How to get expired Qantas points back

Logged in to find your account drained? There’s a quick and easy way to recover expired Qantas points.

Perhaps you haven’t travelled much over the past two years, or if you have, you’ve chosen to fly with airlines other than Qantas. Maybe you’ve explored other popular loyalty programs among Australian travellers, such as Virgin’s Velocity, Emirates Skywards or Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer. Whatever the reason, you now find yourself staring at an empty Qantas Frequent Flyer points balance when you were certain you had a small fortune tucked away for a rainy day. You’re not alone, and there is a way to recover your expired points.

When do Qantas points expire?

Qantas Frequent Flyer points have an 18-month expiry from the last date of activity on your account. Activity is defined as earning or using Qantas points via your account, whether that’s earning 3 points from the Qantas Wellbeing app or spending 24,000 points on a Reward flight. It does not include transferring points to or from an Eligible Family Member (Family Transfer) or the transfer of points from Qantas Business Rewards.

Usually, somewhere during the 60 days prior to your Qantas Points expiration date, Qantas Loyalty will notify you of the number of Qantas Points that are about to expire and the expiration date. Your online Activity Statements will also display a warning. But, should your contact details be out of date and you haven’t touched your account in some time, these warnings can sometimes be missed.

How to stop Qantas points from expiring

It isn’t hard to keep your points activity ticking, especially if you have a Qantas point-earning credit card. If you connect your Qantas Frequent Flyer account to your Woolworths Rewards account, every 2000 Woolworths points will be transformed into 1000 Qantas Points – easy!

Easier still, next time you’re indulging in a little retail therapy, opt to shop through the Qantas Shopping portal, or at any Accent Group retailer where you can just scan your Qantas Frequent Flyer card at checkout for instant double points per dollar spent – and that list is pretty long.

Want more ways to earn Qantas points without flying? Read our guide HERE

What is the Qantas Points Challenge?

Should you find your Qantas points balance has emptied due to expiry, be sure to contact Qantas customer service as soon as possible to enquire about having your balance reinstated. Depending on how much time has elapsed since the expiration date (usually no later than six months), you may be eligible for the Qantas Points Challenge.

The Qantas Points Challenge is a discretionary offer that allows you to reinstate expired Qantas points. To be eligible, you must contact Qantas within six months of your points expiring. If approved, you need to earn 2,500 new Qantas points from at least two different sources within three months to have your expired points restored. Approval is not guaranteed.