Jetstar frequent flyer: How to earn more points and free flights

As a low-cost carrier, Jetstar does not have its own frequent flyer program. However, it is owned by Qantas, which means you can sometimes earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Points for flights.

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 Starter Plus, Starter Max or Business Max 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. You can use the Qantas Frequent Flyer calculator to find out what you'll get. Rule of thumb: it will be less than the same flight on an actual Qantas service.

You can also redeem your Qantas Frequent Flyer points for Jetstar services via Qantas. The points required for these are typically 20% lower than for the same service on Qantas. For instance, a one-way Sydney-Melbourne flight on Qantas is 8,000 Qantas Points, while the same on Jetstar is 6,400 points.

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 Starter Plus, Economy Starter Max or Business Max fare.

To earn miles, you'll need to include your Skywards membership number when flying with one of the following international flight options:

• Jetstar international (JQ) – including Jetstar Domestic Australia and New Zealand flights that are part of international itineraries. That last point is crucial - if it's a separate booking, it isn't eligible.
• Jetstar Japan (GK)
• Jetstar Asia (3K)

Jetstar and JAL Mileage Bank

Members of Japan Airline's Mileage Bank program are eligible to earn 0.25 JAL miles for every mile flown with Jetstar Japan (GK) when you're booking on a Starter Plus or Starter Max fare. You can't earn JAL Mileage on either Jetstar Airways (JQ) or Jetstar Asia (3K) 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 as of 2024 it doesn't do so at all. 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 (existing members as of March 2024 pay $55 a year).

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

• Which airline alliance is Jetstar part of?

  Jetstar itself is not part of any major alliance, but its parent company Qantas is part of oneworld.

• Can I use Qantas Club when flying Jetstar?

  If you're eligible for Qantas lounge access, either as a Qantas Club member or as a Gold, Platinum or Platinum One frequent flyer, you can access a Qantas lounge on the day of your flight. Note, however, that for domestic flights you might find the lounge is in an entirely different terminal (this is true in Sydney and Melbourne), or only open some of the day (this is true at the Gold Coast and Hobart). So don't automatically assume you'll get in.

Written by

Angus Kidman

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Angus Kidman is Finder’s International Editor-at-Large and an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in tech, travel and finance. He was previously the editor of Lifehacker Australia and Australian Personal Computer, and is a recognised commentator, appearing on shows like Sunrise and The Project. A two-time IT Journalism Award winner, Angus has written for top publications such as The Sydney Morning Herald, the AFR, The Australian and Gizmodo, and is known for his expertise in travel rewards and consumer technology. See full bio

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