Your selected rewards credit cards
Qantas Frequent Flyer
$450
100,000
1.25 points up to 100,000 points/year, then
1 point uncapped
Receive 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply online by 18 March 2025, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new Qantas American Express Ultimate Card within the first 3 months of your approval date. T&Cs apply. Available for new American Express Card Members only.
Receive 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply online by 18 March 2025, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new Qantas American Express Ultimate Card within the first 3 months of your approval date. T&Cs apply. Available for new American Express Card Members only.
Read reviews and learn more about rewards credit cards
Your selected rewards credit cards
Qantas Frequent Flyer
$295 $195 in the first year
70,000
0.66 points up to $3,000/month, then
0.33 points up to $6,000/month
70,000 Bonus Qantas Points. Offer applies to a new NAB Qantas Rewards Premium Card when you spend $2,000 on everyday purchases within 60 days.
70,000 Bonus Qantas Points. Offer applies to a new NAB Qantas Rewards Premium Card when you spend $2,000 on everyday purchases within 60 days.
Read reviews and learn more about rewards credit cards
Your selected rewards credit cards
Qantas Frequent Flyer
$370
80,000
0.75 points up to $250,000/year
Earn 90,000 bonus Qantas Points - when you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases within 90 days of card approval (T&Cs apply)
Earn 90,000 bonus Qantas Points - when you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases within 90 days of card approval (T&Cs apply)
Read reviews and learn more about rewards credit cards
Your selected rewards credit cards
Qantas Frequent Flyer
$420 $320 in the first year
120,000
1 point up to $5,000/month, then
0.5 points up to $20,000/month
Earn up to 120,000 Bonus Qantas Points on a new NAB Qantas Signature Card. Min $3,000 spend on everyday purchases in first 60 days and keep your card open for 12 months.
Earn up to 120,000 Bonus Qantas Points on a new NAB Qantas Signature Card. Min $3,000 spend on everyday purchases in first 60 days and keep your card open for 12 months.
Read reviews and learn more about rewards credit cards
Your selected rewards credit cards
Looking for a standard credit card? Start here:
Want credit card rewards and perks? Check these out:
A frequent flyer credit card is a type of rewards credit card that earns you frequent flyer points when you spend at eligible retailers.
Credit card providers offer these cards in collaboration with an airline, so the points you earn are tied to a particular frequent flyer program. The biggest ones in Australia are Qantas Frequent Flyer (Qantas) and Velocity Frequent Flyer (Virgin Australia).
Frequent flyer points can be redeemed on flights, accommodation or used to purchase items at a rewards store, but the most lucrative way to use them is generally on air travel.
For this reason, frequent flyer credit cards can be attractive to those planning trips, especially if they’d like to save money or experience a little luxury while doing it.
If you’re looking for some of the best credit cards in Australia, our editors hand-pick the top offers every month to help you start your search.
Frequent flyer credit cards typically have higher annual fees compared to standard cards, and they tend to have higher interest rates too.
More broadly, rewards credit cards have seen a significant devaluation of rewards points over the past 10 years, something that Mozo’s finance expert, Rachel Wastell, says consumers should be aware of.
“You now need to spend more on your rewards credit card, and keep it active for a longer period, to accrue points, so consumers need to be careful they’re not spending more than they need to, because doing so could end up negating the dollar value of those points,” she says.
It’s also worth noting that as frequent flyer programs have grown, the number of points in the market has also increased, which in turn brings about more competition for flights and premium seats.
Qantas has the largest frequent flyer program in Australia. While it costs $99.50 to join, it’s possible to become a member for free when you sign up for certain credit cards.
Qantas is part of the Oneworld global alliance, which means you can earn and redeem points when you fly with Qantas or one of its many partner airlines.
You can also earn points when you shop at partner stores, or take advantage of bonus point offers when you sign up to a frequent flyer credit card linked to the national carrier.
Virgin Australia’s loyalty program is called Velocity Frequent Flyer and it’s free to join (unlike Qantas).
Virgin Australia isn’t part of a global alliance, which means it’s partnered with a limited number of airlines, but you can still earn and redeem points when you fly with eligible carriers.
On top of this, you can earn Velocity Points by shopping with retail partners, staying at select hotels or applying for a Velocity-earning credit card.
There are plenty of ways to earn and use points, but what’s the best way of using them?
Unfortunately, airlines don’t provide guidelines on how much a point is worth, but generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your frequent flyer points if you redeem them on flights and seat upgrades rather than on shopping or the airline’s rewards store.
You can also try out our rewards revealer tool to see if the frequent flyer points you could earn with your average yearly spend will outweigh the cost of each card’s annual fees.
Frequent flyer credit cards can also come with a range of other perks, such as:
Frequent flyer credit cards can be appealing to regular travellers or anyone planning a big holiday, but they tend to come with higher annual fees and interest rates than regular cards.
For a frequent flyer credit card to be worthwhile, the value you get from it should be greater than the costs of keeping it.
+ You can pay off your balance in full every month.
+ You’re a frequent traveller that can make use of the benefits.
+ You don’t let your frequent flyer points expire.
+ The frequent flyer points you use outweigh the cost of annual fees.
- You don’t travel regularly.
- You don’t actively use your frequent flyer points for valuable rewards.
- You’re overspending on flights or everyday purchases just to earn points.
- The annual fees outweigh the monetary value of the rewards.
Mozo’s expert guides are here to help you make the most of your credit card. See all
Crunch the cost of your credit card. View all
The Qantas Frequent Flyer program comes with a one-time fee of $99.50, but there are ways you can become a member for free. Some credit card providers will waive the cost of signing up if you choose their card, or you can take advantage of promotional offers that can include a free membership.
Yes, frequent flyer points can expire. The time of expiry varies depending on the rewards program, but Qantas Frequent Flyer points expire after 18 months of account inactivity, while Velocity Frequent Flyer points will expire after 24 months of account inactivity.
There is no one credit card that is best for earning frequent flyer points, but one approach you can take is seeking out the card with the top bonus point offer when you first sign up. The provider with the highest bonus points can change throughout the year, but we keep track of the top deals on our compare rewards credit cards page.
We compare products from the following well-known brands and many more... See all
Pros you get flexible payment terms and con is the interest rates and not much rewards
Read full reviewPros you get flexible payment terms and con is the interest rates and not much rewards
I like this product for the free flybuys on signing up and the ongoing rewards system, but the annual fees are too high to keep the credit card past the first year. I have previous experience of ANZ signing me up to products I haven't asked for in what I consider an unethical way.
Read full reviewI like this product for the free flybuys on signing up and the ongoing rewards system, but the annual fees are too high to keep the credit card past the first year. I have previous experience of ANZ signing me up to products I haven't asked for in what I consider an unethical way.
Changed my payments date back eleven days. So went from towards end of the month repayments to the tenth of the month. My budget was perfect the way it was now I am very inconvenienced. Cannot understand who thought changing my payment date without notice was a good idea.
Read full reviewChanged my payments date back eleven days. So went from towards end of the month repayments to the tenth of the month. My budget was perfect the way it was now I am very inconvenienced. Cannot understand who thought changing my payment date without notice was a good idea.
No rewards for both credit cards therefore I am Looking at other banks that offer rewards system for card usage
Read full reviewNo rewards for both credit cards therefore I am Looking at other banks that offer rewards system for card usage
More credit card reviews