Qantas Frequent Flyer members will soon be able to earn Qantas Points when booking trips with rideshare app Uber to and from 15 airports in Australia.
Beginning November 3, members will earn points on Uber rides based on their Qantas Frequent Flyer tier. Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members will earn three points per A$1 (US$0.77) spent, while Silver members will earn two points and Bronze members one point. A new Uber icon will now appear in the Qantas app, through which travellers can book rides directly.
Qantas is also offering 2,000 bonus miles for members who sign up to Uber for the first time and book a ride through the airline’s app (this can only been done once and applies to travellers’ first ride).
“We know [Uber] is a service our customers already like using and now they have the ability to earn Qantas Points on their rides to and from the airport,” said Olivia Wirth, the airline’s chief customer officer. “Our focus is how we can make people’s entire journey more seamless, and incorporating the option to order an Uber through our app helps do that.”
Members can now book and earn miles on Uber rides, flights and hotels through the Qantas app.
Uber has made grounds in Australia in recent months following wide-ranging government approval for ride-share services being granted back in August.
Currently, Qantas Points can be earned on rides to and from the following Australian airports: Adelaide, Avalon, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Maroochydore, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney, Toowoomba, and Townsville.
This is good news for travellers who regularly use ride sharing as opposed to chauffeur, car rental or taxis. A recent report by New Zealand-based Go Rentals found that Uber rides to and from the airport in most cities worldwide tended to be cheaper than taxis or car rentals.
This is particularly the case for Australia, with Uber rides being up to 83 per cent less expensive than taxis in Brisbane, and 190 per cent cheaper than car rentals in Melbourne.
Qantas also launched a new miles-earning credit card earlier this year, which offers two Qantas Points per dollar spent with Qantas using the card.
