Qantas frequent flyer program changes

If you have points stored in a Qantas Frequent Flyer partner reward program, changes are afoot that you'll want to know about. The cut off date of 31 March 2009 has been set for transferring these points, after which your points could be lost. Furthermore some major credit and charge card reward programs will no longer offer Qantas Frequent Flyer points as a reward option. What's caused these changes? What can you do? Read on to discover your options.

What you need to know

The good news is that not all reward cards are affected, but for those that are there will be new ways you can earn frequent flyer points. If your card is affected by these changes and you still wish to earn points via card spending, there are two very important things that you'll need to do:

Transfer your points before 31 March 2009
Switch to a "direct earn option" from your card provider (which, as the name suggests, adds points directly to your Frequent Flyer account as you spend)

So why have these changes come about? You've probably noticed that the amount of points you earn per dollar spent has gone down significantly compared with a decade or two ago. As flights came down in price, so the airlines had to up the cost of rewards to third-party providers (more or less making them unviable). So, if you are interested in the direct earn option, what exactly is a direct earn card?

Direct earn cards: Qantas Frequent Flyer partners

If your current card is no longer going to offer the frequent flyer program and you've got some frequent flyer points you can consider switching to a direct earn card. Qantas Frequent Flyer partners are offering a wide range of direct earn cards that allow you to earn points on your everyday spend. So if you want to keep your points after the 31 of March then contact your card issuer and switch or "opt-in" to a direct earn card. After making the switch your points will automatically be credited to your new account.

These new direct earn cards, available from many top brands (such as Westpac, ANZ and American Express) and co-branded with Qantas, maintain spending rewards for shoppers and travellers.

Other frequent flyer reward options

Your other option is keeping your current card, however this will mean that after the 31st March 2009 you will be unable to convert your points to Qantas frequent flyer points - food for thought.

It's a wise move to contact your card supplier and find out what options are available. This action should provide you with the best peace of mind and the minimal fuss. After all, you want to ensure that your existing points work hard for you - rather than the other way around.