Best Points Programs for Trans-Tasman Flights

Of the major Australian points programs, Qantas, redeeming for Jetstar, currently offers the cheapest reward seats across the Tasman. At 16,600 Qantas Points one way in Economy versus 17,900 Velocity Points, on the two programs’ published tables. Qantas Points buy the widest choice of flights and cabins, with three charts in use. This includes Qantas, Jetstar and multiple partner airlines against Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways. For many Australians, Air New Zealand’s program is less competitive because its currency has a fixed face value.

Which of the three deserves your next transfer depends on some things. Where in New Zealand you are heading, which city you leave from, and whether you are looking for the lowest Economy redemption or a Business reward seat. Here is how the programs compare in 2026. With the current points prices, the routes each one covers, and a verdict for each kind of traveller.

Three carrier groups now compete for your Tasman points

Three airline groups account for almost all trans-Tasman flights in 2026. These include the Qantas group, Virgin Australia to Queenstown, and Air New Zealand itself. Qantas and Jetstar fly it under the Qantas Frequent Flyer umbrella. Virgin Australia is back with its own aircraft on the Queenstown routes. Since late 2024, a codeshare has put its VA flight number on Air New Zealand services to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. A partnership that unlocks around 300 weekly flights between the two countries. Air New Zealand itself operates the largest trans-Tasman network of the three. They fly to nine Australian cities, including Perth and Adelaide year-round and Hobart seasonally.

That competition is good news for points collectors, and so is the geography. The east coast capitals sit between 1,201 and 2,400 miles from the main New Zealand gateways. That places them in the same distance band in both of the big Australian reward tables, per the published Velocity reward tables and the Qantas equivalent. One set of numbers therefore covers Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown alike.

Flying to New Zealand with Qantas Points

Under the Classic Flight Reward table, which took effect on 5 August 2025, a one-way reward on Qantas from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to New Zealand’s main cities costs 20,700 Qantas Points in Economy, 32,600 in Premium Economy on services that carry the cabin, and 43,600 in Business. Taxes, fees and carrier charges come on top and vary by route. As a guide, Qantas quotes around $169 of them on a Melbourne to Auckland Economy reward, as of July 2026. See the Qantas Classic Flight Reward tables for the full pricing.

A few features make Qantas Points the most flexible currency on the corridor. The first is Jetstar. The low-cost arm has its own Classic Reward table. That prices Economy at 16,600 Points against Qantas’ 20,700 over the same distance. This is a gap that matters on leisure routes such as Queenstown. The second access to partners that fly fifth-freedom routes to New Zealand, such as China Airlines and Emirates. Also, Classic Plus adds variably priced seats beyond the fixed-price inventory when fixed-price Classic availability dries up. These are useful in school holidays when the Tasman books out early.

Earning Qantas Points is the easiest part. Qantas Points can be earned directly from cards at most major banks or fed in by transfer from flexible bank programs. Periodic transfer bonuses, limited-time offers that boost the rate when bank points move across, sweeten the maths further. If your balance is short of the 41,400 Points a return Economy trip on Qantas requires, our round-up of the best Qantas points-earning credit cards and the current Qantas transfer bonuses are the places to start.

Flying to New Zealand with Velocity Points

Virgin Australia’s own aircraft cross the Tasman on the Queenstown routes, flying from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The standard trans-Tasman Reward Seat table prices those flights at 17,900 Velocity Points one way in Economy and 35,500 in Business, plus carrier charges. The Business Class reward price sits 8,100 Velocity Points lower than the Qantas equivalent.

Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch came back into the Velocity fold through the Air New Zealand codeshare. Book an Air New Zealand-operated flight under a VA flight number, and it behaves like a Virgin Australia flight for loyalty purposes. This includes:

• You earn Velocity Points on eligible fares
• Silver members and above collect Tier Bonus Points on Choice, Flex and Business fares. These are extra Points paid on top of the base earn for status holders.
• Gold and Platinum members receive lounge access
• Paid Choice, Flex and Business fares earn 1 Status Credit per $12 spent, as of July 2026

Status Credits count towards status tiers and are separate from the Velocity Points you redeem for flights. Because these are Virgin Australia-marketed flights, the Status Credits also count towards the requirement. At least 50 per cent of the credits behind a Silver, Gold or Platinum upgrade come from Virgin Australia-marketed and/or operated flights you personally fly.

On the redemption side, there’s a hard limit worth knowing. Air New Zealand flights cannot be booked as Velocity Reward Seats. This is because Air New Zealand does not appear on Velocity’s partner reward tables. Points can only be used on VA-coded Air New Zealand services through Points + Pay. Velocity’s option that discounts a commercial fare at a fixed 2,500 Points per $15. It typically delivers a lower redemption value than a Reward Seat. Treat the codeshare primarily as a way to earn points and Status Credits, and price any points play on these routes against the Qantas benchmark of 20,700 Points before you transfer anything. And remember the standing rule: Reward Seat bookings through Velocity earn no Points and no Status Credits, regardless of who operates the flight.

Building a Velocity balance is straight forward. ANZ Rewards, NAB Rewards, the Amplify Rewards family and Amex Membership Rewards all transfer at 2 points to 1 Velocity Point, while Westpac Altitude Rewards converts at 3 to 1, all as of July 2026. Flybuys adds a grocery funnel, and transfer bonuses appear several times a year. Our guides to moving points into Velocity and the best Velocity points-earning credit cards cover the mechanics, and the Velocity status guide explains how the 50 per cent rule is assessed.

Where Airpoints fits, and why Australians rarely need it

Air New Zealand takes a different approach. Its loyalty program relaunched as Koru on 22 April 2026 and deals in Airpoints (until April 2026, Airpoints Dollars), a currency where each point is worth a fixed NZ$1 towards an Air New Zealand fare. That transparency is the program’s strength and its limitations. You always know what your balance is worth, and there is no sweet spot that turns it into more. The exception is Star Alliance partner flights. These are priced from fixed charts and can occasionally return more than face value, though booking is more involved than using either Australian program.

For Australians, the practical questions are access and earn. On earn, Airpoints can be built from this side of the Tasman through transfers from most major bank programs, such as Amex Membership Rewards and ANZ Rewards, alongside crediting flights. On access, the network is the biggest reason to care. Air New Zealand serves nine Australian cities, including Perth and Adelaide year-round plus seasonal Hobart, Cairns, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast flying. It connects to around 20 destinations within New Zealand on the airline’s own published network.

If you live outside the east coast capitals, Air New Zealand is often the only airline offering a nonstop service on these routes (Qantas’ own Adelaide to Auckland flights, for instance, run seasonally). Its seats can be reached three ways. You can redeem Airpoints at face value or through a Star Alliance program such as KrisFlyer. This does allow a workaround where you can transfer Velocity points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to redeem for Air New Zealand flights. Velocity Points, by contrast, apply to Air New Zealand only through Points + Pay on VA-coded codeshare flights. Our guide to Air New Zealand Airpoints covers the program, and our overview of Qantas and Velocity partners maps where each Australian balance can be spent.

How Qantas, Velocity and Airpoints compare across the Tasman

The table below compares one way reward prices under each program. Points prices are per person under each program’s standard table and exclude taxes, fees and carrier charges.

So which program wins? For Queenstown, Velocity offers a 35,500-point Business seat is the lowest-priced Business redemption among the options compared. For Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Qantas Points remain the benchmark. Qantas charges a fixed 20,700 Qantas Points in Economy. Jetstar, partner airlines and Classic Plus provide additional redemption options when Qantas Classic Reward availability is limited. The Velocity codeshare earns points and status on those routes but redeems only through Points + Pay. For travellers starting in Perth, Adelaide or Hobart, the decision is really about flying with Air New Zealand, reached through a Star Alliance program or with Airpoints at face value. Whichever program you choose, follow one key rule before transferring your points. Bank to airline transfers are irreversible, so confirm the reward seat exists before you move a single point.

Frequently asked questions

Fees, rates and figures quoted are correct at the time of publication and should be verified directly with each provider before acting on them.