Australia’s only island state may seem like a trek when you’re travelling from the mainland. And rightfully so, given that Tasmania’s hiking trails are some of the best in Australia. Upon landing in the Apple Isle you’ll be met with fresh air, rolling mountains and enchanting scenery that can only be described as idyllic. Who knew that this hidden gem was right in our very own backyard?
You don’t need to travel across the globe to shake up your surroundings. In fact, Tasmania is just a few hours flight away from major cities on Australia’s east coast. And by leveraging your frequent flyer points, you could be hiking up Cradle Mountain, sipping a locally-brewed craft beer or soaking up the Southern Lights in no time. You can easily pack your bags for a weekend getaway, or stay a while and discover the great outdoors.
In our pocket guide to Tasmania, we’ll cover how you can use points to fly to Hobart or Launceston, and what you can expect when arriving or departing from these airports. We also share our top ways to earn points when you book accommodation in Tasmania, as well as our best tips to help you plan your holiday.
Flying to Tasmania on points
Australia’s southernmost state has lots to offer visitors. And with two major airports – Launceston in the north, and Hobart in the south – you can access more parts of this gorgeous island.
Members of a frequent flyer program in Australia can benefit by redeeming their hard-earned points towards a Tasmanian holiday. And with plenty of direct flights from major cities, it’s an easy hop over the Bass Strait to start your adventure.
Discover how you can travel to Hobart or Launceston using points with Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin Australia.
Flying Qantas to Tasmania
Members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program can redeem Qantas Points for flights to and from Tasmania. Qantas operates direct flights from many Australian capital cities to Hobart, Launceston and Devonport. Even if you’re not flying direct, you can still nab a reward seat with a connection via another city.
Using Qantas Points
The number of Qantas Points needed to fly to Tasmania with Qantas is shown below.
 using  Qantas Points | Economy | Business |
| Melbourne, Sydney to Launceston Canberra, Melbourne to Hobart Melbourne to Devonport (Economy only) | 8,000 | 18,400 |
| Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney to Hobart | 12,000 | 27,600 |
| Perth to Hobart | 18,000 | 41,500 |
Ways to earn Qantas Points
You don’t need many Qantas Points to fly to Tasmania, and thankfully, they’re easy enough to earn on the ground.
Tasmania is home to some exquisite wineries, like Home Hill and Stefano Lubiana. But if you just can’t wait until you arrive, why not treat your palate to a drop of vino in the interim? Qantas Wine is a simple – and delicious – way to earn a stack of points, fast.
When you purchase an eligible case of wine, you’ll earn up to 10,000 Qantas Points. This can be significantly higher if you take advantage of special offers and promotions throughout the year. And with a Qantas Wine Premium membership, you’ll score free delivery and earn three Qantas Points per dollar spent.
Credit cards are another way to earn points in bulk. Many credit cards offer bonus points when you sign up, are approved, and reach a minimum spend requirement. You’ll find them in our guide to the best Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards. In most cases, the bonus points on offer are enough to cover a return flight to Hobart or Launceston from an Australian city – so you’ll just need to cover the fees and taxes.
Flying Jetstar to Tasmania
You can also redeem Qantas Points for Jetstar flights. To do so, you’ll need to search for reward seats on the Qantas website and make your booking via Qantas. Jetstar flights require 20% fewer Qantas Points than Qantas-operated flights. But Jetstar doesn’t operate Business Class on its domestic routes. So if you don’t mind flying Economy, you can save on points when you fly to Tasmania.
Jetstar operates several direct routes to and from Hobart and Launceston. The number of Qantas Points needed to fly to Tasmania with Jetstar is shown below. 20kg of luggage is included with these reward seats.
 using Qantas Points | Economy |
| Melbourne to Launceston, Hobart Sydney to Launceston | 6,400 |
| Brisbane to Launceston, Hobart Adelaide, Gold Coast to Hobart Sydney to Hobart | 9,600 |
Flying Virgin Australia to Tasmania
Virgin Australia operates direct flights from various Australian cities to Launceston and Hobart, which is handy for members of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
Using Velocity Points
The number of Velocity Points needed to fly to Tasmania with Virgin Australia is shown below. Rates for Economy vary between Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 redemptions. These fluctuate based on a number of factors, including the popularity of each flight. Tier 1 rates may be more readily available when booking further ahead and flying at off-peak times.
 using  Velocity Points | Economy | Business |
| Melbourne, Sydney to Launceston Melbourne to Hobart | 6,200-9,900 | 15,500 |
| Adelaide, Brisbane to Launceston Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney to Hobart | 9,400-14,900 | 23,500 |
| Perth to Hobart, Launceston (Economy only) | 14,100-21,900 | 35,500 |
Ways to earn Velocity Points
Members of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program will also find plenty of ways to earn Velocity Points from their everyday spending.
Velocity’s partnership with Flybuys allows you to transfer your Flybuys points to Velocity Points to get you closer to your next holiday. You can earn Flybuys points when you shop at retailers like Coles, Kmart, Officeworks and Bunnings simply by scanning your Flybuys card or entering your membership number online. Imagine turning your DIY project or weekly grocery shop into a trip to Tasmania!
Many credit card providers also offer Velocity Points as a sign-up bonus. We’ve listed all of them in our guide to the best credit card for Velocity Frequent Flyer Points. Of course, you’ll need to apply and gain approval and often meet a minimum spend on your card before the points are credited.
Exploring Hobart Airport
Hobart Airport is located around 17 kilometres from the city and is easily accessible by taxi, rideshare or shuttle bus. But one of the easiest ways to travel between the airport and the city is with the SkyBus, which operates seven days a week and meets major flights arriving at Hobart Airport.
Hobart Airport services primarily domestic routes, though it handles one international route to and from Auckland.
Tasmania is an ideal destination for a road trip holiday. You’ll find plenty of major car rental companies at Hobart Airport, and you can even earn frequent flyer points on car hire.
Lounges at Hobart Airport
Hobart Airport only offers one lounge for departing travellers – the Qantas Club. Unlike some larger airports in Australia, there’s no separate lounge for Business Class passengers. But Hobart’s Qantas Club is equipped with the basics, so you’ll be able to kick back, grab a bite to eat or send a few emails before your flight.
You can gain entry into the Qantas Club at Hobart Airport if you meet one of the below requirements.
When flying Qantas or QantasLink:
- Business Class passengers.
- Qantas Gold, Platinum, Platinum One and Chairman’s Lounge.
- Qantas Club members.
- Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum.
- China Eastern Miles Gold and Platinum.
- Other oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers.
- Day pass offered to Silver Qantas Frequent Flyers.
Certain credit cards also offer lounge access. We’ve highlighted them in our guide to Qantas lounges.
Exploring Launceston Airport
Launceston Airport is the closer of Tasmania’s two major airports to mainland Australia. Though it’s often overlooked in favour of the state’s capital city, Launceston is an effective gateway to exploring the northern region of Tasmania.
The airport only handles domestic flights, so you’ll need a connecting flight via a larger city if you’re flying to or from an overseas destination.
Launceston Airport is located just 15 kilometres from the city and can be reached via taxi, rideshare or shuttle bus. Given that rideshare prices are comparable to the cost of a taxi, you may want to take advantage of the ability to earn frequent flyer points on the drive.
Though Launceston’s city is fairly compact, you’ll need a car if you want to explore beyond the town. You can pick one up at the many car rental companies in Launceston Airport while pocketing frequent flyer points in the process.
Lounges at Launceston Airport
Much like Hobart, there’s only a single lounge on offer at Launceston Airport. The Qantas Club lounge caters to Qantas and QantasLink passengers, as well as high-tier oneworld frequent flyers. Unfortunately, this means if you’re flying with Virgin Australia you won’t have the opportunity to relax in a lounge before your flight. But after reading our review of Launceston’s Qantas Club, you may not feel like you’re missing out on much.
Here’s who can gain entry into the Qantas Club at Launceston Airport.
When flying Qantas or QantasLink:
- Business Class passengers.
- Business Class and First Class passengers with a same-day international flight on any oneworld Alliance airline, when departing Launceston on Qantas or QantasLink (but not Jetstar). Passengers can enter this lounge even if they are on a domestic connecting flight in Economy.
- Qantas Gold, Platinum, Platinum One and Chairman’s Lounge.
- Qantas Club members.
- Other oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers (with the exception of Jetstar flights).
- Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum.
- Air New Zealand Gold, Elite and Elite Priority One (NZ codeshare flights only).
- China Eastern Miles Gold and Platinum.
- American Airlines Admirals Club members.
- Alaska Airlines Lounge members.
Earning and using points on hotels in Tasmania
Do you prefer to be close to the action of Salamanca Market, or a short stroll away from the picturesque Cataract Gorge? Or perhaps you’d rather go off-grid to enjoy a nature escape.
Tasmania offers accommodation options to suit all travellers and budgets. Family-friendly accommodation places comfort and convenience at the forefront, while five-star hotels are the perfect setting for a romantic escapade.
So whether you’re staying in Hobart, Launceston or venturing beyond the cities, here are some tips to keep in mind when booking accommodation to help you reap the best rewards.
Book directly with the hotel
While it may not always be the cheapest option, booking directly with a hotel can help you earn status towards a hotel loyalty program. As you collect hotel reward points and move up the status tiers, you’ll enjoy extra perks. These may include daily breakfast, room credit, late check-out or even a room upgrade.
Though Tasmania is still off the radar for some global brands, members of IHG One Rewards and Accor Live Limitless will find ample properties to boost their status.
Book through a third-party provider
Third-party providers may not offer the same benefits as booking directly with a hotel, but they can be a good option if you’d rather earn points towards a frequent flyer program. If you’ve got your eye on a boutique hotel or unique lodging in Tasmania, this is one way to ensure you’ll still be rewarded for your stay.
If you want to earn Qantas Points
Booking a hotel or Airbnb through the Qantas Hotels platform will reward you with Qantas Points. You’ll earn three Qantas Points per $1 spent on hotels, and one point per $1 on Airbnb bookings. Plus, when you make your first Airbnb booking on Qantas Hotels you’ll pocket a 500-point bonus.
But it doesn’t stop there. If you’ve qualified for Qantas Points Club in your membership year, you’ll earn 25% more points with Points Club, or 50% more with Points Club Plus. Keep your eyes peeled for bonus points offers throughout the year, where you can earn up to nine points per $1 (and even more for Points Club members.) These offers happen sporadically, but we’ve rounded up previous Qantas Hotels offers so you’ll know what to look out for.
The Qantas Hotels platform also lets you redeem points towards accommodation, but you may not get the best value from your points. Still, Qantas has lowered points redemptions by 30-45%, which certainly goes a long way if you prefer to save cash. Some hotels are even offered as a Classic Reward, and you’ll use far fewer points for these redemptions compared to Points Plus Pay. For example, two nights at the centrally-located Mövenpick Hotel Hobart – part of the Accor Live Limitless program – costs just 53,000 Qantas Points.
If you want to earn Velocity Points
Virgin Australia doesn’t have its own hotel booking platform, but you can earn Velocity Points through its partnership with Rocket Travel. For every $1 you spend on accommodation, you’ll earn three Velocity Points. As you browse for hotels on Rocket Travel, the site shows you the total number of points you’ll earn from your stay, which is handy for avid points collectors.
If you want to save on the cost of your hotel bill
If you’re just looking for an affordable holiday to Tasmania, certain American Express cards offer travel credit that can be redeemed for flights, accommodation and car hire. For example, the American Express Explorer Card includes a $400 annual Travel Credit, which easily offsets the annual fee. You’ll enjoy similar benefits with the American Express Platinum Card and American Express Platinum Edge Card.
Point Hacks’ tips and tricks
To summarise our guide to Tasmania, we’ve included some additional tips below to help you plan your trip.
- If you’re searching for a flight and the points required look higher than what we’ve outlined above, ensure that you’re looking at a reward seat. You can learn more about reward seats and how they work in our handy guide.
- Both Hobart and Launceston have a decent public transport system in the city. There are only buses – no trains – and you’ll need to purchase and load funds onto a Greencard or buy a ticket onboard.
- Planning on venturing outside of the city? Tasmania offers a stunning selection of walking paths, bike tracks and picturesque wineries. Many of these can only be accessed via car. Renting a car is easy, and you can also earn frequent flyer points from your hire.
It’s time to use your frequent flyer points to discover what awaits beyond the Bass Strait.
Gordon River Dam photos by Brandon Loo.
