Keeping your Westpac Altitude Rewards credit card points flowing in

Westpac is making some changes to its Altitude Rewards credit card points scheme in November with new points transfer rates applying to many of its partner frequent flyer programs, affecting cards like Altitude Platinum and Altitude Black.

Here’s what you need to know.

Westpac Altitude Rewards changes: what’s happening?

From November 9 2018, the number of frequent flyer points you’ll get in return for manually converting your Altitude points will change, as follows:

There’ll also be a small change to the minimum number of Altitude points that can be converted to Velocity, switching from a minimum transfer of 2 Altitude points – currently worth one Velocity point – to 6 Altitude points, which will equal two Velocity points.

Westpac Altitude Rewards: what’s not changing?

The conversion rate on points transfers from Altitude into Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars also remains unchanged at 180 Altitude points = 1 AirNZ Airpoints Dollar.

For Altitude Platinum and Altitude Black cardholders earning Qantas Points through the separate Altitude Qantas loyalty option, these earning rates equally remain untouched.

Westpac Altitude Rewards: maximising your points

It should go without saying, but if you’re sitting on a pile of Westpac Altitude points and were ultimately planning to transfer them to KrisFlyer, Asia Miles or Enrich, making those transfers before November 9 gets that conversion locked in at today’s more favourable rates.

Having said that, some of these partner frequent flyer programs adopt their own points expiry rules, so while your points won’t disappear when sitting in your Altitude account, transferring them to a frequent flyer program can start the clock ticking on their lifetime, so have a plan as to how you’ll spend them before their time is up.

Also read: Westpac Altitude Black Mastercard review

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.