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Qantas points lose value overnight: is your Frequent Flyer card still worth it?
07 Aug 2025
Australia’s national airline has hiked the burn rate on its much-loved loyalty program, asking customers for more points, and in some cases, higher fees to redeem trips from its Classic Flight Rewards program.
The number of points required to redeem an economy flight using the airline’s low-cost program has increased by 15%, while the points required for Premium Economy, Business and First Class flights rose by between 5% and 20%, depending on location.
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| Classic Flight Rewards: points for a one-way economy Qantas flight | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Departing Sydney to: | Old | New | Difference |
| Gold Coast | 8,000 | 9,200 | +1,200 |
| Melbourne | 8,000 | 9,200 | +1,200 |
| Perth | 18,000 | 20,700 | +2,700 |
| Auckland | 18,000 | 20,700 | +2,700 |
| Singapore | 25,200 | 29,000 | +3,800 |
| Los Angeles | 41,900 | 48,200 | +6,300 |
| Vancouver | 41,900 | 48,200 | +6,300 |
| London | 55,200 | 63,500 | +8,300 |
Source: Qantas.
Majority of Jetstar flights have also seen a points rise
Qantas Frequent Flyer customers can also use their points to book Jetstar flights, and while the airline has reduced the number of points needed to redeem the shortest economy flights on offer by 11%, the points required to book longer flights have increased by between 5% and 20%.
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| Classic Flight Rewards: points for a one-way economy Jetstar flight | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Departing Sydney to: | Old | New | Difference |
| Byron Bay (Ballina) | 6,400 | 5,700 | -700 |
| Bali | 18,000 | 20,700 | +2,700 |
| Phuket | 21,500 | 24,700 | +3,200 |
Source: Qantas.
What is the value of Qantas Frequent Flyer points now?
The value of points will depend on what the person is redeeming them for.
Canstar’s analysis shows that for someone redeeming points for Qantas economy flights from Sydney to Melbourne (Tullamarine), the value of 1,000 points has dropped from an estimated $16.00 to $13.91 as a result of this points change.
This is based on someone booking a low-cost flight six months out at today’s prices, including taxes and carrier charges.
For someone with 100,000 points, who uses them for domestic flights of this type, then the value of their points has dropped by an estimated $209, based on today’s flight costs.
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| Value of 1,000 points redeeming Qantas economy flights | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Departing Sydney to: | Old | New | Difference |
| Short domestic flight (Melbourne) | $16.00 | $13.91 | -$2.09 |
| Mid-range international flight (Singapore) | $22.22 | $19.31 | -$2.91 |
| Long-haul international flight (London) | $22.26 | $19.35 | -$2.91 |
Source: Qantas.com.au. Notes: based on redeeming Classic Flight Rewards vs the cheapest fares available. Domestic flights depart 6 months from the booking date. International based on 11 months out selecting the cheapest fare available in the week. Prices based on Qantas site from August 5, 2025. Includes taxes and other carrier charges. London is flying into Heathrow, and Melbourne is to Tullamarine.
Who will be impacted?
The change impacts Qantas Frequent Flyer members who redeem their points for flights, which includes many Australians who earn Qantas points using their credit cards and doing their everyday shopping at stores such as Woolworths. Some home loans and transactions accounts also offer ongoing Qantas frequent flyer points.
This includes:
- Over 20 credit cards including cards from all four big banks.
- 3 home loans including Qantas Money, Qudos Bank and La Trobe Financial.
- 3 transaction and savings accounts including Qudos Bank, AMP and BOQ
What should existing customers do?
Customers should do a health check on their banking products at least once a year, however, anyone who relies on the points they earn from their various banking products should do a check to make sure they’re still getting value for money from their credit card, home loan or bank account.
It’s not just about points. Making sure you have the right card for your finances is far more important than a handful of Qantas points.
How to give your frequent flyer credit card a health check
- How much have you paid in fees in the last 12 months?
- How much have you paid in interest charges in the last 12 months?
- How many points did you earn in the past 12 months? What is the new value of these points?
- Include any other card ‘freebies’ but only if you have used them in the last 12 months.
Now add them up. If the value of the card perks doesn’t outweigh the fees and interest charges you have paid, it could be time to compare options. If you regularly pay interest on your card, consider switching to a low-rate card instead.
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Airline lounge access
This article was reviewed by our Finance Editor Jessica Pridmore before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.
