Avis is offering Qantas Frequent Flyers 2,000 bonus points on ‘long weekend’ rentals. By that, they mean a rental of at least 3 nights that includes a Saturday night.
The 2,000 Qantas Points is available for eligible bookings made between 2 September and 30 September 2019 for travel between 2 September and 30 November 2019.
This promotion has some unusual eligibility criteria compared to many Avis promotions. In particular, there is a need to register for this promotion. Normally, adding a Coupon Number is sufficient to get the promotional offer.
In order to get the points, you will need to
- Log into your account and register by 11.59pm (AEST) 30 September 2019.
- Once you’ve registered, book your eligible car rental via this link before 11.59pm (AEST) 30 September for travel until 30 November 2019.
Earning Qantas Points on Car Rentals
Qantas Frequent Flyer partners with just two car rental companies – Avis and Budget. As a result, you will need to book your rental car with one of these two if you are after Qantas Points.
If you are booking your rentals through Qantas, they will offer you options from Hertz and Thrifty. Just be aware that if you book these, you won’t get Qantas Points. You may, however, be able to earn Velocity Points on these rentals.
Earn Rate
Avis and Budget both offer Qantas Frequent Flyers the same number of points. For rentals in Australia, you are offered 4 Qantas Points per dollar on the base time and distance charges. If you are renting outside Australia, then you will earn a flat 700 Qantas Points per dollar (which neatly sidesteps currency conversion issues!)
In addition to that, members of Qantas Business Rewards members can also earn an additional 4 Qantas Points per dollar. If you want to do this, you will need to ensure your ABN is attached to the booking.
Booking your car
When booking your car rental, you will earn Qantas Points when booking either direct through Avis or Budget, or through Qantas. In my experience, there is little price difference in choosing to book direct, or through Qantas.
If you are after the additional points through Qantas Business Rewards, then I have found you are better off going through a Qantas channel. This allows you to attach your ABN to the booking. Other channels, such as direct bookings, do not offer the opportunity to attach your ABN.
Qantas also allows you to attach your membership of the Avis Preferred or Budget Fastbreak number. This will allow you to take advantage of your membership in either the Avis or Budget programs.
There are a variety of other third-party providers that offer the ability to book cars. In most cases, you will still get the points, although there are no real guarantees with this.
It is worth noting that there are a number of offers available at any given time. This can include bonus point offers, free upgrades, and so on. In general, you will be required to attach a Coupon Number to the booking to take advantage of the offer.
Final Words
If you want to earn Qantas Points on your car rental, you immediately restrict yourself to Avis or Budget.
Fortunately, you can earn points when booking direct, or via Qantas channels. Even better, regardless of which way you go, you will generally get the Qantas Points, and take advantage of your car program membership.
