David Flynn, 18 December 2015
Qantas is expected to pursue a partnership with Caltex in the new year which would allow frequent flyers to earn Qantas Points each time they fill their tank.
The airline’s current alliance with Caltex-Woolworths outlets will cease as of December 31st following a controversial overhaul of the Woolworths Rewards scheme, which will allow Qantas to consider a direct partnership with Caltex and bring more service stations – including those operating under the Star Mart or Star Shop brands – into the points-earning network.
Virgin Australia took the lead in the ‘points at the pump’ stake earlier this year when the challenger airline joined forces with BP.
While both airlines offered the same earning rate of two points per litre through their respective outlets, Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer footprint embraced over 1,000 BP service stations compared to around 630 of the Qantas-allied Woolworths/Caltex fuel outlets.
The Virgin/BP system is also an uncomplicated ‘direct earn’ model – fill your tank and swipe your frequent flyer card before paying the bill – while the Woolworths/Caltex scheme revolved around joining Woolworths Rewards, link your Qantas and Woolworths Rewards memberships and then opting to earn Qantas points in lieu of a 4c/litre discount.
Australia’s third major petrol brand, Shell, is tied to the Coles Flybuys rewards program.
Extracted in full from Australian Business Traveller.
