Qantas and Airbnb unveil frequent flyer points partnership

Qantas and Airbnb have inked a deal that will give frequent flyers the chance to earn points when they book a stay.

Qantas is also changing the logo on some of its aircraft. (Picture: James Horan)

Qantas and Airbnb have announced a world-first partnership that will give the airline’s 11.4 million frequent flyer members the opportunity to earn points when they book accommodation with the share economy giant.

Under the new arrangement, Qantas’s (QAN) frequent flyer members will earn one Qantas point for every dollar they spend on any of Airbnb’s 2.5 million accommodation listings across 191 countries.

The partnership marks the first time that the San Francisco-based Airbnb has worked with an airline loyalty program.

“The way that people around the world plan, book and experience travel is changing rapidly with the digital revolution,” said Qantas chief Alan Joyce.

“We know many of our customers are just as likely to arrange an Airbnb as they are to book a hotel, and we wanted to recognise and reward them for that.”

Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky said the partnership highlighted the growing movement towards the “personalised and unique experiences” made available through the company’s community.

“People around the world are experiencing a different way to travel through Airbnb. We’re focused on connecting people with the hospitality of locals, welcoming travellers into their communities so they can truly belong anywhere,” he said.

“There are just a handful of global brands who understand that travel is now changing for the better. Qantas is one of those brands.”

To celebrate the new partnership, Qantas and Airbnb are offering the airline’s frequent flyer members the chance to win four business class to San Francisco, a $5,000 Airbnb voucher and $4,000 spending money loaded onto a Qantas Cash card. To be in the running for the prize, Qantas frequent flyer members have to book accommodation with Airbnb via qantas.com by the end of October.

The new partnership is the latest move in the increasingly competitive loyalty battle between Virgin and Qantas to capture frequent flyer business.

Last week Virgin Australia launched a new partnership with Ticketek parent TEG Live to give its six million members access to pre-sale tickets and priority seating to big entertainment events, concerts and sporting matches.

The new program, dubbed ­Velocity Live, will also allow the airline’s six million members to earn points — one for every dollar spent — when purchasing tickets through TEG Live’s portfolio of businesses.

Virgin Frequent flyer members and the Qantas loyalty business remains important revenue generators for the two airlines. In the 12 months to June 30, Virgin’s six million members helped to ­generate $328 million in revenue for the airline.

It is a similar story at Qantas, where in the same period its loyalty business — which boasts more than 11.4 million frequent flyer members — contributed $1.45 billion in revenue.