How Qantas Points Are Really Earned (On the Ground, Not in the Air)
Most people assume Qantas Points are earned in the air.
You fly more, you earn more points. Simple.
It’s a logical assumption — and it’s also the reason many people feel like they’re trying to earn points but never quite getting ahead.
The reality is quieter, and a little less exciting:
Most Qantas Points are earned on the ground, in everyday life — not on flights.
Once you understand that, the whole system starts to make a lot more sense.
The Core Misunderstanding
Flights do earn points. But for most people, they’re:
Infrequent
Irregular
Hard to control
You might fly a few times a year. Your everyday spending happens every single day.
That’s where the real leverage is — not because you’re spending more money, but because you’re directing money you already spend more intentionally.
1. How You Spend (Structure Beats Effort)
Everyone already has everyday spending. That part is unavoidable:
Groceries
Fuel
Utilities and household bills
Insurance and subscriptions
Online and in‑store shopping
Where people go wrong is assuming points are earned by adding spending, rather than directing spending that already exists.
In practice, “how you spend” is about asking:
Is my everyday money flowing through channels that actually earn Qantas Points?
When those transactions are aligned with programs that feed into Qantas Frequent Flyer, points start accumulating consistently without changing spending behaviour.
For many Australians, this means everyday ecosystems — things like supermarket rewards programs, fuel partners, and payment methods — quietly doing the work in the background. In the Qantas context, this often includes grocery spend flowing through Woolworths Everyday Rewards, fuel spend flowing through BP Rewards, and everyday payments being made on a Qantas Frequent Flyer–earning credit card.
The same applies to bills and larger recurring expenses. Many people treat these as “points‑dead” categories, even though they represent a significant portion of annual spend — particularly when they’re paid using a points‑earning credit card rather than direct debit or cash.
The key idea here isn’t optimisation or deal‑chasing. It’s intentional routing:
Everyday spend should earn something
Large recurring costs shouldn’t be ignored
Payment methods should support your points goal, not undermine it
When this is set up properly, points are earned quietly, week after week, without conscious effort.
2. Who You’re Loyal To (Loyalty Is Directional)
Loyalty is often misunderstood.
It’s not about liking a brand, chasing specials, or being “locked in”. It’s about where your normal spending is focused.
Everyday spending categories — groceries, fuel, shopping, insurance, travel — always feed into some system, whether you think about it or not. In most cases, unless you consciously do something about it, that system isn’t yours. In those instances, you’re missing out while others are profiting off your spending habits.
The problem most people face isn’t a lack of loyalty. It’s fragmented loyalty.
Many people earn a small number of points across multiple ecosystems:
Some Qantas Points here
Some Velocity Points there
Other rewards scattered across cashback or retailer‑specific programs
On paper, this feels flexible. In practice, it dilutes momentum.
Points strategies work best when there is a clear primary program — a place where the majority of everyday earning is directed.
Concentrating earning toward one frequent flyer ecosystem creates leverage:
Balances grow faster
Redemptions become achievable sooner
Status thresholds (e.g. Points Club) become realistic
This doesn’t mean other programs are “bad” or should never be used.
Woolworths Everyday Rewards and BP Rewards are simply examples of directional loyalty within the Qantas ecosystem. The broader point is not which brands you choose, but that your everyday loyalty consistently feeds into one primary frequent flyer program.
When it comes to points earning, focus beats diversification.
For people aiming to use Qantas Points meaningfully, aligning everyday loyalty around the Qantas ecosystem is far more effective than spreading effort thinly across multiple programs.
3. Connecting the System (Where Most People Lose Value)
This is where everything either compounds — or quietly leaks value.
You can be spending well and loyal to good partners, but still miss out if those decisions don’t connect back to one central system.
Connection is about alignment.
A well‑designed points setup:
Has a clear “home” program (for example, Qantas Frequent Flyer)
Ensures everyday earning feeds back into that program
Avoids unnecessary detours that strand points elsewhere
Without this connection, people often feel like they’re doing the right things, but results stay underwhelming.
Points end up split across programs, trapped below useful thresholds, or expiring before they can be used.
When the system is connected:
Everyday decisions reinforce each other
Points balances build momentum
Promotions and bonuses have something to amplify
This is the difference between earning points occasionally and earning them predictably.
Who This Approach Works Best For
This approach works best for people who:
Have regular everyday spending (groceries, fuel, bills, shopping)
Want to earn points consistently without changing their lifestyle
Prefer clarity and simplicity over juggling multiple rewards programs
Would rather build one meaningful points balance than several small ones
If you fly occasionally — or even frequently — this approach still applies. It simply ensures the time between trips is doing as much work as the trips themselves.
Where Flying Actually Fits In
Flights aren’t irrelevant — they’re just misunderstood.
Flying tends to be the reward trigger, not the main earning engine.
When the ground game is set up properly:
Flights top things up
Status accelerates outcomes
Redemptions become realistic
But without that foundation, flying alone rarely gets people where they want to go.
A Simple Way to Visualise the System
Think of Qantas Points as a flow, not a collection exercise:
Everyday life
Groceries · Fuel · Bills · Shopping
⬇️
Payment & loyalty layer
Rewards programs + Qantas‑earning credit cards
⬇️
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Points accumulate consistently over time
⬇️
Flights & upgrades
The outcome — not the engine
When the flow is clear and aligned, points compound quietly in the background.
The Big Takeaway
Earning Qantas Points isn’t about doing more.
It’s about aligning what you already do so it works together instead of against you.
Get the structure right on the ground, and points stop feeling like something you have to chase.
Flying becomes the bonus — not the plan.
If you want help building this properly, this is exactly what I break down in my guides and consulting. No hype. No hacks. Just a system that actually fits real life.