How much is 1 Qantas Point worth?

Earning Qantas Points through Qantas Frequent Flyer means free rewards: flights, upgrades, hotel bookings, gift cards and more. But just how much are those points worth? We've crunched the numbers for the definitive answer. This is what your Qantas Points are worth in 2024 – and the best way to spend them.

How much is a Qantas Point worth?

As of April 2024, 1 Qantas Point is typically worth between 0.35 cents and 10 cents, depending on how you spend it.

Here are the values for some common reward choices:

• Each Qantas Point spent on Economy Classic Reward flights is typically worth between 1.3 cents and 4.5 cents.
• Each Qantas Point spent on Premium Classic Reward flights is typically worth between 5 cents and 6 cents.
• Each Qantas Point spent on Business Classic Reward flights is typically worth between 3.5 cents and 6.5 cents.
• Each Qantas Point spent on upgrades is typically worth between 4.5 cents and 10 cents.
• Each Qantas Point spent on hotels or car rental is typically worth between 0.65 cents and 0.85 cents.
• Each Qantas Point spent on gift cards or products through the Rewards Store is typically worth between 0.35 cents and 0.55 cents.
• Each Qantas Point spent on charity donations through the Rewards Store is typically worth between 0.7 cents and 0.8 cents.

In the table below, we've shown the points needed for a range of reward options, how much they would usually cost to buy outright and the dollar value per $1,000 points they typically represent right now.

As the table shows, the best value comes from flight upgrades, followed by business class flights, followed by economy flights, followed by store purchases. This hasn't changed despite the big shifts we've seen in flight prices and patterns following the pandemic, and it's remained largely constant across all of 2023 and into 2024. Fare prices remain stable, and a handful of routes are actually cheaper.

Methodology: How we calculated these values

So how did we work out those values? Through some careful research. All calculations are based on typical prices for flights and rewards in April 2024, as checked on the Qantas site.

• Methodology notes

  For each route, we checked a range of dates across July 2024 and selected the most typical price for a Qantas-operated one-way flight on that route. You might score cheaper flights on sale or pay more during peak times, but this is a useful median value. Points values for purchasing flights are for Classic Flight rewards, and we've subtracted carrier fees and charges when working out the value. Availability of those reward flights can vary heavily. As of January 2024, we're calculating all flight values as one-way options, since it's very rare to be able to score a reward flight in both directions. Points values for Reward Store redemptions come from the Rewards Store site and don't include any temporary discounts. We haven't included redemptions with partner airlines, which are generally poorer value than the Qantas options (and also harder to redeem). Points values for hotels and car hire are based on Adelaide pricing.

It's often more useful (and easier mental maths!) to think about how much 1,000 Qantas Points are worth. No-one is going to accept a single Qantas Point as payment for anything – most redemptions require thousands of points. Our rule of thumb is that if you're getting more than $20 in value for each 1,000 Qantas Points, that's a worthwhile way to spend your points. Under $10? Think very carefully.

A couple of extreme examples: using your points for an upgrade from premium to business can score you $114 in value per 1,000 Qantas Points, while buying a microwave gets you just $3.50 in value for the same number of points. At that rate, you might be better off buying the item with a frequent flyer credit card and earning Qantas Points on the purchase instead.

Bear in mind that the highest-value rewards are also the hardest to get. Qantas typically only releases a handful of first class and business class international seats that can be purchased with points, which are often snapped up by high-status flyers, though it has promised more rewards seats in 2024. If those are your goal and you're not already a Platinum Frequent Flyer, you may have to wait years.

An economy domestic flight can still represent really good value, especially if you use points to book a flight during peak periods such as Friday afternoons or during school holidays. Even outside those periods, it's better value than a coffee machine.

Using points for family flights

Finder global CEO Frank Restuccia knows that points can make a real difference to the household budget. In mid-2023 he booked a family holiday for 4 people to the US, grabbing Economy flights entirely using points.

Rather than paying $15,000 in high season fares, he spent around 477,000 Qantas Points plus $1,500 in carrier charges. That's an effective value of around $27 for every 1,000 Qantas Points used.

"That holiday is a big expense for our family. I'd rather spend on other priorities and use points so we can still travel," Frank explains.

The keys here? Being a little flexible with dates, not just looking at Business flights, and not waiting until the last minute to make the booking.

How can I get the most value from my Qantas Points?

These are our rules based on more than 3 decades of using Qantas Frequent Flyer:

• Don't spend your points on Points Plus Pay flights. These offer really low value for your hard-earned Qantas Points. Concentrate on Classic Reward flights instead.
• Take time checking. Before you spend Qantas Points on anything, find out how much it would cost to buy outright. Divide that by the number of points needed, and you'll know how much each point is really worth. Under 5 cents? You're not getting great value.
• Set a goal and plan for it. Impulse purchases rarely work out with points. Set a goal: maybe that's a business class trip to Perth for you and your partner. Work out how many points you need and get that total.
• Patience pays off. Last-minute reward flights are rare. Think 6–12 months ahead to increase your odds of scoring a high-value reward.

Complete guide to using Qantas Frequent Flyer points

Example: What's the best way to use 50,000 Qantas Points?

You could easily earn 50,000 Qantas Points just from a single credit card bonus points offer. Here are some high-value ways you can spend those points: (Prices correct as of November 2023.)

• Sydney to Coolangatta (Gold Coast) return business class flight 36,800 Qantas Points
• Brisbane to Melbourne return economy class flight for 2 people 48,000 Qantas Points
• 2-night stay at Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane 48,000 Qantas Points
• JB Hi-Fi $250 digital gift card 49,250 Qantas Points