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.

✈️ How We Turned a Week in Tasmania into over 50,000 Qantas Points

A short trip doesn’t have to mean a small points haul. With the right setup, even a week-long domestic holiday can quietly earn enough Qantas Points for your next flight — or roughly $1,500–$2,000 worth of premium-cabin value when redeemed well.

In October 2025, we spent a week exploring Tasmania — from Hobart to Freycinet to Launceston — and tracked every Qantas Point earned along the way.

🏨 Accommodation: The Hidden Goldmine

We booked all stays through Qantas Hotels (and one via Qantas Business Rewards) during a Triple Points promotion. With Points Club Plus adding 50% and the Qantas Premier Titanium Card earning 3.25 points per dollar on Qantas spend, the results were impressive.

Here’s how the stays added up:

• Moss Hotel, Hobart (2 nights): ~9,250 Qantas Points earned

• The Tasman, Hobart (2 nights): ~11,000 Qantas Points earned

• Freycinet Lodge (1 night): ~8,400 Qantas Points earned

• Hotel Verge, Launceston (2 nights): ~8,900 Qantas Points earned

Total from accommodation: around 37,500 Qantas Points

✈️ Flights

We flew Perth to Hobart on Qantas and Hobart to Melbourne on Jetstar — both booked as Classic Reward Seats using Qantas Points. While these redemptions didn’t earn points, they perfectly demonstrated how strategic earning can fund future travel.

💡 A Business Class flight from Perth to Sydney costs about 43,600 points — almost exactly what this trip generated.

🍽️ Dining, Fuel & Everyday Spend

Even on the ground, the points continued to roll in. Here’s the breakdown:

• Dining: About $1,000 spent using TCN Restaurant Gift Cards purchased via Qantas Marketplace during a 6 points-per-dollar promotion. Combined with the Qantas Premier Titanium’s 3.25 points per dollar, that totalled roughly 9,250 Qantas Points.

• Groceries: $100 in groceries purchased using a Woolworths Gift Card bought through Qantas Marketplace (3 points per dollar) plus the Titanium earn rate, and 300 Everyday Rewards points. Total: around 775 Qantas Points.

• Fuel: 70 litres at BP (1 point per litre) plus about $140 spent on the Titanium Card at 1.25 points per dollar. Total: around 245 Qantas Points.

• Other Purchases: Around $2,000 of general spend during the trip, earning 1.25 points per dollar on the Titanium Card. Total: around 2,500 Qantas Points.

Combined on-ground earning: approximately 12,800 Qantas Points

💰 The Final Tally

Between accommodation, everyday spend, and card bonuses, the trip earned approximately 50,300 Qantas Points in total.

At a redemption value of 3–4 cents per point, that’s worth roughly $1,500–$2,000 AUD in premium-class flight value.

💡 Even without chasing sign-up bonuses or complex hacks, layered everyday earn strategies compound fast.

🧭 Key Takeaways

• Booking accommodation through Qantas Hotels during bonus promotions is one of the easiest ways to multiply points.

• Points Club Plus turns good trips into great earners.

• Gift cards via Qantas Marketplace unlock points on everyday spend like dining and groceries.

• The Qantas Premier Titanium Card ties it all together for serious compound earning potential.

✈️ Where To Next

With proper planning, a short domestic trip can easily earn enough points for your next holiday — or even cover a one-way Business Class seat.

If you want to learn how to earn points on your next holiday, check out one of our guides or book an individual consultation with The Points Pilot. We’ll help you design a strategy that fits your lifestyle and turns everyday spending into your next upgrade.