Both Qantas and Virgin Australia allow their frequent flyer members to buy points in order to ‘top up’ their accounts.
The airlines say this is designed to help members who are a little short of the points required to redeem a reward – but it’s also a nice way for the airlines to earn more money, as buying points is relatively expensive.
You’re generally much better off earning points with credit cards or via points partners.
However, if you need points quickly and have no other option, purchasing points outright can be a useful last resort.
In terms of Qantas Points, you can purchase a minimum of 1,000 up to a maximum of 150,000 points, up to 4 times in any 12 month period.
The more points you buy, the lower the cost per point. For example, purchasing 1,000 points usually costs $56 (=5.6 cents per point) while buying 150,000 points sets you back $3999 (=2.6 cents per point). That’s a big difference.
I’ve written before about how to work out the value you’ll get from points when weighing up opportunities to earn or buy them. Consider your options carefully and work out the best way forward for you.
Until this Sunday 22 September 2024, Qantas is running promo offering extra points, as follows:
- 25% bonus Qantas Points on purchases of 15,000 – 55,000 points
- 50% bonus Qantas Points on purchases of 60,000 – 150,000.
If you go for the maximum purchase of 150,000 points, you’ll receive an extra 75,000, for a total of 225,000 points at a cost of $3999 (=1.8 cents per point).
That’s only a good deal if you use those points to book a business or first class reward seat that would otherwise be much more expensive.
You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member for at least 30 days before purchasing.
To find out all the T&Cs for purchasing points and potentially buy some, visit Qantas here.
Want some easy Qantas Points? Get 50k bonus points plus a $450 travel credit and lounge passes with our favourite credit card: the Qantas Amex Ultimate Card!
To get tips like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter: