How to redeem Qantas Points for flights to New Zealand

New Zealand is one of Qantas’ biggest international markets. Your Qantas Points could book a seat on Qantas, Emirates, China Airlines, LATAM and Jetstar flights across the Tasman.

With a choice of Economy or Business Class across the board (and even Premium Economy and First Class on certain routes), there is no shortage of ways to use your Qantas Points.

1. Using Qantas Points for Qantas flights

Qantas has a fairly robust Trans-Tasman network. From Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, you can fly to all of the following New Zealand cities: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. (Note that some routes operate a few times a week and others operate up to a few times a day).

The Red Roo previously had an Airbus A330 seasonal service between Perth and Auckland over the summer holidays, but this has been discontinued. There are whispers this could be revived in the coming years.

The vast majority of flights are on the Boeing 737, which has a standard 3-3 layout in Economy and a 2-2 layout in Business with recliner seats.

Selected flights to Auckland may be operated by the Airbus A330s boasting lie-flat seats with direct aisle access in Business Class. Economy isn’t too shabby either with a 2-4-2 layout down the back. For the best experience, book on the QF3/QF4 rotation between Sydney and Auckland, which is served by the modern Boeing 787.

Find the Boeing 787 Business on QF3/4 from Sydney to Auckland (which goes onwards to New York).

The Airbus A330 makes an appearance on some routes as welll.

Qantas Boeing 737 Business Class.

Reward seats on all Qantas flights between the eastern states and New Zealand share the same points pricing. Taxes and surcharges are extra; roughly $189 pp each way.

Note: Qantas does have a limited partnership with Air New Zealand. However, that only covers domestic codeshare flights within each country, not for travel between Australia and New Zealand.

2. Using Qantas Points for Emirates flights

Emirates runs a unique connection between Sydney and Christchurch on its flagship Airbus A380s, which also feature First Class suites. This is the lowest-cost way to experience Emirates First Class from Australia.

You can’t go wrong with Emirates Economy Class with a 3-4-3 configuration on the main deck of the plane. Business Class on the upper deck is in a comfortable 1-2-1 layout and comes with access to the in-flight bar.

Want to go a step up and fly Emirates First Class? Indulge in a private suite and even Qantas First Class lounge access on the ground in Sydney.

Here are the Qantas Points needed to enjoy Emirates’ service across the Tasman before taxes.

3. Using Qantas Points for China Airlines flights

China Airlines flies a tag flight from Brisbane to Auckland on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. From December 2024 onwards, the airline will also launch Melbourne-Auckland tag flights, initially starting at four days a week. You can book both flights with Qantas Points. Fees and charges range from A$165-$175, one-way.

Taiwan’s China Airlines is somewhat of a ‘sleeper hit’ with frequent flyers as they offer an excellent product in Business Class (at least on the longer flight to Taipei).

Of course, there’s no word yet on when that would happen. But if it does, here are the Qantas Points needed for China Airlines.

4. Using Qantas Points for Jetstar flights

While there’s nothing special about flying Jetstar Economy, the carrier’s main advantage is that it does fly some unique routes. Residents of the Gold Coast, Cairns and Maroochydore can fly non-stop to Auckland, avoiding a transit in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne.

One benefit of using Qantas Points for Jetstar flights is that a 30kg baggage allowance is automatically included. However, you still need to pay extra for meals and seat selection.

Economy is the usual 3-3 layout with a tighter pitch between each row than Qantas. Go for an extra legroom seat if you can. Meals can be pre-ordered at a small discount or purchased onboard.

Jetstar Airbus A321neo Economy seat.

I also like the ham and cheese toastie.

For a lighter option, consider the wrap with sparkling water.

As Jetstar cash fares are often quite cheap when on sale (especially during the ‘return for free’ promos), be sure to compare ticket prices before using Qantas Points to redeem a reward seat.

For example, if the fees and taxes you paid on a Jetstar reward seat booking (around A$180) were similar to purchasing a fare with cash, then it might be better off to save your points for another time. An exception to this rule might be if you’re seeking the additional flexibility of a reward seat.

Learn more about when it’s good to use points for flights in Economy. As Jetstar only operates one cabin class on Trans-Tasman flights, there is one flat figure for the number of Qantas Points needed.

5. Using Qantas Points for LATAM flights

Although South American-carrier LATAM broke away from the oneworld alliance in May 2020, the airline remains a partner of Qantas. Fortunately, it means Qantas Points can continue to be used on LATAM’s flights, including its fifth-freedom routes between Australia and New Zealand.

LATAM usually flies a Boeing 787 between Sydney and Auckland four times a week — we’ve reviewed the experience here. Whilst it’s not the latest and greatest seat, it’s still comfortable for a 3-hour flight.

Here are the Qantas Points you would need for the Sydney-Auckland dash flying with LATAM. Fees and taxes are around A$189 one-way.

Summing up

Qantas Points unlock five distinct pathways to fly to New Zealand. On the top end of the scale, there’s Emirates and China Airlines. Qantas itself is a decent all-round option followed by LATAM, while Jetstar is a budget choice.

If you’re looking for some hotel accommodation ideas for your stay in New Zealand, make sure to check out Qantas Hotels to also earn Qantas Points towards your trip.

But always do your research first. The cash co-payment on reward flights between Australia and New Zealand can be high in comparison to a cash Economy ticket, especially when departing from Australia. But with experiences such as Emirates First Class available for 64,500 points, why not enjoy it while you can?

Frequently asked questions