Easy ways to earn Qantas frequent flyer points while you're grounded

COVID-19 has clipped the wings of frequent flyers, but just because you're grounded doesn’t mean your pile of frequent flyer points needs to plateau. In fact, there are many ways to boost that balance without setting foot near an airport.

Some of those opportunities could even come from the goods and services you’re already paying for, just by changing your shopping behaviour or linking existing rewards cards together.

Whatever your circumstances, here are 10 easy ways to keep your frequent flyer points flowing in.

1. Pocket a Qantas points-earning credit card

Credit cards are among the easiest ways to steadily amass frequent flyer points on the ground: using that points-earning plastic to pay for everything from daily purchases to big bills.

Depending on the card you choose, you could be earning up to 1.25 frequent flyer points per dollar spent on most transactions, and an even greater number of points if that card unlocks more generous rewards at selected businesses.

When you use that card to pay for other Qantas points-earning purchased detailed below, you can even double-dip!

Just make sure your card is paid in full every billing cycle so that you aren't hit by high interest rates.

Many cards also offer bonus points as an incentive for signing up, such as up to 150,000 bonus Qantas Points provided you spend $3,000 within three months of approval.

Read: Australia's best Qantas Frequent Flyer credit card deals

2. Buying petrol

Thanks to Qantas' partnerships with BP and participating Caltex, Woolworths Caltex and Ampol petrol stations, you've got several options for picking up points at the pump.

The Qantas earning rates at BP service stations are:

• 2 Qantas Points per litre of BP Ultimate unleaded
• 1 Qantas Point per litre of all other BP fuel (including diesel, BP Ultimate Diesel, LPG and regular unleaded)
• 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on eligible in-store products, excluding purchases like gift cards, mobile phone recharge vouchers and tobacco

On top of those rates, business owners who have signed up to the Qantas Business Rewards program and pay through a BP Plus fuel card get an extra serve of QBR points:

• 1 Qantas Point per litre of BP Ultimate
• 1 Qantas Point per two litres of all other BP fuel
• 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on eligible in-store products

Read: Everything you need to know about the Qantas, BP partnership

Qantas Points can also be earned at participating Caltex, Caltex Woolworths and Ampol petrol stations by linking your Qantas Frequent Flyer details to Everyday Rewards, choosing to earn Qantas Points rather than Woolworths Dollars, and scanning your Everyday Rewards card at the checkout (not your Qantas card, as with BP).

While you'll earn points on every eligible transaction, those will initially be Everyday Rewards points. When you've piled up 2,000 Everyday Rewards points, they'll be automatically converted into 1,000 Qantas Points.

Here's how many Everyday Rewards points – and by extension, how many Qantas Points – you can earn at Caltex, Caltex Woolworths and Ampol:

• All fuel types: 1 Everyday Rewards point (0.5 Qantas Points) per $1 spent.
• In-store purchases: 1 Everyday Rewards point (0.5 Qantas Points) per $1 spent, excluding mobile recharge, tobacco, gift cards etc.

As these earning rates are based on dollars spent rather than litres purchased, you'll earn more points when fuel prices are higher, and fewer points when prices are lower.

3. Shopping for groceries and alcohol

The same Qantas-Woolworths alliance unlocks a rich points-earning vein at the supermarket and bottle shop.

Through Everyday Rewards, you can earn one Everyday Rewards point – equal to 0.5 Qantas Points – per dollar spent at Woolworths supermarkets, BWS bottle shops and Big W.

Once you’ve notched up 2,000 Everyday Rewards points, these can be automatically converted into 1,000 Qantas Points: just opt-in for Qantas Points (rather than grocery savings) via the Everyday Rewards website.

4. Shopping online

While some bricks and mortar retailers are temporarily closed, most online stores remain open, providing another opportunity to earn extra frequent flyer points over and above the points you’d earn on that purchase from a points-earning credit card.

Begin your shopping journey via the Qantas website and you could earn as many as 13 bonus Qantas Points per $1 spent. The number of points earned varies from one retailer to the next, with most offering 1-5 bonus Qantas Points per dollar spent.

To earn those points, you need to click through the Qantas website before completing your purchase so that it can be tracked, and your points awarded.

This must be done every time you shop at a participating retailer, otherwise you won’t earn bonus points.

5. Streaming sport to your living room

Whether it's AFL, NRL, cricket, tennis, golf, basketball, or one of the many other sports available to watch through Kayo, eligible new customers can earn up to 1,500 bonus Qantas Points – plus more points every month – without leaving home.

Just sign up to Kayo through the Qantas Frequent Flyer link, provide your membership number when prompted, and you'll earn a one-off serve of Qantas Points after your first subscription payment.

Select the $25/month plan for an initial serve of 1,000 bonus Qantas Points plus 100 Qantas Points every month you stay subscribed, including the first month.

Or, opt for the higher-tier $35/month plan to get a one-time serve of 1,500 Qantas Points plus 150 Qantas Points per month you stay connected.

Qantas Points are available to Kayo customers who haven't held another Kayo subscription in the past 12 months, with the monthly offer of Qantas Points (100 or 150, depending on your plan) also provided in the first month.

6. Catch an Uber

You can earn one Qantas Point per dollar spent on Uber rides to and from most Australian airports, but that doesn't do much good if you're not flying in the first place.

However, by joining Uber Rewards you can earn 1-3 Uber Rewards points per dollar spent on rides, and once you’ve amassed 750 Uber Rewards points, these can be exchanged for 200 Qantas Points.

Haven't joined Uber yet? Sign up here or use our Executive Traveller promo code of UBER10AU to get $10 in free credit towards your first Uber ride.

7. Ordering food delivery via Uber Eats

Like Uber rides, Uber Eats meal delivery orders also qualify for points.

You’ll earn 1 Uber Rewards point per $1 spent with Uber Eats, which join any other points you’ve earned in the Uber Rewards program. Once you’ve earned 750 Uber Rewards points in total, these can be converted into 200 Qantas Points.

Never used Uber Eats before? Use our Executive Traveller promo code of eats-uberAUtrueblue to get $10 off your first order.

8. Buying wine online

Stocking up your cellar is another easy way to grow your frequent flyer balance, and undoubtedly among the most enjoyable.

Through Qantas Wine, all Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn one Qantas Point per $1 spent.

Those with a Qantas Wine ‘Premium’ membership – costing $99 per year, or free for Qantas Points Club members and selected credit card holders – earn a higher three Qantas Points per $1 spent.

There's often a fixed number of bonus Qantas Points on selected orders, with current offers ranging up to 20,000 bonus Qantas Points per case.

9. Review your electricity and gas providers

If you haven’t recently put your electricity and gas providers under the spotlight, now is a great time to check that you’re getting value from your plans.

It also pays to see whether those accounts could prove more rewarding: especially if you’re using more energy by working from home.

Through Qantas Frequent Flyer’s partnership with Red Energy – and depending on where you live – you could be earning two Qantas Points per dollar spent on these accounts when you pay on time.

If you’re a new Red Energy customer, you could also earn 10,000 bonus Qantas Points when you take up an electricity plan, and 5,000 bonus Qantas Points when you take up gas. For more details and to confirm eligibility, visit the Red Energy website.

10. Go for a walk

Here's a way to pick up some points for free: grab the Qantas Wellbeing app for iPhone and Android. Your daily walk or run will collect points while you lose calories.

(Speaking of health, if you’re in the market for a new health insurance policy, Qantas Insurance offers bonus points on health insurance, life insurance and more, at varying rates depending on the policy chosen.)

Also read: Your 101 guide to Qantas Frequent Flyer

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.