Free membership in Qantas Frequent Flyer programme
June 18th, 2009 by Tim Uden
Qantas normally charge a one-off AUD $82.50 fee for Australians who join their frequent flyer programme. However membership is free for a limited time if you have a Woolworths Everyday Rewards card (like an Aussie version of the Nectar card) .
The deal is that from June 22, Everyday Rewards cardholders can earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points when they shop at Safeway and Woolworths supermarkets in Australia (except in Tasmania). To coincide with the introduction of earning frequent flyer points when you buy your groceries, Everyday Rewards members can sign up online for a free Qantas frequent flyer membership through the Everyday Rewards website.
This is only really applicable to Australian residents, but there is no reason you couldn’t sign up for the programme if you’re travelling around Australia.
Qantas in part of the OneWorld alliance, which also includes American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LAN, Japan Airlines, Malév and Royal Jordanian. This means that you can join any of the member airlines frequent flyer programmes to earn points on any other airlines. In other words, even without the Everyday Rewards promotion, you can simply choose a OneWorld airline that has a free-to-join frequent flyer programme.
I’ve known a few frequent Qantas flyers who had previously joined American Airlines Advantage programme, simply because it was a free alternative to Qantas’ overpriced programme. These people had never flown AA but just wanted to earn points on Qantas, BA and LAN. With the current promotion, these people are now signing up for the Qantas programme.
If you live in Australia, you will simply earn more points with Qantas’ own programme, likewise Brits will earn more points with British Airways and Americans will earn more points with American Airlines.
Although you can earn a lot of points with long haul flights, most points are earned from other things like rental cars, hotels and, now, the weekly grocery shop. This means that you will almost always earn more points if your frequent flyer programme is with a local airline that has more options for earning points without leaving the ground.
I’ve given up by American Airlines Advantage and Air New Zealand Airpoints programmes and now stick with my two local airline programmes: Qantas Frequent Flyer and Virgin Blue’s Velocity Rewards.
5 Responses to “Free membership in Qantas Frequent Flyer programme”
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July 27th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I want to fly next year with my son Stefan Platzer and my daughter Vera Platzer next year with One World. Can I get a free membership for them to earn free miles. I am a member. We live in Austria.
Yours sincerly Karl Platzer
July 31st, 2009 at 9:24 am
@DDR Platzer Karl
Try signing up for the American Airlines frequent flyer programme. The last time I checked it was free to join and it was open to people from outside the USA.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:52 am
charging for FF is bullcrap anyways (IMHO)
November 4th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I would like to join the frequrnt flyer reward scheme. Can you please advise me on how to get started. I’m living in London currently and plan lots more travel, and also going home more often.
I can be contacted by email.
Best regards
Monika
November 4th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Can you advise me on how to join the frequent flyer reward scheme. I am living in London, and plan to be doing quite abit of travel.
Best regards
Monika