Status credits on business travel belong to the person in the seat, and both Australian business programs are built around that rule. Under Qantas Business Rewards, the traveller earns their own Qantas Points and Status Credits, the separate currency that counts towards status tiers, as usual, while the business earns Qantas Points on top. Under the Virgin Australia Business Flyer, often called the Velocity Business Flyer, the traveller keeps their personal Velocity earnings. The business also collects Velocity Points on its flying. Registering the business, in other words, costs the traveller nothing and adds a second earning stream. Here is how each program layers business earn over personal earn. We compare the membership levels and the two programs side by side. We also explain how travellers can protect their status run while the business collects points.
How Qantas Business Rewards layers earn on a work trip
Qantas Business Rewards is a standalone program for ABN holders that operates alongside Qantas Frequent Flyer. When an eligible flight is booked using the business’s ABN and the traveller’s Qantas Frequent Flyer number, the traveller earns their normal Qantas Points and Status Credits. They also receive a Flyer Bonus of 250 Qantas Points per eligible booking. The business separately earns Qantas Points calculated as a percentage of the points a Bronze member would earn on the booking, per the program’s earn and save page. Nothing about the business registration affects the Status Credits, which post to the traveller’s personal account exactly as they would on a private booking. Joining costs a one-off $89.50 fee as of July 2026. Qantas waives this fee during some periodic promotions. There is no ongoing membership fee.
The business side scales across three program levels, each pairing an earn rate with a fare saving as of July 2026.
- Level 1: the business earns 20 Qantas Points for every 100 points its travellers earn on eligible flights, with savings of up to 6 per cent on the base fare of selected flights
- Level 2, from 15,000 points in a membership year: 30 points per 100, with savings of up to 9 per cent
- Level 3, from 80,000 points: 40 points per 100, with savings of up to 10 per cent. It also includes one Gold Accelerator nomination each year to fast-track a traveller to Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold
- Eligible Jetstar flights earn the business 20 points per 100 at every level
The full mechanics are set out in the Qantas Business Rewards guide linked in the introduction.
How Velocity Business Flyer handles the same trip
Virgin Australia Business Flyer is Virgin Australia’s business rewards program. It’s free to join for businesses with an ABN and an Australian business address, though businesses on a Virgin Australia corporate agreement are not eligible. It uses the same two-stream structure. The program has three tiers of its own. Nominated travellers keep their personal Velocity Points and Status Credits earned from eligible fares. The business earns 1, 1.5 or 2 Velocity Points per $1 as annual flight spend passes $10,000 and $50,000. The program adds savings of up to 6 per cent on eligible domestic fares and up to 10 per cent on eligible international fares with select partner airlines such as United. As of July 2026, new members who spend $2,000 on eligible flights within their first three months receive two 3-month Velocity Pilot Gold memberships.
For the traveller, the experience is much the same as a private booking, with additional earning for the business. Seat selection, baggage, lounge access and status earn all follow the fare and the traveller’s own tier. The personal balance grows alongside the company’s. For the business, points accumulate in an account the company controls. The business can use them for reward flights, upgrades, or transfers under the program’s rules. This turns existing travel spending into a business asset. The Business Flyer guide explains the program.
The two programs side by side
The table below compares the two programs on the dimensions a small business weighs, as of July 2026.
| Feature | Qantas Business Rewards | Velocity Business Flyer |
| Cost to join | One-off $89.50 joining fee (as of July 2026), ABN required | Free, ABN and Australian business address required |
| Traveller’s Status Credits | Earned as normal, stay with the traveller | Earned as normal, stay with the traveller |
| Traveller bonus | 250 Qantas Points per eligible booking | Personal earn as normal |
| Business earn on flights | 20 to 40 points per 100 traveller points by level | 1, 1.5 or 2 Velocity Points per $1 by tier |
| Fare savings | Up to 6, 9 or 10 per cent by level | Up to 6 per cent domestic, 10 per cent international |
| Status fast track | Gold Accelerator for 1 traveller at Level 3 | Two 3-month Pilot Gold memberships for new members |
Choosing between them largely depends on which airline the business uses most. A business that mainly flies Qantas and Jetstar can build its Qantas Business Rewards balance through its tiered structure. A Virgin Australia-focused business can use Business Flyer for its second earning stream. Businesses that fly both airlines can register for both programs. Each program earns its own airline’s eligible flights. The deeper airline choice, including where each program’s points go furthest, is covered in the guide to how to earn more Qantas Points.
Protecting the traveller’s status run
Because Status Credits follow the traveller, business travel can be an important part of an Australian status run. A few habits keep the earning on track.
- Warning: the business earns nothing and the traveller loses Status Credits when the frequent flyer number is missing from the booking, so the number goes on every reservation without exception
- Add the business ABN and the traveller’s membership number at booking, since both are required for the dual earn to trigger
- Check that the fare class earns Status Credits before assuming a cheap fare advances a status goal, because some classes earn points without credits
- Keep the traveller’s program membership active and details current. Check for name mismatches between the booking and account if the earn fails to post
- Review the personal account after each trip, since missing earn claims are simpler close to the travel date
The status question also shapes who books what. Businesses sometimes centralise travel into whichever program the company account favours. The two-stream design means that the business can centralise travel without necessarily affecting the traveller’s personal tier. The same booking can feed both sides when the required details are entered. That is the core benefit of the two-stream design. Registering for a business program is free for eligible ABN holders.
Frequently asked questions
The traveller in both programs. Qantas Business Rewards and Velocity Business Flyer earn points for the business, while the person flying keeps their normal personal earnings, including Status Credits, so registering a business never dilutes an individual status run.
Not status in the frequent flyer sense. Qantas Business Rewards has its own levels, reached at 15,000 and 80,000 points earned in a membership year, which lift the business earn rate and fare savings, and Level 3 adds a Gold Accelerator nomination, but tiers such as Gold and Platinum remain personal.
Yes, an ABN holder can register and quote their own frequent flyer number on their own bookings, earning personally and for the business on the same flight. Qantas notes eligibility conditions on registration, and recommends consulting an accountant about tax questions such as fringe benefits tax where business earned points flow to individuals.
Each program’s business account runs on its own terms, and transfers out follow program rules, with Qantas Business Rewards requiring a minimum of 3,000 Qantas Points per transfer to an individual account as of July 2026. On the personal side, a transfer in from Qantas Business Rewards does not count as expiry activity, so travellers still need ordinary earning or redeeming activity, as covered in the points expiry round up.
Fees, rates and figures quoted are correct at the time of publication and should be verified directly with each provider before acting on them.
This article is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice. Consider your own financial situation before applying for any credit product. Point Hacks may receive a commission from card issuers for applications made through this site.
