American Express is offering 100,000 bonus Qantas Points^ for New American Express Card Members who apply for the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card by 2 April 2024 and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from approval. T&Cs apply. New Card Members only.

The American Express Qantas Ultimate Card is targeted towards Card Members who want to maximise the Qantas Points earned from spend on an American Express, as well as receive a range of travel-related benefits.

Cathay Pacific 777 First Class | Point Hacks
You can fly Cathay Pacific First Class for as little as 29,000 Qantas Points (Hong Kong to Taipei)

You’ll also receive:

  • a $450 Qantas Travel Credit each year to use when booking Qantas flights through American Express Travel;
  • two Qantas lounge invitations as well as two entries to The Centurion® Lounge in Sydney or Melbourne each membership year; and
  • a complimentary Qantas Wine Premium Membership

Digging into the benefits of the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card

The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card is a competitive card in the premium card market and comes with a high points earn and generous benefits.

Card Details

CardQantas American Express Ultimate
Loyalty programQantas Frequent Flyer
Points earned from spend1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible purchases
2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia
0.5 Qantas Points per $1 at government bodies in Australia

After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.* For Card Members who applied for the Card between 1 July 2023 – 9 January 2024, this change will come into effect from 10 July 2024.
Points capNone
Travel benefits$450 Qantas Travel Credit each cardholder year
2 The Centurion® Lounge entries each year
2 Qantas Club lounge invitations each year
Included insurancesMedical Emergency Expense Cover
Personal Accident Cover
Trip Cancellation and Amendment Cover
Travel Inconvenience Cover
Personal Baggage, Money or Travel Documents Cover
Card Purchase and Card Refund Cover (PDS)
Overseas transaction fee3% of the converted amount
Mobile walletApple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
Annual fee$450

Earning Qantas Points from spend

With the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card, you can enjoy uncapped Qantas Points earning potential for every dollar you spend on your Card, and it will sweep over your points to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account on a monthly basis, as you’d expect.

You’ll earn a solid 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on most everyday purchases, plus earns 0.5 Qantas Points per dollar on government spend, uncapped.

If you find yourself booking several hundreds of dollars in Qantas flights on a regular basis, the additional 1 point per $1 on Qantas spend will quickly rack up to boost your Qantas Frequent Flyer balance.

After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.* For Card Members who applied for the Card between 1 July 2023 – 9 January 2024, this change will come into effect from 10 July 2024.

Read the Point Hacks guide to American Express cards acceptance here.

$450 Qantas Travel Credit

This benefit gives Card Members $450 towards the purchase of a Qantas domestic or international flight through American Express Travel.

The Qantas Travel Credit is designed to give Card Members more flexibility than the return domestic flight previously offered and helps to directly offset the $450 annual fee.

You can access the Qantas Travel Credit after you have paid your annual fee and as long as your account is current and in good standing. Do note that if you do not use the entire credit in one booking, you forfeit the remaining balance, so try to save it for a booking over the value of $450.

You can use your Qantas Travel Credit for a Qantas flight in any class on any domestic or international flight

You’ll receive the credit each year you have your Card but you can use it to book travel into the future, e.g. if the credit expires on July, you can book travel for October.

As for points earn on the booking, the Qantas Travel Credit terms and conditions state:

Except for the $450 Qantas Travel Credit portion of your booking, any other amount charged to your Card as part of your booking will accrue Qantas Points in the usual way.

Customers can only book hotels, car hire or experiences if a Qantas flight is within the same transaction, i.e. Card Members will not be able to use their Qantas Travel Credit solely towards hotel, car or experience bookings.

As the taxes and fees on an award redemption using Qantas Points must be paid directly to Qantas through their website or over the phone and the Qantas Travel Credit is only available to use through the American Express Travel website, you cannot use your Qantas Travel Credit to pay the taxes and fees on an award redemption.

Note: You will need to use your annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit on a single travel booking of $450 or more on your eligible Card, made through American Express Travel Online. The Qantas Travel Credit can be redeemed for any eligible Qantas flight booked (i.e. a QF flight number on your ticket). Your booking will be charged in full to your Qantas American Express Ultimate Card and American Express will then credit $450 to your Account within 3 business days but may take up to 30 days. You will still receive your $450 Qantas Travel Credit each year, and your Travel Credit anniversary will remain the same. Click here for the full Terms & Conditions.

Qantas Club Lounge Melbourne
Qantas Club Melbourne

Lounge access

Card Members are eligible to receive two Qantas lounge invitations.

You can access domestic Qantas Clubs, International Business Lounges (except at Los Angeles) and International (Premium) Lounges in Brisbane, Singapore, Hong Kong and London.

Note that the lounge pass does not admit any guests—only you—however, you could use your two passes for two people.

An important note is that in order to receive the Qantas lounge passes, you need to first make an eligible purchase with Qantas using the Card, which is defined as:

Qantas passenger airfares with a QF flight number purchased directly from Qantas Australia by you (or by a travel agent on your behalf) that appear on your Qantas American Express Ultimate Card statement as a Qantas transaction; Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining and annual fees; and Qantas Travel shop purchases.

So, basically, you must first purchase a Qantas flight or purchase a Qantas Frequent Flyer or Qantas Club membership before you can use your lounge passes. This seems to exclude paying the taxes and fees on an award booking using this Card.

Two weeks after you do so, you’ll be sent an email and your two digital lounge passes will be attached to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account. You could then choose to transfer them to another Qantas Frequent Flyer member.

The full terms and conditions of the Qantas Club lounge benefit are available here.

Another benefit of the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card is access to The Centurion® Lounge in Sydney and Melbourne.

New American Express Lounge Sydney entrance
The Centurion® Lounge, Sydney

Card Members can bring their children into the Amex lounge for free (age 2-17) however additional guests over 17 may be subject to an entry fee. Unlike the Qantas lounge passes, you do not need to make an eligible purchase before receiving entry to this lounge.

Complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership

Worth $99 a year, a premium membership to Qantas Wine, food & champagne portal gives you a bonus 3 points per $ spent as well as free delivery.

Plus, paying for these purchases with this Qantas-branded card will earn you a total of 4.25 points per $ spent on Qantas Wine products (3 points as a Qantas Wine Premium member + 1.25 points for regular spend on this Card). It’s a bit weird that this doesn’t qualify as a purchase of a Qantas product or service, earning 2.25 points.

Note: After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.* For Card Members who applied for the Card between 1 July 2023 – 9 January 2024, this change will come into effect from 10 July 2024.

American Express Plan It

American Express launched ‘Plan It’ in mid-2020, which allows cardholders to create instalment plans that allow for equal payments to be distributed over a 3, 6 or 12 month payment period. There is a monthly fixed fee to access this feature, with up to 10 Plan It plans with a minimum of $150 balance able to be created.

Insurances and other benefits

In the Travel Insurance bucket you’ll get Medical Emergency Expense Cover, Trip Cancellation and Amendment Cover, Personal Baggage, Money and Travel Documents Cover and Travel Inconvenience Cover when you pay for travel with the Card. Read the PDS here.

You’ll need to dig into the various PDS of these policies if you intend on relying on this cover to make sure they work for you.

This guide references some of the benefits of insurance policies provided with this card. You should read the PDS and obtain independent professional advice before obtaining this product.

Unparalleled mobile wallet integration

American Express cards support Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, meaning you can use this card on your smartphone for easier payments.

Read the Point Hacks guide to using Apple Pay or for using Google Pay and Samsung Pay, including instructions on how to add your American Express card to those services.

With this feature set up, it means you could still use your NFC-enabled phone to make purchases with your American Express account, even if your physical card is lost or stolen and pending replacement.

Eligibility criteria for bonus points for existing American Express Card Members

American Express are quite specific about whether existing Card Members will be eligible for bonus points if they apply for a card, are approved, and meet the minimum spend criteria.

Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer.

American Express don’t allow existing Card Members, even for different types of American Express cards (e.g. Charge, Credit or Business) to be eligible for bonus points offers for cards in a different family.

Frequently asked questions

Can you transfer Qantas Frequent Flyer Points to Amex?

No. Qantas Frequent Flyer points cannot be transferred to your Amex Rewards account, however, if you would like to earn Qantas points from your credit card spend, you will need to choose a Qantas Credit Card from American Express or alternatively, hold The Platinum Card or Centurion card.

What is a Qantas Travel Credit?

Card Members are eligible for a $450 Qantas Travel Credit every year. The Qantas Travel Credit can be redeemed for any Qantas flight booked (i.e. a QF flight number on your ticket) and paid online through American Express Travel in a single booking. Make sure to use your Travel Credit on a booking of $450 or more, otherwise, any unused portion is forfeited.

How do I use the American Express Qantas Travel credit?

Head to American Express Travel and make sure to log in to your American Express account using the ‘Log in’ button at the top-right of the page. When you reach the payment page after finalising your booking details, you will be provided with the option to use your Travel Credit as payment for the booking.

Is it worth getting an American Express card?

If you looking to earn rewards points from your everyday spend, then American Express cards offer some of the best earn rates in the market. Make sure to consult your accountant or financial adviser before applying for a card to ensure that you are choosing the best one for your financial situation.

Summing up: the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card

The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card is on the higher end for annual fees but does offer high points earn for the die-hard Qantas Points collector.

The Qantas Travel Credit each year is a useful bonus to offset the annual fee, and the lounge passes and complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership top off a solid offer.


Terms & Conditions

^ Bonus and Eligibility

Receive 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply online by 2 April 2024, are approved, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new Qantas American Express Ultimate Card within the first 3 months from the Card approval date. This offer is only available to new American Express Card Members. If you are an existing David Jones Card Member and don’t hold or have not held any other American Express Card(s) in the past 18 months, you will be eligible for the offer. All other Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the past 18 months are ineligible for this offer. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. Qantas Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the Qantas American Express Card Points  Terms and Conditions. 100,000 bonus Qantas Points will be awarded to the eligible Card Member’s account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. Qantas Frequent Flyer membership and the earning and redemption of points are subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program available at qantas.com/terms. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.

* Earning Points

You must be a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program to earn and redeem Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and the earning and redemption of points are subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program available at qantas.com/frequentflyer. Qantas Points and bonus Qantas Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the Qantas American Express Cards Points Terms and Conditions, and exclusions apply. Eligible purchases do not include annual Card fees, cash advances, interest, fees and charges for traveller’s cheques and foreign currencies – these do not earn Qantas Points. For the full list of exclusions, please refer to the Qantas American Express Cards Points Terms and Conditions. You will earn 0.5 point per dollar spent with Merchants classified as ‘government’, including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), Federal/State and Local Government bodies, including where you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant.
From 10 January 2024, once you have earned a total of 100,000 Qantas Points on your Card Account in a calendar year, your earn rate of 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent will change to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on everyday purchases. All other earn rates (Qantas products and services and government spend) will remain unchanged. For Card Members who applied for the Card between 1 July 2023 – 9 January 2024, this change will come into effect from 10 July 2024. The points threshold is based on eligible Qantas Points earned during a calendar year and will be reset on 1 January each year. Qantas Points earned by all Card Members on a Card Account contribute to the 100,000 points threshold each calendar year. Bonus points earned from Acquisition bonus offers and marketing campaigns are excluded from the threshold.

100,000 Qantas Points and $450 annual Travel Credit with The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card was last modified: March 2nd, 2024 by Daniel Sciberras