Despite being a low-cost carrier, Jetstar is a major domestic airline in Australia with a range of capital city, leisure and regional flights. Often in smaller towns, Jetstar is the dominant airline offering connections that aren’t as viable for Qantas or Virgin Australia.
Jetstar also has various offshoots around Asia, including Singapore and Japan, which extends its network reach quite far beyond Australia.
One lesser-utilised method of redeeming Qantas Points is to access reward seats on Jetstar flights worldwide since Jetstar is part of the Qantas Group.
In this guide, we outline the routes, aircraft and cabins Jetstar operates, step-by-step instructions on how to make a booking using Qantas Points, and sweet spots in the award chart.
Not a Qantas Frequent Flyer member yet? Watch our video to learn more about the program:
How do I redeem Qantas Points for Jetstar flights?
See if Jetstar operates the route with Qantas’ route maps or timetables. You could also check the points pricing using the Qantas Points Calculator if needed. Then it’s time to book.
- Start on the Qantas website and enter your desired travel dates, destinations, and number of passengers.
- Toggle the ‘Use Points’ button and ‘Flexible with Dates’ button if your travel dates are flexible.
- You’ll see any available reward seats across all eligible Qantas partner airlines, including Jetstar.
- Choose the Jetstar flight option and continue with the booking process.
- Use a valid payment method to pay the taxes and surcharges. You will now have a Jetstar booking made with Qantas Points.
It’s possible to mix Jetstar Economy and Business Class in one booking, where Business is not available on one leg. This is called a ‘mixed-cabin redemption’ and will come up automatically when you search for awards on the Qantas website.
Where does Jetstar fly?
Jetstar Australia operates to mainly leisure destinations within Australia and to New Zealand, Asia and the South Pacific islands. Its largest international hubs are Melbourne Tullamarine and Sydney.
Overseas, Jetstar Asia is based in Singapore and services popular destinations in North and South-East Asia. Jetstar Japan operates domestic and international routes out of Japan.
You can use your Qantas Points across all of Jetstar’s various regional offshoots, depending on flight availability.
What kind of planes will I find on Jetstar flights?
Jetstar operates just four types of planes for simplicity:
- a larger twin-aisle Boeing 787 Dreamliner with both Business Class and Economy Class.
- an all-Economy Class Airbus A320.
- a longer all-Economy Class Airbus A321.
- an upgraded all-Economy Class Airbus A321 (LR), for longer-range flights.
Jetstar Business Class on the Boeing 787s is usually available on most routes from Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns and Brisbane to international Asian destinations.
All other routes (domestic and New Zealand) are serviced by the smaller all-Economy Class Airbus A320-series planes.
What is Jetstar Business Class like?
Business Class on the Dreamliner is arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. You’ll get a leather recliner seat, similar to what you’d find on a domestic Business Class flight with Qantas or Virgin Australia. Our pick for the best seats is 3G and 3J, which offer extra recline.
In Business Class, you’ll get complimentary meals and beverages, inflight entertainment and a 30kg baggage allowance. Lounge access, Qantas Points and Status Credits are not included unless you purchase a Business Max bundle on top of your fare.
What is Jetstar Economy Class like?
Jetstar’s A321neo Economy is arranged in a 3-3 configuration, and 3-3-3 on the Dreamliner. Meals, drinks, entertainment and baggage are at an extra cost in Economy, either separately or with a Bundle.
If you’re comparing Qantas and Jetstar, know that you’ll usually get more legroom when flying on the Red Roo.
Most of Qantas’ international flights have at least 31 inches of seat pitch, whereas Jetstar offers a maximum of 30 inches on the Dreamliner and can even be as tight as 28 inches on domestic flights.
As Jetstar is a low-cost carrier, it has regular sales, like its Friday Fare Frenzy. That means that tickets on Jetstar flights are usually best purchased with cash rather than points. Exceptions include last-minute purchases or travel during a peak period like school holidays. If you fly Jetstar regularly, you may also want to consider joining Club Jetstar to save on cash fares.
Also read: Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 Economy (Kuala Lumpur – Singapore)
Boost your Qantas Points balance with a sign-up offer!
Summing up
Using your Qantas Points for redemptions on Jetstar flights is quite an easy online process. However, do try to get the most value out of your points by using them for Business Class flights internationally.
Another good use is for Economy tickets on routes within Australia and to New Zealand on which Qantas does not operate. Though always compare the cash price of a Jetstar fare before parting with your Qantas Points.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Qantas Frequent Flyer points on Jetstar?
Yes, you can use your Qantas Points to book flights on Jetstar. In fact, Jetstar redemptions are 20% cheaper than those with Qantas. You can choose to fly in Economy or Business Class. To book your Jetstar flight using Qantas Points, go to qantas.com.
Can you earn Qantas Points when flying Jetstar?
You will not earn Qantas Points on most Jetstar tickets, those being the cheapest tickets. However, you can earn points if you purchase a more expensive Starter Plus, Starter Max or Business Max fare. You can add your Qantas Frequent Flyer number to your booking on the Jetstar website under Manage booking.
Do Jetstar Business Class passengers get Qantas lounge access?
Unless you hold elite status with Qantas or are a Qantas Club member, you won’t get lounge access before a Jetstar Business Class flight redeemed with Qantas Points. Only Jetstar Business Max fares purchased with cash will make you eligible.
Do I need to call Jetstar to book a flight using Qantas Points, or can I do it online?
It is best to search for and book your Jetstar flights online in order to avoid the 3,500/6,000 (domestic/international) Qantas Point ‘Award Assistance Fee’ incurred by booking over the phone. However, you can also phone Qantas Frequent Flyer on 13 11 31 Monday to Saturday between 7am and 7pm AEST.
Can I use any other non-Qantas Points for Jetstar flights?
Jetstar has very few frequent flyer program partners. Therefore, Qantas Points is the best currency by far for redeeming with Jetstar when it comes to the availability of points and ease of redemption.
If you have some Emirates Skywards miles up for expiration, you can book a Jetstar redemption flight from 7,000 miles. However, Qantas redemptions start at only 1,000 points more.
Article previously written by Matt Moffit.
Stay up to date with the latest news, reviews and guides by subscribing to Point Hacks’ email newsletter.
We do not want to pay with points or cash for seats and bags but the only alternative is fiji airways, which has terrible reviews.
Your prompt reply would be greatly appreciated.
We’re looking at the same option; ie Sydney to Nadi. Do you recommend we transfer our Amex platinum points to Qantas FF points?
We would ideally like to fly with Fiji Airways but couldn’t see the option on the Qantas website.
You would have also avoided carrier charges since these are not allowed in HKG!
Anyway, everyone is different and has different needs….just so people realise that 50,000 pts and getting $500 dollars of value could be viewed as a total waste of points that could have delivered more like $1500 – $3,000 worth of value…only saying…
Also factor in risk of cancellation of flight (some of the historical data is listed on the Jetstar source website)…
The sweet spot table (whilst a brilliant idea), but the maths is way out:
(1) It doesn’t appear to factor in the carrier charges – for example SYD-HNL is 57,600 pts PLUS $310
(2) The fares quoted are just plain wrong for many dates (your “random date” method does not appear to provide a typical representation) – the Business fare CNS-KIX is more like $749 to $1159!
So the CNS-KIX example should compare a $749 fare with a 48,000 pt plus $267 fees: the 48,000 pts is saving just $482 – that’s 1 cent per point. That’s throwing away a first class one way SYD/MEL/BNE to AKL worth $1300!
Just don’t ever think of redeeming onto Jetstar!!!
Otherwise, a really great article in terms of describing he “how to: process!
I learnt this the hard way last month where I was able to check in and get a boarding pass for 3J but was moved into 2E (going from the most desirable seat to the least desirable isn’t fun!)