How to earn frequent flyer points with rideshares in Australia

Ridesharing is a popular way to get around town, both at home and overseas. Some of the major players have teamed up with airlines to offer more ways to earn frequent flyer points, in addition to what you’d normally get from spending on your credit card.

We take a look at the major rideshare companies currently operating in Australia and compare their frequent flyer partnerships.

Uber

Think rideshare, and you’re probably thinking Uber. They partner with Qantas Frequent Flyer, and anyone can earn Qantas Points on eligible airport rides. You must link your Uber and Qantas accounts together first, or points won’t be earned.

The earn rate is as follows:

• 1 Qantas Point per $1 for Uber Reserve trips to or from eligible Australian airports.

• 1 Qantas Points per $2 for other Uber products (e.g. UberX, Uber Green, UberXL) to or from eligible Australian airports.

Once your accounts are linked, you can order your ride directly through the Uber app or via the Qantas app.

Also read: The Ultimate Guide to earning Qantas Points with Uber

DiDi

Chinese rideshare giant DiDi has been operating in Australia since 2018. But only recently has it partnered with Velocity Frequent Flyer, allowing riders to earn Velocity Points on all DiDi trips. You’ll need to link your DiDi account to your personal Velocity account, or a Virgin Australia Business Flyer account.

The earn rate is 1 Velocity Point per $1 spent on eligible rides in Australia.

Unlike the Qantas-Uber partnership, the points earning potential with DiDi extends to all rides, not just to or from airports. So if you’re zipping between meetings or heading home after a night out, you could pocket a tidy sum of points by booking your rideshare with DiDi.

For what it’s worth, fares on DiDi can sometimes be lower than Uber on the same routes, so it’s a solid option to keep up your sleeve.

Also read: The Ultimate Guide to earning Velocity Points with DiDi

Other rideshare apps in Australia

Aside from the major players, there are other rideshare apps in Australia including inDrive, Shebah and more. But with Uber and DiDi’s respective partnerships with the two largest frequent flyer programs in Australia, it’s unlikely we’ll see other options to earn points with rideshare or taxi apps soon.

Though you could earn additional points from rideshare – and other everyday activities – by using a points-earing credit card to pay for your ride.

Summing up

Earning Qantas or Velocity Points from rideshares in Australia is simple, with each program partnering with a rideshare service.

If your goal is to earn Qantas Points from rideshare, you’ll only be able to do so on Uber trips to and from eligible airports. On the other hand, Velocity Points can be pocketed more easily, with DiDi awarding points on all rides.

Ultimately, frequent flyer points are a nice bonus when using rideshare apps, but they shouldn’t be the deciding factor. If you have time, it’s worth comparing prices between different apps before you ride. As always, don’t spend more than you need to just to earn points.

This article was originally written by Evin Tan Khiew. Featured image: charlesdeluvio, Unsplash.

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