Qantas’s Frequent Flyer program has been ranked just 15th in a list of the best airline rewards programs in the world, and fifth in the Asia and Oceania region.

Virgin Australia’s Velocity fared even worse in the rankings released this week by booking website point.me, coming 26^th globally and seventh in the region.

The website drew on more than 250 million award fares for its analysis of 33 rewards programs. It awarded them points based on eight criteria such as what members’ acquired points are worth (including opportunities with partner airlines), how easy they are to use, and what happens when you need to change a booking.

“As prices rise and seats get harder to find, the gap between a program’s best deal and a seat you can actually book matters more every year,” the report said.

Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France and Dutch airline KLM, was judged the world’s best, awarded 88.8 points out of 100 and praised for its award prices, seat availability and “unusual list” of partner airlines (including Qantas).

“When a trip goes wrong, Flying Blue is one of the few programs that will rebook you through a nearby airport if it gives you a better itinerary,” the report said. “It also still offers award holds by phone –  a rare safety net – while points transfer.”

United’s MileagePlus came second in the global rankings, followed by Air Canada’s Aeroplan, Alaska and Hawaiian airlines’ Atmos Rewards, American Airlines’ Aadvantage and Qatar’s Airways Privilege Club.

Qantas’s Frequent Flyer program was ranked in equal 15^th position with Etihad Guest, on 67.5 points. The Australian airline’s program was rated highly for its number of partners, but scored just two stars out of a possible four for redemption rates, customer service and change fees.

Virgin Australia’s Velocity program was given 55.3 points overall. It was awarded just one star for ease of earning points, two for partners, and two and a half for redemption rates and customer service, but scored four for availability.

 

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Point.me said the eight categories assessed in its evaluation were weighted by their impact of “the everyday US traveller, who usually has larger points balances earned on credit cards, limited vacation days and fixed travel dates, and often doesn’t know how to transfer points”.

It also acknowledged that “a program that works well in its home market can be much harder to use elsewhere, and our ratings reflect that”.

A Virgin Australia spokesperson was quoted by The Australian as dismissing the analysis for being too “US-centric”, adding that the Velocity “earning proposition” was targeted at members living in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Qantas, meanwhile, has been climbing the rankings in recent years (it was 17th in 2025) and has also made several changes to its frequent flyer program in the months since the data for the analysis was gathered.

It added German airline Condor to its network in September, bringing its total number of partner airlines to 30, and in August unveiled what it described as a “landmark status overhaul” that from December 8 will make it easier for members to earn and roll over credits.

At the time, Qantas loyalty and customer CEO Andrew Glance said a record number of flight rewards were booked with points in the 2026 financial year, including 7 per cent more business and first-class upgrades on Qantas international flights.

“Qantas Frequent Flyer is stronger and more diversified than it’s ever been,” Glance said.

“Our nearly 19 million members now engage with us across almost every part of their daily lives, and two-thirds of all Qantas points are now earned on the ground.”

The point.me report, which scored loyalty programs based on data as of August 1, ranked Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles the best airline rewards program in Asia and Oceania, followed by Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer, Japan Airlines’ JAL Mileage Bank, ANA Milage Club and the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

Its report said that what mattered most to loyalty members was whether they could find a seat and actually book it at a price that felt right without having to become an expert.

“That’s getting harder. In an August 2026 survey of 1216 point.me members, 86 per cent said award prices feel higher than they did a couple of years ago.

“Asked what matters most when redeeming, members were nearly evenly split: 39 per cent prioritised finding an available seat, while 38 per cent prioritised getting the lowest price.”