How To Earn Qantas Points And Status Credits On Jetstar Flights
Is it worth purchasing a Jetstar flight bundle or Club Jetstar to earn Qantas Points?
Did you know that Jetstar flights can earn Qantas Points and Status Credits? But like many things with Jetstar, you’ll need to pay for the privilege. Although Jetstar is part of the Qantas Group, its cheapest fares don’t automatically earn rewards with Qantas Frequent Flyer.
To earn Qantas Points and Status Credits when flying Jetstar, you’ll need to purchase an eligible bundle such as Flex, Flex Plus or Business Max. Alternatively, Club Jetstar members can add the Qantas Frequent Flyer Extra product to their membership to unlock points earning on eligible bookings.
Understanding which fares and memberships can earn Qantas Points with Jetstar can help to maximise your Qantas Points balance. Especially when Jetstar flights are typically significantly cheaper than flying with Qantas.
Jetstar Bundles That Earn Qantas Points & Status Credits
If you want to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on a Jetstar flight, the most straightforward option is to select an eligible bundle when making your booking. Jetstar’s cheapest Starter fares do not earn Qantas Points or Status Credits, but adding certain bundles can make your flight eligible.
Jetstar's bundles typically add extras like checked baggage, seat selection and change flexibility. More importantly for frequent flyers, some bundles allow you to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits.
The confusing part is that not every bundle qualifies on every route. For example, you can earn Qantas Points on a Starter Plus bundle for a domestic New Zealand flight, but the same bundle does not earn points on domestic Australian routes.
To keep things simple, we’ve broken it down in the table below. It shows which Jetstar bundles earn Qantas Points and Status Credits across domestic Australian, New Zealand and international flights with Jetstar.
How Many Qantas Points Will I Earn?
If you have purchased a bundle that's eligible to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits, your earn rate is calculated based on the route and distance of each flight. It's not based on the bundle; all eligible earning bundles are placed in the same earn category by travel class.
If you're travelling on a Jetstar-marketed flight in Economy, you'll earn at the Economy rate according to the Jetstar Earning Tables. If you are travelling in Business Class with Jetstar, you will earn at the Business rate.
The easiest way to calculate your earnings is by using the Qantas Points Calculator. This calculator is generally quite accurate, but can make the occasional error.
Club Jetstar's Qantas Points Add-On
Another way to earn Qantas Points on Jetstar flights is through a Club Jetstar membership. This is Jetstar’s paid membership program that offers discounted fares, exclusive sales and baggage deals. On its own, the membership does not automatically earn Qantas Points.
However, members can add Qantas Frequent Flyer Extra to their Club Jetstar membership for $199 per year. If you're already a member, the annual fee is charged pro rata in your first year. So if you had half a year left on your Club Jetstar membership, you'd pay half the normal fee.
Earning Status Credits With Club Jetstar
With Club Jetstar's Qantas Frequent Flyer Extra, Jetstar domestic flights earn 5 Status Credits per flight, while international flights earn 10 Status Credits. Members are capped at earning just 75 Status Credits per membership year.
That essentially means once you hit 15 domestic or 8 international flights, you'll earn nothing, despite paying $199 per year! To add to the disappointment, Qantas Gold status (where the real benefits start) requires 700 Status Credits per year. So Club Jetstar only gets you just over 10% of the way to Gold.
Earning Qantas Points With Club Jetstar
Just like the Status Credit earn, earning Qantas Points with Club Jetstar Qantas Frequent Flyer Extra is bound to disappoint.
Members earn 50% of the applicable Discount Economy earn rate, according to the Jetstar Earning Tables. Where the Discount Economy earn category rate is below the Minimum Points Guarantee, you will earn 50% of the Minimum Points Guarantee.
Here's how all this looks in practice:
- Melbourne - Sydney: 400 Qantas Points
- Perth - Melbourne: 725 Qantas Points
- Sydney - Auckland: 500 Qantas Points
- Melbourne - Bali: 1300 Qantas Points
Summing Up: Should I Bother?
Jetstar flights can earn Qantas Points and Status Credits, but only if you pay for the right extras.
While Jetstar is part of the Qantas Group, its cheapest Starter fares don’t include rewards earning by default. To earn points and status credits, you’ll need to select an eligible bundle such as Flex, Flex Plus or Business Max when booking.
Club Jetstar members can also add the Qantas Frequent Flyer Extra product to earn points on eligible bookings. However, the earn rate is extremely low relative to the $199 membership cost, making it ultimately worthless for many.
If you want meaningful Qantas Points and Status Credits from Jetstar flights, choosing an eligible bundle at the time of booking is usually the better option.
