Dial P for Points: Qantas, Vodafone ink frequent flyer partnership

A new hookup between Qantas and Vodafone offers another way to dial up your frequent flyer points balance.

Customers on selected Vodafone Red plans – which are being cannily dubbed 'Qantas Red' plans as part of a co-marketing campaign – can earn from 4,000 to 15,000 Qantas Points over the 24 months of their contract.

All of the Qantas Red plans include free roaming across New Zealand and also let travellers use their plan’s data, calls and text allowance in some 50 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas for a flat $5 each day.

Read: Vodafone launches free New Zealand roaming

The alliance is notable because it eschews the conventional points-per-dollar earning rate common among frequent flyer partners in favour of repackaging Vodafone plans under the Qantas brand (to be promoted to its 11 million-strong database of Qantas Frequent Flyers) with a fixed earning rate.

This includes a 'base rate' of between 4,000 and 7,500 points for each plan plus a matching serve of bonus points for signing up to the plan online, which doubles the total points haul.

Qantas' previous telco relationship with Optus ran from September 2011 to June 2015, at which point Optus pulled the plug to focus on its own rewards scheme.

Vodafone Business customers who sign up to a Qantas Business plan online will earn an equivalent double serve of Aquire Points.

Qantas Red smartphone plans

Though Vodafone, Qantas will offer SIM-only plans for users who are happy with their current smartphone as well as more expensive plans offered with a new Apple iPhone or Google Android phone (which in most cases attracts an additional monthly repayment fee).

Here's the run-down:

• $45/month SIM-only plan with 6GB of data: earns 4,000 Qantas Points with a 4,000 point online bonus
• $60/month SIM-only plan with 10GB of data: earns 5,000 Qantas Points (5,000 point online bonus)
• $85/month SIM-only plan with 15GB of data: earns 7,500 Qantas Points (7,500 point online bonus)
• $80/month 'new phone' plan with 6GB of data: earns 4,000 Qantas Points (4,000 point online bonus)
• $100/month 'new phone' plan with 10GB of data: earns 5,000 Qantas Points (5,000 point online bonus)
• $130/month 'new phone' plan with 15GB of data: earns 7,500 Qantas Points (7,500 point online bonus)

The 'new phone' plans will also include extra data per month for sign-ups before March 8, taking the total to8GB for $80/month, 12GB for $100/month and 20GB for $130/month; and 8GB on the $45/month SIM-only plan, 12GB on the $60 SIM-only plan and 20GB on the $85 SIM-only plan.

All Vodafone Qantas Red plans come on a 24 month contract and are also available as shared plans where several users on the same plan can access a common pool of data and international calls.

Qantas Red vs Vodafone Red plans

So how do the Qantas Red plans and their Vodafone equivalents compare in value?

Vodafone's SIM-only plans don't have to lock you into a 24 month contract – 12 month and month-by-month plans are also available, and with a wider range of packages (such as $110/month with 15GB of data, which is exclusive to a 12 month contract).

Perhaps the biggest differentiator is that only the Qantas Red plans give you Qantas Points – and that's all they give you.

You can't earn Qantas Points on Vodafone's own plans but you can choose between 12 months free access to the Spotify Premium streaming music service, the Stan streaming video service or The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age online.

Although the Qantas Red plans are geared to catching new subscribers, current Vodafone subscribers who have a penchant for points can move onto a Qantas Red plan of equivalent monthly payment or higher.

However, Australian Business Traveller has confirmed with Vodafone that if your Vodafone plan came with a Spotify, Stan or SMH/Age subscription and you've signed up to that service, you won't be eligible to move to a Qantas plan until your current Vodafone contract has expired.

In addition, if your Vodafone plan included a special promotion – such as double your monthly data or free Red Roaming (no $5/day payment) – this won't carry over to a Qantas Red plan.

Changing from Vodafone Red to Qantas Red

Although the Qantas Red plans are geared to catching new subscribers, current Vodafone subscribers who have a penchant for points can move onto a Qantas Red plan of equivalent monthly payment or higher.

If your Vodafone plan came with a Spotify, Stan or SMH/Age subscription and you've signed up to that service, this will continue to run once you move across to a Qantas Red Plan – so for some people, that'll be a way to enjoy the best of both worlds, by first activiating the Vodafone freebie and then shifting to a Qanats Red plan for the points,

However, if your Vodafone plan included a special promotion – such as double your monthly data or free Red Roaming (no $5/day payment) – this won't carry over to a Qantas Red plan.

Flying high

The Vodafone partnership kicks off what the Flying Kangaroo hopes will be a big year for its Qantas Loyalty arm, which tipped $315 million into the Red Roo’s pouch in FY2015.

The coming months Qantas will see a new partnership with Woolworths to let shoppers convert their Woolworths Dollars into Qantas Points and the launch of the Qantas Assure health insurance scheme.

Qantas is also believed to be working on a deal with Caltex to allow frequent flyers to earn points at each time they fill their tank.

Read: Qantas/Caltex fuel deal to earn points at the pump?

More AusBT articles for Qantas Frequent Flyers

• Best Qantas frequent flyer credit card sign-up deals
• The five best ways to use your Qantas frequent flyer points
• Here are the worst possible ways to spend your Qantas frequent flyer points!
• How to earn frequent flyer points when paying income tax, HECS
• Five credit card strategies to maximise your frequent flyer points

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David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.