Jetstar is Qantas’ low-cost subsidiary. They’re not everyone’s favourite airline down under, but compared to other LCC’s around the world, Jetstar are actually pretty good. I’m actually a huge fan of Jetstar, and what’s even better, is that the airline is set to see its biggest period of growth between now and 2030.
Jetstar is part of the Qantas group, therefore, you have the ability to earn and spend Qantas points on Jetstar. In some cases, you can even take advantage of your Qantas status benefits as well.
This makes Jetstar a much more affordable way to fly with Qantas. Even if you’re not exactly onboard Qantas branded metal, flying with Jetstar is still to your advantage. Jetstar flights get you to destinations Qantas doesn’t directly serve, plus you can gain lots of Qantas status credits quickly. Jetstar should be any Qantas frequent flyer’s secret weapon.
Table of Contents >>>
- Earning Qantas Points & Status Credits on Jetstar
- Spending Qantas Points on Jetstar
- What Perks do Travellers with Qantas Status Get?
- Bottom Line
Earning Qantas Points & Status Credits on Jetstar
Qantas points can be earned on Jetstar’s ‘Flex’ and ‘Flex Plus’ fares (the 2 most expensive fares). Qantas points can not be earned on Jetstar’s ‘Starter’ and ‘Starter Plus’ fares (the 2 cheapest fares). In Jetstar Business Class, you will earn Qantas points and status credits on only the ‘Business Max‘ fare, not the ‘Business‘ regular fare. Business Max fares also include lounge access on international flights.
You will earn Qantas Status Credits on Flex and Flex Plus fares too. The amount of status credits and points you earn on a Jetstar flight is usually the same as what you would earn on a Qantas ‘Saver’ fare for that route. For example, a Jetstar ‘flex’ or ‘flex plus’ fare on a flight between Sydney and Auckland earns 1375 Qantas Points and 25 Status Credits.
You can choose to earn Emirates Skywards Miles on Jetstar instead of Qantas points on international Jetstar flights too.
These circumstances apply to all international and domestic flights with Jetstar Australia (JQ), Jetstar Asia (3K) and Jetstar Japan (GK). You can also choose to earn Japan Airlines Mileage Points on Jetstar Japan (GK) flights.
The only exception from the above is domestic Jetstar flights in New Zealand. You will earn a minimum of 400 Qantas points on all domestic Jetstar flights in NZ, on all fare types (including Starter and Starter Plus). You will still earn status credits only on Flex and Flex Plus fares on NZ domestic flights.
Spending Qantas Points on Jetstar
Book Jetstar Classic Qantas Reward Flights
In some cases (and not every), spending your Qantas points on Jetstar can bring in some good-value redemptions, especially if you like to spend as little points as possible. I might be wrong, but Qantas Frequent Flyer is really the only loyalty program you can book Jetstar reward flights with. Other programs, such as Emirates Skywards, do offer Jetstar reward flights, but these are often overvalued and complicated to book.
To spend your Qantas points on Jetstar, go to qantas.com.
- Enter your travel dates, destinations, and number of passengers into the flight search engine.
- Switch the rewards toggle ‘Use Points’ and to ‘Flexible with Dates’ – this will show you prices across multiple days, and points prices instead of cash.
- Browse the flight options, and choose your Jetstar flight. You might need to scroll down further to find them
- Complete the checkout process as you normally would
I have attached 3 examples of classic Jetstar reward flights below, compared to the price of Qantas classic reward flights on that route. These are listed below with screenshots.
- Sydney to Melbourne (6,400 + $35AUD / 8,000 + $53)
- Sydney to Auckland (14,400 + $186AUD / 18,000 + $186)
- Honolulu to Sydney (26,000 + $130AUD / 31,000 + $145)
All reward flights on Jetstar do include checked baggage, and they allow you to change your flight by paying in points. Seat selection is not included.
Overall, you will still get better points value spending on Qantas flights instead of Jetstar compared to the cash price. However, spending Qantas points on Jetstar is still cheapest, so you ultimately save the most money (and points), despite receiving a lower value per point.
Always compare cash price to the value per point you will get before booking any rewards with points and miles!
Points + Pay
Prepare to pay for your Jetstar flight with cash on the Jetstar website like normal. At checkout, you’ll see the red ‘Points Plus Pay’ toggle to the right hand corner.
Points Plus Pay allows you to pay for add-ons using your Qantas points. This is never the best value use of Qantas points. However, if you have a small amount of Qantas points (3,500+), and you want to get your points used up, Points plus Pay is a great idea.
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What Perks do Travellers with Qantas Status Get?
Qantas Silver, Gold and Platinum members can receive a range of perks when flying Jetstar. On eligible Jetstar flights, a status earn bonus applies. Silver members will earn 50% more Qantas points, gold members earn 75% more points, and platinum and platinum one members earn 100% more points.
Jetstar does not offer priority for Qantas silver, gold and platinum members. This means there is no priority check-in, boarding or preferred seat selection.
Qantas Status Lounge Access: If you are a Qantas Gold or Platinum member, you can access the respective Qantas Club, Business and First Lounge on a Jetstar (JQ) flight. Gold and platinum members can bring one additional guest in who is travelling on a Qantas, Jetstar, oneworld or eligible partner marketed and operated flight that same day. You can’t access any Qantas partner lounges when flying Jetstar, only Qantas branded lounges.
Qantas Club Members: Qantas Club members whose onward flight is a Jetstar operated flight (as part of a Qantas booking) with a JQ or 3K flight number will gain complimentary access to the Qantas Club, where available. Access is not available to Qantas partner airline lounges or associated lounges.
Bottom Line
Taking advantage of Jetstar can be a very good idea for Qantas frequent flyers. Prices are much less, meanwhile they offer a low-cost service, that gets the job done with ease. Passengers on higher fares can earn Qantas Points and Status Credits. Qantas members can spend Qantas points for reward flights on Jetstar, a cheaper alternative to spending points on Qantas flights.
Definitely check out Jetstar for your next trip, you might find a secret pocket of insane value. Jetstar serves many destinations Qantas doesn’t either, such as Seoul, Osaka, Rarotonga and Ho Chi Minh City. Jetstar is underestimated for the price of which it costs to fly, and they actually offer a good product compared to other low cost airlines.
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