Qantas Frequent Flyers have a new way to earn and use points with the announcement of a partnership with Accent Group.

Accent Group owns a number of well-known footwear and apparel brands covered by this partnership, including:

• The Athlete’s Foot
• Platypus
• Skechers
• Hype DC
• UGG
• Dr Martens
• Subtype
• Stylerunner
• Vans
• CAT
• The Trybe
• Timberland
• Merrell
• Hoka
• Saucony.

From today, members can earn two Qantas Points per dollar spent by scanning their digital card at more than 670 stores around Australia.

By mid-2024, frequent flyers will also be able to redeem their Qantas Points when shopping instore, as well as earning and using points when shopping online across an expanded range of Accent Group retail brands.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said Qantas Frequent Flyer was continuing to invest in more ways for members to earn and use points everyday as well as when travelling.

“This partnership with Accent Group opens up new opportunities for our frequent flyers when they’re shopping at hundreds of retail stores across Australia,” said Ms Wirth.

“Members have told us that they value being rewarded for their everyday spend and using Qantas Points to save cash when shopping, and we’ve seen this in the success of our other partnerships.

“Expanding the retail options for our members to earn and use Qantas Points is one of the ways that we can offer more value, particularly when consumers are more conscious of their spending.”

Stay tuned for this partnership to expand further in 2024.

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Qantas has launched a comprehensive travel management tool, tailored specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia.

This tool is part of the Qantas Business Rewards program and is designed to simplify and optimize the travel management process for businesses.

The key features are:

1. One-Stop Booking Tool: This feature allows businesses to book and manage various travel elements like flights, hotels, and car hires through a single platform.
2. Manage Trip Feature: It provides flexibility in managing individual or comprehensive travel plans, enhancing the overall travel planning experience.
3. Business Travel Policies: Businesses can establish their own travel policies and automatically apply them to bookings. This not only improves efficiency but also provides travel managers with better visibility of booking behaviors.
4. Data Reporting and Analytics: The tool offers real-time access to detailed data reporting and analytics. This feature aids in identifying trends, managing travel costs, and preparing and exporting expense reports.
5. Qantas Business Rewards Benefits Management: Users can easily manage benefits from the Qantas Business Rewards program and access exclusive partner offers.

The development of this new tool is a direct response to feedback from members of Qantas Business Rewards. They expressed the need for a more streamlined approach to managing business travel, especially as the industry rebounds to pre-COVID levels.

After a successful trial period in August, Qantas is now extending this service to over 480,000 program members.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said that Qantas was responding to direct feedback from businesses about the demands and costs involved in managing travel requirements.

“We’ve been listening to our Qantas Business Rewards members who have told us that making it easier to manage their business travel will add more value to the program,” said Ms Wirth.

“The investment we’re making in Qantas Business Rewards will provide Australian businesses with a one-stop platform to manage their business travel needs and make the most of their rewards.

“One in five Australian small and medium sized businesses are Qantas Business Rewards members and this new booking experience adds to the benefits they already enjoy, including flight discounts and earning Qantas Points on travel and everyday business expenses.”

To encourage more businesses to benefit from this new tool, Qantas is waiving the $89.50 fee to join Qantas Business Rewards until 8 December 2023.

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Uluru has scored a tourism win with Virgin Australia today announcing two new direct services from Melbourne and Brisbane to be introduced in 2024.

Launched in partnership with the Northern Territory Government and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia (operators of Ayers Rock Resort), the new services will add more than 62,000 seats per year to the Red Centre.

The flights from Melbourne and Brisbane will start on 6 June and 7 June 2024 respectively.

Flights between Brisbane – Uluru will operate three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while Melbourne – Uluru services will operate up to four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

To celebrate its return to Uluru, Virgin Australia is offering a sale on flights from as low as $129 one-way in economy for travel on select dates from 6 June 2024 to 12 September 2024.

Ayers Rock Resort has also released a celebratory Welcome Offer for Uluru stays from $150 per night.

Virgin Australia CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said Uluru is somewhere everyone should visit for its cultural significance and natural beauty.

“Uluru is a special place in Australia and a cultural landmark that identifies this wonderful country to the world. We look forward to once again connecting Australians and international tourists alike, to the spiritual heartland of Australia,” said Ms Hrdlicka.

Velocity Frequent Flyer members can earn and redeem points on the new flights.

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A few months ago, Virgin Australia and Japan’s largest airline ANA expanded their partnership to allow Velocity Points holders to book reward seats with ANA.

For a while, this was only available via the Virgin call centre – but now, Velocity Frequent Flyers can book seats much more conveniently via the Virgin Australia website.

ANA flies from Sydney and Perth to Tokyo and onwards to destinations in Europe, Asia and North America.

While you can search for reward seat availability via the Virgin Australia website, it may be easier to use United’s website instead (both airlines are part of the Star Alliance) as it has better functionality. If you can find a seat there, it should be available to book via Virgin as well.

Here’s the points required for reward seats:

Velocity Frequent Flyer members can also earn Velocity points and status credits on paid ANA fares. This includes both NH-coded flights and those offered as a VA codeshare, though you’ll earn more on the latter.

Travellers can book ANA flights between Australia and Japan as Virgin Australia codeshare flights via the Virgin website.

Virgin’s partnership with ANA unlocks benefits across 12 domestic connections for travellers within Japan, including Sapporo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka-Itami, Kochi, Osaka-Kansai, Kumamoto, Nagoya, Nagasaki, Oita, Okinawa and Miyazaki.

Virgin Australia also operates its own Cairns-Tokyo (Haneda) service, which launched last month.

More information about the partnership, earn rates and benefits is available on Virgin’s website.

Notably, Velocity Silver, Gold and Platinum members travelling on an ANA operated flight with a Virgin Australia flight number will earn bonus points of 50%, 75% and 100% respectively.

Gold and Platinum members travelling on ANA operated flights from Australia to Japan with a VA or NH flight number, and ANA operated flights within Japan with a VA flight number, will receive benefits including priority check-in, priority baggage and additional checked baggage allowance – but sadly no lounge access (yet).

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Jetstar has today announced a boost to WA flying, with the first ever direct service connecting Sydney to one of the west’s top tourist regions – Busselton Margaret River, ahead of the next Easter holidays.

The three-per-week service will carry more than 50,000 customers between Sydney and the world-renowned wine and surf region each year, making a west coast visit easier than ever for domestic and international tourists.

Operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, the first flight will take off on 26 March 2024, just days before Easter and the second anniversary of Jetstar’s inaugural flight from Melbourne to Busselton Margaret River in April 2022.

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully, said Jetstar will be the only commercial airline offering direct flights between the east coast and Busselton Margaret River.

“Holidaymakers from Sydney will be able to fly direct to Margaret River in about five hours for as low as $109 one way, making the region far more accessible for domestic and international tourists from the harbour city.

“Our flights from Melbourne have already been incredibly popular, and once our Sydney flights launch, we’ll be carrying well over 100 thousand customers to and from this captivating region annually.

“We thank the Western Australian Government, the South West Development Commission, Western Australia Tourism and the City of Busselton for their ongoing support of our efforts to grow travel demand to the region.”

Sydney to Busselton Margaret River from 26 March 2024

To celebrate the new service, Jetstar is having a 12-hour sale from 11am AEDT, with one-way fares from Sydney to Busselton Margaret River from only $109.

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Jetstar has announced today that it is launching direct flights between Sydney and Osaka (Kansai), offering more than 100,000 low fares seats every year between the two popular destinations.  

From 1 April 2024, the low-cost carrier will take-off three times a week using its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners – the first time in 15 years that Jetstar has flown the direct route.  

The announcement follows earlier news Jetstar will also start four weekly return flights between Brisbane and Osaka from 2 February 2024.  

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully, said the arrival of more Airbus A321neo LRs has meant the low-cost carrier has been able to redeploy its Boeing 787s and further grow its international network.  

“This is the eighth international service we’ve launched or announced in the past year and our third new service between Australia and Japan.” 

“Japan has always been a top holiday spot for our customers, so we know they’ll be excited to have easy access to this incredible Japanese city. 

“Known as the food capital of Japan, Osaka’s also famous for its nightlife, architecture and history, and is fast becoming a must-see destination for Aussie travelers. 

“And in return, the launch of this new service means Jetstar will be the only airline to fly from Osaka to Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns – the three most popular cities for Japanese tourists.” 

FLIGHT SCHEDULE 

1 – 7 April 2024 (daylight saving) 

 8 April – 5 October 2024  

Jetstar’s Dreamliners feature a small business class cabin with recliner seats, as well as an economy cabin. The aircraft cabins will be progressively revamped in the coming years.

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Jetstar will invest in a substantial upgrade of its existing Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with an overhaul of the economy and business class cabins, as well as new inflight connectivity and lie-flat crew rest areas to fly greater distances. 

All economy and business seats will be replaced with new designs. 

The seating in economy will feature seat back smartphone and tablet holders, a power outlet to keep devices charged and six-way headrests for head and neck support. There will be no change to the current seat pitch (i.e. leg room). 

In response to growing customer demand for more choice and extra comfort when flying long-haul, Jetstar will increase business seats to 44 from 21. The seats will have device holders, a power outlet, headrests and a generous recline. 

In terms of connectivity, Jetstar customers can look forward to onboard wi-fi for surfing the internet or streaming content from Jetstar’s entertainment collection. Customers will be able to access in-flight connectivity using their own devices.

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully said the fleet upgrade will significantly enhance the medium to long-haul flying experience for customers.  

“This multi-million-dollar fleet revamp will allow us to offer our customers more choice, comfort and amenities when flying longer distances internationally. 

“The new crew rest areas mean our crew will be able to get the rest they need to operate longer flights, unlocking the possibility of exciting new destinations like Sri Lanka and India.” 

Jetstar’s 787s have so far operated more than 54,000 flights to international destinations such as Bali, Honolulu, Tokyo, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. 

No decisions have been made yet about new future routes. 

As part of the changes, the Dreamliners will also receive updated Jetstar livery to match the latest aircraft in the airline’s fleet.

The investment in each aircraft will progressively be completed during scheduled aircraft maintenance from late 2025. Detailed design work is currently underway, with more details to be provided in the coming months. 

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