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Nerdy takeaways
- You can transfer points to Qantas in increments of 500 rather than the typical 1,000 at a ratio of 1:1.
- Qantas partners opens up unique international redemption options.
- Qantas still uses a fixed award chart, so planning award travel is easy to do.
- An AmEx card an help you earn thousands of Membership Rewards points quickly.
American Express cardholders can transfer their American Express Membership Rewards points to Australian carrier Qantas Airways, with a minimum transfer of 500 points. This new partnership gives AmEx customers the option to convert their points to a whopping 19 different airline loyalty programs, in addition to the three hotel loyalty programs.
Here’s what you should know if you have a credit card that earns Membership Rewards points.
1. There’s a lower point minimum to transfer
Unlike most of the other transfer partners, you can transfer points to Qantas in increments of 500, instead of 1,000. This lower threshold gives you greater flexibility; it's especially helpful if you just need a few more points to top off your account for a reward flight.
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2. Qantas points can be redeemed on many different airlines
Because Qantas is part of the Oneworld airline alliance and maintains other airline partnerships, you can use your Qantas points for travel on other international airlines. (Note that several of these airlines are also AmEx transfer partners, so depending on your travel goals, it may be more advantageous to transfer your AmEx points to one those programs instead.)
List of Qantas partner airlines
- Aer Lingus — also an AmEx transfer partner.
- Air Niugini.
- Air North.
- Air Vanuatu.
- British Airways — also an AmEx transfer partner.
- Cathay Pacific Airways.
- China Airlines.
- China Eastern.
- Cathay Dragon.
- El Al — also an AmEx transfer partner.
- Emirates — also an AmEx transfer partner.
- Finnair.
- Fiji Airways.
- Iberia — also an AmEx transfer partner.
- Japan Airlines.
- Jetstar.
- LATAM.
- Malaysia Airlines.
- Qatar Airways.
- Royal Jordanian.
- S7 Airlines.
- SriLankan Airlines.
The big takeaway here is that converting your AmEx points to Qantas points might be a good way to get flights to some uncommon destinations, like Papua New Guinea, which is served by Air Niugini.
Even if you're traveling within Australia and New Zealand, where Qantas has a big presence, it can pay to think outside the box. Partner carrier Jetstar serves many of the same destinations, but Jetstar flights start at just 6,400 Qantas points, compared to the minimum 8,000 Qantas points you’ll need for a Qantas flight.
3. Award charts will help you plan your travel
Before you transfer your hard-earned points to Qantas, make sure you know how many points you’ll need for the flight you want. Qantas still has fixed award charts (unlike Delta and United Airlines), so redemption rates should stay fairly stable, as long as you can find award availability.
Before you transfer points, look for your desired flights online or call Qantas to make sure you’ll be able to redeem your points for your desired trip.
» Learn more: AmEx vs. Chase points
4. Earn more with an AmEx credit card
Need more points to transfer to Qantas? Try signing up for an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards. Keep in mind if you use a co-branded AmEx hotel or airline card or one of their cash-back cards, you will not earn American Express Membership Rewards points, so you cannot take advantage of the AmEx transfer partnerships.
The bottom line
The addition of Qantas as an AmEx airline transfer partner gives cardholders more access to reward flights across Australia and the rest of the world.
The 1:1 transfer rate and 500-point minimum make the transfer favorable to consumers, but with so many airline transfer partners and the ability to book flights through the AmEx travel portal, now the trick is combing through all of your award travel options to find the best way to redeem your points.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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