Jetstar frequent flyer: How to earn more points and free flights
Yes, you can earn points with Jetstar, but you need these tricks up your sleeve.
Key takeaways
- Qantas-owned Jetstar has no frequent flyer scheme of its own.
- You can earn Qantas Points on Jetstar Plus or Max fares, but these are more expensive and yield fewer points than Qantas flights.
- You can redeem Qantas Points for Jetstar flights, often requiring 20%+ fewer points than equivalent Qantas services.
- Consider Club Jetstar for $65 annually to save 20% on seat selection and checked baggage.
However, this only happens if you book the right kind of ticket. Spoiler: the really cheap tickets aren't eligible. You can also sometimes earn points with Emirates Skywards and JAL Mileage Bank.
We'll explain how to do that, but let's be clear - you won't ever earn heaps of points through Jetstar. It's best-suited for cheap flights, not points flights.
Jetstar also offers perks though Club Jetstar, which isn't a frequent flyer scheme as such but does feature some discounts and benefits.
Earning and use points with Jetstar
Qantas Frequent Flyer Points and Jetstar
You can earn Qantas Points and Status Credits when you're travelling on a Jetstar Flex or Flex Plus fare. For all of these, you pay an additional fee on top of the base fare. Eligible routes include domestic Australian flights marketed as Jetstar Airways (JQ), and international flights sold by Jetstar Asia (3K) and Jetstar Japan (GK).
Points earned vary depending on booking class, fare type, the regions you're travelling through, the number of flights on your booking and your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership status.
Jetstar also offers a scheme called Jetstar Frequent Flyer Extra which lets you earn points on every booking, regardless of fare type. This cost $199 a year, and in my analysis that isn't worth it unless you're flying Jetstar dozens of times every year.
You can redeem your Qantas Frequent Flyer points for Jetstar services via Qantas. The points required for these are often 20% or more lower than for the same service on Qantas.
Remember, you'll have to pay carrier charges as well in both cases. You'll get a basic (15kg) checked luggage allowance for these bookings.
My expert take: I don't think it's worth paying to earn points when I take Jetstar flights, unless I know I want to pay for checked baggage and a meal anyway. In that case, I can earn enough points to justify the expense. Check out my detailed guide to when it's worth paying to earn points on Jetstar.
Similarly, I'll only use my points on Jetstar flights if it's a route that isn't otherwise offered by Qantas, and those are somewhat rarer than they used to be. I always aim to get at least $20 in value for every 1,000 Qantas Points I spend, and that can be challenging with Jetstar flights.
Jetstar and Emirates Skywards
Members of Emirates Skywards can earn Skywards Miles with Jetstar when they're travelling overseas on an Economy Flex Plus, Economy Flex or Economy International More bundle, or on a Business Max fare.
JAL Mileage Bank
Members of Japan Airline's Mileage Bank program are eligible to earn 0.3 JAL miles for every mile flown with Jetstar Japan (GK). You can't earn JAL Mileage on Jetstar Airways (JQ) flights.
To earn your JAL Mileage, you'll need to add your frequent flyer details to your booking. Points will then be credited within 6 weeks of travel.
Jetstar credit cards
Jetstar has offered its own branded credit cards in the past, but it doesn't currently offer one. So your best option if you're looking to earn points while booking Jetstar flights is to compare cards that earn Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards, where you'll have a much broader range of options.
Club Jetstar
Club Jetstar is a discounted membership program from Jetstar. It isn't free - it costs $65 a year for new members.
The big selling point for Club Jetstar is 20% off the fees for seat selection and checked baggage. This can offset the cost of membership if you use Jetstar regularly, especially for international flights.
Club Jetstar members also get early access to some Jetstar sales, and occasional discounted seats of their own.
Is Club Jetstar worth paying for? I've been a member of Club Jetstar since 2020 and I've always got more value from it than the membership fee. That said, I travel a lot more than most people!
If you're contemplating a family trip overseas with Jetstar, then there's a decent chance that you'll save more than the membership fee once you've paid for seat selection and baggage.
Frequently asked questions
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Can I book Jetstar flights using rewards points
Hi Tom,
Thanks for contacting Finder.
Yes. If you’re a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer, Emirates Skywards, JAL Mileage Bank or Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles, you’ll also be able to use your frequent flyer miles to book eligible Jetstar flights. Know that this is done directly through your frequent flyer program, so options may vary based on when you want to fly. But you can use the table above to see the minimum amount of points you’d need with each of these programs.
I hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Faye
I would like to know how many Qantas frequent flyer points to travel from Sydney to Ballina return
Hi Fred,
Thanks for your inquiry.
You may refer to the Qantas points requirement for flights as well as know the other ways to redeem your Qantas points.
Hope this information helps
Cheers,
Arnold
can i use jetstar gift cards if i book a jetstar flight through qantas as a frequent flyer
Hi Mike,
Thanks for leaving a question on our page.
To clarify, do you mean Jetstar credit card rewards?
If you opt to earn Jetstar Dollars, you’ll be rewarded with Jetstar Travel Vouchers that you can use for flights and holiday bookings. For more information, you can see it on this page above.
If you get a Jetstar credit card and choose to earn Qantas Points, they’ll automatically be credited to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account at the end of each statement period. The earn rates for each card are as follows:
Jetstar Mastercard. 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent, up to 25,000 points per year.
Jetstar Platinum Mastercard. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 spent up to $50 per statement period, then 0.5 points per $1 for the remainder of the statement period. This is capped at 100,000 Qantas Points per year.
Note that if you choose to earn Qantas Points, you’ll need to provide your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number before you can start earning points for your spending.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Nikki
How many points required to fly Sydney to perth
Hi Katie,
Thanks for your question and for contacting Finder.
To fly from Perth to Sydney through Jetstar you would need 14,400 frequent flyer points for economy class and 28,800 points for business class. You may refer to our guide to frequent flyer points to know how many points you’ll need in your account for domestic flights.
Hope this helps!
Thanks and best regards,
Nikki
Hi, I have been traveling overseas 3 or 4 times a year with Jetstar. Can I get any frequent flyers? What do I need to do? I just today already booked another flight?
Hi Louis,
Thank you for your question.
Jetstar has its own rewards program for its loyal customers, like you. You can earn Jetstar Dollar for every eligible purchase you make using Jetstar MasterCard and Platinum MasterCard which can be redeemed for Jetstar flights or holidays.
Alternatively, you may opt-in to earn Qantas frequent flyer points on your Jetstar credit card spending which can be redeemed for rewards through the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. You can read more about Jetstar’s frequent flyer rewards program on our website to learn more about their perks and other benefits.
I hope this has helped.
Best regards,
Liezl