Status Credits each year.
Be awarded 50 Status Credits when you spend $25,000 on eligible purchases each Membership year and a further 50 Status Credits when you spend another $25,000 in the same Membership year.
Eligible purchases are all spend made by you and Additional Card Members, except cash type purchases like travellers’ cheques and foreign currencies, and interest, fees and charges on the account.
This is a very handy perk for frequent flyers chasing status. The higher your status, the more perks you enjoy – like additional Virgin Australia lounge passes when you hit Silver, and a range of priority benefits when you reach Gold.
5. Travel securely with domestic and overseas travel insurance
You’ll receive complimentary travel insurance cover⁸ when you pay for your return trip with your Card or use Velocity Points to book (terms, conditions and exclusions apply, such as maximum age-limits, pre-existing medical conditions and cover limits).
This cover extends to your domestic partner and dependent children up to the age of 25 when they are travelling with you.
Some of the covers included are:
Travel Inconvenience (flight delays, cancellations or missed connections, and delayed luggage)
medical emergency expenses
Personal Baggage, Valuables, Money And Travel Documents Cover
Trip Cancellation And Amendment Cover
personal liability
COVID-related trip change and cancellation costs
6. Earn more Points, save money and enjoy lifestyle benefits
There are many other perks to enjoy, including:
up to 4complimentary Additional Cards⁹ for family members or friends over 16 years of age – an easy way to earn points faster
up to 55 days interest-free on purchases¹⁰
‘buy now, pay later’ with American Express Plan It™ Instalments: pay off your Card balance in equal monthly instalments with no interest and a fixed monthly fee¹¹
use your Card with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay
Amex Offers: save money and earn bonus Points via regular offers with top brands
American Express Experiences: access sought-after events like music, theatre and film, including via pre-sale tickets, and enjoy exclusive lounges at selected events.
Plus 50,000 bonus Velocity Points
Receive 50,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online via our Amex partner link
, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months (T&Cs apply; new Amex Card Members only).
This offer is only available to new American Express Card Members. That means you must not have held an American Express card in the last 18 months. However, you are eligible if you’re an Additional Card Member on someone else’s account (including a corporate account).
Amex no longer specifies a minimum income to be eligible for this card.
It’s very simple to apply, including on mobile devices.
Important: This article is not intended to suggest that you should apply for a card. You should seek independent, professional advice and consider your personal circumstances before deciding to apply for a card.
Cards are offered, issued, and administered by American Express Australia Limited ABN 92 108 952 085, Australian Credit Licence No. 291313.
American Express income and credit approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. Interest rates, fees and charges apply. All interest rates are quoted as an Annual Percentage Rate. All information, including fees, charges and interest rates are correct as at 4 May 2026 and are subject to change. Applicants must be 18 years of age or over to apply for the American Express Velocity Platinum Card. They must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa. Long term means 12 months or more and does not include a student visa.
1. 50,000 bonus Velocity Points are only available to new American Express Card members who apply online, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Velocity Platinum Card within the first 3 months from the Card approval date. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the past 18 months are ineligible for this offer. 50,000 bonus Velocity Points will be awarded to the eligible Card Member’s account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. Velocity Points are earned in accordance with the American Express Velocity Cards Points Terms and Conditions available here and are subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program available here. $440 annual Card fee applies. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.
2. Virgin Australia Lounge Access: The American Express Velocity Platinum Card Virgin Australia Lounge Access is subject to the American Express Velocity Platinum Card Benefits Terms and Conditions. The Virgin Australia Lounge Access provides the Primary Card Member with access to Virgin Australia lounges at Australian domestic airports whenever they are flying on a Virgin Australia operated domestic flight on the same day. To qualify for Virgin Australia Lounge Access, your Card Account with American Express must be in good standing. American Express Velocity Platinum Primary Card Members will receive 12 months of lounge access on your Velocity membership. Enrol via your online American Express Account. This is your benefit anniversary date. After enrolling, activate the VA Lounge Access by making an Eligible Transaction on your American Express Velocity Platinum Card. Eligible Transaction does not include annual Card fees, cash advances, interest, balance transfers, fees and charges for traveller’s cheques and foreign currencies. After 12 months, at each subsequent benefit anniversary, make an Eligible Transaction on your Velocity Platinum Card to reactivate the VA Lounge Access. Please allow up to 7 days for the benefit to be processed on to the Primary Card Member’s Velocity membership. The Primary Card Member must provide their Velocity Frequent Flyer membership details to Virgin Australia lounge staff and present same day boarding pass on a Virgin Australia flight. Additional Card Members are not eligible. Virgin Australia lounge access is subject to space availability. Virgin Australia lounge is owned and operated by Virgin Australia Airlines Pty. Ltd. in selected domestic airports in accordance with Virgin Australia lounge Terms and Conditions, available at virginaustralia.com/lounge and as amended from time to time.
3. Complimentary Domestic Return Virgin Australia Flight: The complimentary domestic economy Virgin Australia return flight is only available between selected Australian cities and is available for booking by American Express Velocity Platinum Primary Card Members each year after the anniversary of your Card Membership. All flights are subject to availability and neither Virgin Australia nor American Express guarantees that seats or tickets will be available on the dates or at the times you may wish to fly. Seat availability may be limited to certain dates and/or flights and it may be more difficult to book seats around public holidays, school holidays or special events. Some flights may not have any seats available for redemption. Route availability is subject to change without notice. All travel is subject to the American Express Velocity Platinum Card Benefits Terms and Conditions available here and travel is subject to Virgin Australia Conditions of Carriage available at Conditionsofcarriage/VirginAustralia.com.
4. Velocity Frequent Flyer Status Credits are subject to the American Express Velocity Platinum Card Benefits Terms and Conditions. 50 Velocity Frequent Flyer Status Credits will be awarded when you spend $25,000 on Eligible Spend within your membership year, and a further 50 Status Credits when you spend another $25,000 on Eligible Spend within the same Membership year. Membership year is defined as commencing upon Card activation and renews on the day of your Card activation each subsequent year. Eligible Spend does not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late or dishonoured payments, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. Please allow up to 2 weeks after you meet the minimum spend requirement for the Status Credits to be credited to your Velocity account. In addition to the Status Credits earned with this American Express Velocity Platinum Card offer, to upgrade or maintain membership status, Velocity members must earn a percentage of their Status Credits on eligible Virgin Australia marketed and/or operated flights, flown by the member. To find out more about Status Credits and the amount of Status Credits required to be earned on eligible Virgin Australia marketed and/or operated flights, flown by the member for Velocity membership levels please visit velocityfrequentflyer.com/the-basics/status.
5. As long as your Account remains current and in good standing and you must be a member of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program to earn and redeem Velocity Points. Velocity Points are earned in accordance with the American Express Velocity Cards Points Terms and Conditions available at americanexpress.com.au/VelocityPointsTerms, and are subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program available at experience.velocityfrequentflyer.com/member-support/terms-conditions. Exclusions apply. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment fees, cash advances, balance transfers, fees for traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. These do not earn Velocity Points. For the full list of exclusions, please refer to the American Express Velocity Cards Points Terms and Conditions. Certain transactions will earn 0.5 points per dollar with Merchants classified as; government, including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), federal/state and local government bodies. Industry specific earn rate may apply when you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant. For example, a payment made to local government bodies processed through payment aggregator may earn rates at the government earn rate. Velocity Points earned on Virgin Australia spend are only valid for purchases made in Australia.
6. As long as your account remains current and in good standing.
7. Virgin Australia Guest Lounge Passes are subject to the American Express Velocity Platinum Card Benefits Terms and Conditions. Two single entry passes to the Virgin Australia lounge will be activated on the Primary Card Member’s Velocity Frequent Flyer membership account annually, on or after each anniversary of membership. Additional Card members are not eligible. Complimentary single entry Virgin Australia Guest Lounge Passes are not transferable, but may be used to enable other people (who are travelling with the Primary Card Member) to gain access to the lounge. The Virgin Australia lounge is operated by Virgin Australia Airlines Pty. Ltd. in selected domestic airports in accordance with the Virgin Australia Lounge Terms and Conditions, available at virginaustralia.com/lounge and as amended from time to time. Visit the Virgin Australia website for up-to-date information on Virgin Australia’s Lounge network.
8. The insurance on American Express Cards is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions (such as maximum age limits, pre-existing medical conditions and cover limits). You must use your American Express Velocity Platinum Credit Card to pay for your trip in order to be covered under the travel insurance and pay for eligible items for those items to be covered under the retail insurance benefits. It is important you read the American Express Velocity Platinum Credit Card Insurance Terms and Conditions and consider whether the insurance is right for you. We do not provide advice about the insurance or whether it is appropriate for your objectives, financial situation or needs. This insurance is underwritten by Chubb Insurance Australia Limited (ABN 23 001 642 020, AFSL No. 239687) under a group policy of insurance held by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085, AFSL No. 291313). Access to this insurance is provided solely by reason of the statutory operation of section 48 of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth). Card Members are not a party to the group policy, do not have an agreement with Chubb and cannot vary or cancel the cover. American Express is not the insurer, does not guarantee or hold the rights under the group policy on trust for Card Members and does not act on behalf of Chubb or as its agent. American Express is not an Authorised Representative (under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) of Chubb.
9. Additional Card Members must be 16 years of age or over. The Primary Card Member will be liable to pay for all transactions made by Additional Card Members. Earning of points is subject to the terms and conditions of the Rewards Program the Primary Card Member is actively enrolled. All points earned on Additional Card Member spend will go to the Primary Card Members Account. The Primary Card Member cannot add an Additional Card under their own name or email address and cannot add an Additional card under the name or email address of a previously approved Additional Card application on the Account.
10. You will have up to 55 days interest free on purchases provided you pay the full closing balance of your monthly statement by the due date each month. There is no interest free period on balance transfers or if you carry forward a balance from the previous statement period. The total of interest free days will depend on when you make the purchase and when your statement is issued.
11. You can create an Instalment Plan as long as your account is in good standing. We may withdraw this offer, prevent you from creating any new Instalment Plans or cancel any of your existing Instalment Plan(s) at any time if your Card Account is overdue, or if you do not comply with your Card Conditions. The minimum Plan amount is AUD$100. We may also limit the amount that can be transferred to an Instalment Plan. You will be charged a Monthly Plan Fee for each Instalment Plan created (unless a promotional plan is available). This fee will be charged each month your Instalment Plan is active and will be disclosed to you at the time of creating your Instalment Plan. Each Instalment Plan will begin from the date it is successfully created, as communicated to you in your Online Account. Payment of your first Monthly Instalment will be due in your next payment cycle. You may request to cancel your Instalment Plan(s) at any time through your Online Account or the Amex App. Any billed Monthly Plan Fees will remain payable, but no further Monthly Plan Fees will be billed after cancellation is effective. As cancellation can take 24-48 hours to process (“Processing Time”), you may be charged a further monthly plan fee after requesting cancellation if the Processing Time occurs on your payment date. View the full Plan It® Instalment Terms and Conditions here. The insurance on American Express Cards is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions (such as maximum age limits, pre-existing medical conditions and cover limits). You must use your American Express Velocity Platinum Credit Card to pay for your trip in order to be covered under the travel insurance and pay for eligible items for those items to be covered under the retail insurance benefits. It is important you read the American Express Velocity Platinum Credit Card Insurance Terms and Conditions and consider whether the insurance is right for you. We do not provide advice about the insurance or whether it is appropriate for your objectives, financial situation or needs. This insurance is underwritten by Chubb Insurance Australia Limited (ABN 23 001 642 020, AFSL No. 239687) under a group policy of insurance held by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085, AFSL No. 291313). Access to this insurance is provided solely by reason of the statutory operation of section 48 of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth). Card Members are not a party to the group policy, do not have an agreement with Chubb and cannot vary or cancel the cover. American Express is not the insurer, does not guarantee or hold the rights under the group policy on trust for Card Members and does not act on behalf of Chubb or as its agent. American Express is not an Authorised Representative (under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) of Chubb.
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