How to Book Qantas Flights with Points
Qantas is one of the world’s most recognisable airlines — and for UK-based points collectors, it’s also one of the most accessible to book using points. As a fellow oneworld alliance member alongside British Airways, Qantas flights can be booked using Avios without needing a single Qantas point. But there’s a second route too: Qantas runs its own loyalty programme, Qantas Frequent Flyer, and UK collectors can access it — if they know where to look.
This guide covers both options, who each one suits, and how to decide which works better for your trip.
Qantas Frequent Flyer at a Glance
Qantas Airways · Founded 1987 · 18 million members
Australia’s flagship carrier and a founding oneworld member. Qantas Frequent Flyer is one of the largest loyalty programmes in the Asia-Pacific region, with a growing network of partners and, as of 2026, a significantly upgraded digital booking experience.
Option 1: Book Qantas Flights Using Avios
For most UK readers, this is the simplest and most practical route. Because Qantas and British Airways are both oneworld members, you can redeem Avios on Qantas flights directly through ba.com — the same way you’d book any BA flight with points. No Qantas account needed, no transfers, no extra steps.
The process is straightforward: log in to your British Airways Executive Club account, search for your Qantas flight on ba.com, and if award availability exists, book it with Avios. Taxes and fees apply as normal.
You can also earn Avios on Qantas flights — not just spend them. When booking a Qantas-operated flight, add your BA Executive Club membership number to the booking and your Avios will credit there rather than to a Qantas account. Useful if you’re flying Qantas occasionally but don’t hold enough Qantas points to make that programme worthwhile.
Avios pricing for Qantas flights follows BA’s distance-based partner award chart. Unlike Qantas’s own programme, which uses dynamic pricing for many of its own flights, partner awards through BA are priced at a fixed rate based on the distance flown — so there’s no risk of prices shifting between searches. The cost varies significantly by route and cabin, so always check ba.com directly for the current Avios requirement before planning a redemption. Taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges apply on top of the points cost.
London to Australia is a long-haul route where Avios can work well — but availability on direct BA metal to Sydney is extremely limited. Routing via a oneworld partner such as Cathay Pacific (via Hong Kong) or Qatar Airways (via Doha) often gives better availability and, in many cases, a lower Avios cost using the multi-carrier award chart. Check all options on ba.com before assuming a direct Qantas routing will be the easiest to find.
Option 2: Book Qantas Flights Using Qantas Points
Qantas Frequent Flyer uses a Classic Reward system for fixed-price partner bookings, and dynamic pricing for many of its own flights. For UK-based collectors the challenge is straightforward: there are no UK credit cards that earn Qantas points directly, and Qantas is not a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards in the UK market.
That said, there is one meaningful route for UK collectors: Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Qantas Frequent Flyer at a rate of 3:1 — so 60,000 Bonvoy points becomes 20,000 Qantas points. Marriott also applies a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 points transferred, effectively improving the rate slightly. If you hold a large Bonvoy balance and have a specific Qantas redemption in mind, this is the primary UK pathway. For general Bonvoy earning options, see our Marriott Bonvoy guide.
It’s worth being clear-eyed about when Qantas points offer better value than Avios for booking Qantas flights. The main scenarios are:
- Qantas-operated domestic Australian routes, where Qantas points pricing can be lower than what BA charges under its partner award chart
- Routes where BA doesn’t show availability but Qantas does — this is rare but does happen
- Targeting Qantas First Class, where award availability through BA’s system can be extremely limited and booking directly through Qantas Frequent Flyer may give earlier access to seats
The New Qantas Award Search Tool (2026)
In March 2026, Qantas launched a significantly upgraded award search tool on its website. Previously, finding Classic Reward availability across partner airlines through Qantas was cumbersome — the new tool now displays availability across Qantas and 30 partner airlines in seconds, searchable by destination and cabin type over a 12-month booking window.
For UK collectors considering the Marriott transfer route, this makes the Qantas points option noticeably more practical. Rather than guessing whether award space exists before committing to a transfer, you can now check availability first — and only transfer if the seats are there.
You do not need any Qantas points to use the search tool — just a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account. Sign up, search for your route, confirm the award space exists, and then decide whether to transfer Marriott points or stick with Avios via BA. Never transfer points speculatively without confirmed availability.
Avios vs Qantas Points: Which Should You Use?
| Avios via BA | Qantas Points | |
|---|---|---|
| UK earning options | Many — BA Amex, Barclaycard Avios, Amex MR and more | Limited — mainly Marriott Bonvoy transfers |
| Pricing structure | Fixed zone-based chart | Dynamic on most Qantas flights; fixed Classic Rewards on partners |
| Booking experience | Simple — via ba.com | Improved in 2026 with new search tool |
| Partner availability | Good on most routes | Now searchable across 30 partners |
| Best for | Most UK readers flying Qantas long haul | Large Bonvoy holders; Qantas domestic; First Class bookings |
For the majority of UK collectors, Avios remains the easiest and most practical way to book Qantas flights. The earning options are far broader, the booking process is familiar, and BA’s partner award chart gives you predictable pricing. Qantas points make sense if you already hold a significant Marriott Bonvoy balance, are targeting Qantas domestic routes, or need access to First Class availability that isn’t surfacing through BA. If you’re exploring the Qantas points route, the new 2026 search tool is a genuine improvement — use it to check availability before committing to any transfer.
