CommBank Awards has added a number of new transfer partners to is rewards scheme. The changes offer members nine new airlines and the IHG Rewards club hotel program. This will give members a greater number of options for their travels.
Transfer Partners
The following table shows the new and existing transfer partners, together with their transfer rates.
| Program | Transfer Rate |
|---|---|
| Existing Programs | |
| AirAsia BIG Loyalty | 2.5 Awards points/1 AirAsia BIG Point |
| AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue | 3 Awards points/1 Mile |
| China Eastern | 3 Awards points/1 point |
| Enrich | 3.5 Awards points/1 mile |
| Etihad Guest | 3.5 Awards points/1 mile |
| Eva Air | 3 Awards points/1 mile |
| JAL | 4 Awards points/1 mile |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 4 Awards points/1 mile |
| United MileagePlus | 4 Awards points/1 mile |
| IHG Rewards | 2.5 Rewards Points/1 IHG Rewards Points |
| Existing Programs | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer* | 2.5 Awards points/1 Qantas Point |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 2.5 Awards points/1 Velocity Point (Awards and Gold) |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 2 Awards points/1 Velocity Point (Platinum and Diamond) |
*Note that for Qantas, you must opt in to the Qantas Frequent Flyer Direct program. This costs $30 per year, and points will automatically be transferred into the program.
The addition of the programs comes ahead of the CommBank removing the American Express companion cards from its lineup. As a result, you will only be able to earn points from your Visa or Mastercard purchases.
Earnings on the CommBank Visa or MasterCard will be 1 CommBank reward points per dollar (or 1.25 Rewards Points per dollar, in the case of Diamond Rewards). This means that you could be earning as little as a quarter of a point per dollar when transferring to some programs.
Having said that, some of the airlines have no other credit card partner in Australia. As a result, this may give some opportunities that might not otherwise be available.
