Qantas FF Points Now Redeemable With Avis and Budget

20th May 2015

Qantas has some good news for its frequent flyer members. Namely, the Qantas Frequent Flyer members now have an option to redeem their points on car hire with two of the biggest car rental companies in Australia and New Zealand - Avis and Budget.

In addition to that, frequent flyers can also earn points on rentals booked using points. These are calculated at 3 Qantas Points per 1 Australian dollar on what the customer would normally pay in time and km charges.

You can see how this works for overnight rentals from Sydney Airport if you go here on Qantas website.

For example, for Avis, an A$81.77 rental can be reserved if the frequent flyer has 12,750 Qantas Points. On the other hand, for an A$77.74 Budget rental, the passenger will need a little less - 12,000 Qantas Points.

Prices also include charges for registration recovery, a "concession recovery fee" and tax. These don't earn points, but are included when redeeming them.

Qantas Loyalty chief executive officer Lesley Grant said: "For those with a smaller balance this gives you another way to access a points-reward sooner. Those with large balances can potentially cover most of their big holiday expenses using points - flights, accommodation, travel insurance and now car hire too."

A spokesperson for Qantas has revealed a small caveat for those using the Acquire business scheme. Even though both Avis and Budget are partners in Qantas' Acquire, Acquire Points won't be earned on car hire bookings paid with Qantas frequent flyer points.

Senior VP and Managing Director of Avis for Australia and Asia Pacific, George Proos said:

"It's great to expand our partnership to offer frequent flyer members the chance to both earn and use Qantas Points on car hire in Australia and New Zealand. Members also have peace of mind knowing they can cancel their booking without penalty and get their points fully refunded if their plans change."