Qantas customers will be able to book domestic and international flights using buy now, pay later provider Zip and earn Qantas Points.

The announcement comes as provisional data from the ABS revealed the month of April saw the largest number of travellers take to the skies since the start of the pandemic with 1.2 million international border crossings, up from 710,000 in March. 

Two years ago Webjet and Afterpay collaborated to offer a similar premise.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said after two years of restricted travel Australians are making up for lost time.

"Domestic travel is back at pre-COVID levels while international travel is building back strongly to destinations like the US, Europe, Bali and Fiji," Ms Wirth said.

“The option to buy now, pay later through Zip gives our customers more choice in how they pay for their flights. With Zip they can spread the cost over time choosing flexible repayments, and also earn Qantas Points on the payment as well as the flight itself."

Qantas is the last of Australia's major airlines to offer the buy now, pay later payment option, with Virgin also utilising Zip while Jetstar allows customers to purchase flights through Afterpay. 

Zip ANZ Managing Director Cynthia Scott said access to the BNPL service gives travellers flexibility.

"We are giving freedom and choice back to customers by giving them the option to pay for their trip before they go, or when they get back," Ms Scott said. 

See more: Compare travel credit cards

What about my frequent flyer points?

For those looking to maximise their points tally, Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to choose to earn Qantas Points through Zip’s loyalty program 'Zip Rewards' when making some everyday purchases.

On the program, frequent flyers can earn:

  • 3,000 points when they sign up and link their Zip account and complete their first transaction.
  • 500 points each time they reach their Zip Rewards goal.
  • 1 point for every $3 spent on eligible flights on qantas.com with Zip.

Qantas notes new and existing Zip customers can choose to earn Qantas Points through Zip Rewards by linking their Qantas Frequent Flyer account within the Zip app.

As customers reach their Zip Rewards Goal they can choose to redeem a $20 Zip cashback or 500 Qantas Points.

"While our 14 million frequent flyers all have different spending habits and payment preferences, we know that financial services are one of the most popular ways to earn points," Ms Wirth said.

"Australians love Qantas Points, so we’re continuing to develop new partnerships like this one with Zip to give our frequent flyers more ways to earn points, helping keep members engaged in the program and ultimately drive value for our business."

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