Roam to Rome with new Qantas and Optus partnership

After a six-year hiatus, Qantas Frequent Flyer and Optus are back together with up to 20,000 bonus points on plans. If you’ve nabbed the latest device outright and are looking to get connected, then these plans are worth a look.

According to Qantas Loyalty CEO, Olivia Wirth, earning points on Optus plans is yet another way for the modern frequent flyer to boost their points kitty.

We see frequent flyers adding a substantial number of points to their balances every year through everyday spend like shopping at Woolworths, filling up at BP, and now on their Optus mobile plan.

Frequent Flyers could earn enough points in a year to fly from Brisbane to Tokyo or take several domestic flights through these Optus mobile plans. Plus, if members pay their phone bill with a Qantas Points earning credit card, they could increase their points earning potential ever further.

– Olivia Wirth, Qantas Loyalty CEO, 22 November 2021

How do I earn Qantas Points with Optus?

Qantas and Optus have rolled out three SIM-only plans which are eligible for bonus points. These offer a sign-up bonus from 5,000 to 20,000 points, plus an ongoing five or 10 points per $1 spent ongoing.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to earn Qantas Points on older Optus plans or prepaid services. Only the plans listed on the Qantas page are eligible.

All three eligible plans are month-to-month, which means you can cancel anytime without a lock-in contract. But if you’re thinking of snagging the bonus points and running, we’ve got bad news for you.

Qantas and Optus have re-jigged the bonus so you’ll receive instalments of 5,000 points every three months you stay connected. For the headline 20,000 bonus points, you’ll need to stay with the plan for a full year.

The new Optus plans that come with Qantas Points

You must visit the Optus partner page on Qantas Frequent Flyer to sign up for these plans.

Only the $79 plan includes 5GB of roaming data a month, plus included talk and text in select destinations. For other plans, you can add on:

• 1GB of data + talk and text in Zone 1: $10 per 24 hours
• 5GB of data + talk and text in Zone 1: $50 per 7 days

We do find these roaming charges to be a bit hefty. Unless you’re very time-poor and don’t mind the cost, we suggest you look at a local or dedicated roaming SIM card to save on fees. Optus includes 99 destinations in Zone 1, covering most major tourist and business destinations.

Is it worth earning Qantas Points with an Optus plan?

As with many deals, the deciding factor on this won’t just be the points earned. You need to consider the whole package, including price and inclusions. Phone plans won’t be for everyone. And credit checks are usually performed during the sign-up process, so keep that in mind too.

We value 5,000 Qantas Points at $95.00, 10,000 Qantas Points at $190.00, and 20,000 Qantas Points at $380.00, based on our current points valuations.

Take your time to look at comparable plans from competitors such as Telstra and Vodafone as well. With some special offers, you might get a boosted data limit from a lower-cost plan. Vodafone offers a compelling deal with international SMS included, and a cheaper $5/day roaming pass where you can use your plan inclusions overseas.

The Qantas Optus plans are clearly aimed at users with greater travel and data needs. But if your usage isn’t as high, consider looking at Flybuys Optus plans. While these have a 12-month commitment, plans start from $35 for 20GB of data, with 5G and data-sharing included. You can also earn up to 30,000 Flybuys Points.

Summing up

After the short stint with Qantas and Vodafone back in 2016, it’s great to see Qantas bring a telco partner back into the fold with Optus. If a SIM-only plan is high up on your shopping list, then it’s definitely worth seeing what Optus can offer. Enjoying up to 20,000 bonus points and 10 points per $1 isn’t too shabby either!