One year of Free Qantas Flights and More as Vaccination Incentive

Qantas has announced that it will offer 10 ‘mega prizes’ of a year of free flights for Australians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of 2021.

Also on offer could be discounts on regular flight bookings and potentially 1,000 Qantas Points plus status credits as the airline seeks to spearhead a push for vaccination incentives by Australia’s largest companies.

“We’re going to offer 10 ‘mega prizes, at least one for each state and territory, where you will get for a year, for a family of four, unlimited travel anywhere on the Qantas and Jetstar network,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed on Nine’s Today show on Monday morning.

The trips would be in economy class and each of the ten winners would also receive one million Accor ALL points to use for booking accommodation.

Joyce said the program would launch in July, “will include anybody that has already been vaccinated (and) will apply to anybody that’s vaccinated through to the end of 2021.”

“To really help with that vaccine we are putting this discount for people who have taken the vaccine (and) we’re looking at giving 1,000 points flight vouchers and status credits,” Joyce added.

“I’m encouraging a Team Australia moment for every other corporate to help with this vaccine rollout and to reward people that have had the vaccine.”

Joyce also suggested that widespread vaccination in the USA and the UK could see Qantas restart flights to those key markets sooner rather than later, and certainly ahead of the Government’s proposed mid-2022 timeframe.

“A few months ago, I thought maybe Singapore, Taiwan (and) Japan would be the first cabs off the list.”

“But with the great progress that’s been made in the US and the UK, you may actually see those markets opening up before the rest because the vaccine rollout’s been so successful in both countries.”

For its part, the Government is planning to let fully vaccinated Australians travel overseas as part of a pilot program that could launch in August.

The scheme could allow them to fly to selected countries, including low-risk destinations, and return without facing quarantine provided they show a negative COVID result on arrival.

By Joe Cusmano