Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to use their Qantas Points to book hundreds of thousands of new reward seats with Hawaiian Airlines from Thursday, marking the start of the strategic airline partnership announced by the two national carriers in January.
As part of the agreement, Qantas Frequent Flyers can book flights across Hawaiian Airlines' global network, which includes all four major Hawaiian Islands, 15 cities in the United States and 10 international destinations.
Following its merger with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines now offers non-stop services from Honolulu to Sydney and Auckland, as well as same-day, one-stop connections to popular North American cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Salt Lake City.
Qantas Loyalty CEO Andrew Glance said Hawaii has long been a favourite destination for members.
"We know Hawaii is one of the most sought-after destinations for our Frequent Flyers and the partnership with Hawaiian Airlines will be welcome news for members eyeing up their next overseas trip.
"Our members will be able to use their points to connect to one or all four major Hawaiian Islands or look to build Honolulu into their itinerary as a convenient stopover en route to North America.
"The partnership with Hawaiian Airlines also builds on the recent launch of our direct Melbourne to Honolulu Qantas service in May and gives our members more routes, more choice and more access to travel rewards using their points.
"The number of Classic Reward seats booked with partner airlines has doubled in the last five years, so we know how important it is that we continue to invest in growing our network and provide members with more opportunities to use their points," added Mr Glance.
Qantas Frequent Flyers book an average of 17,000 reward seats daily, including 1,000 Classic Reward seats in premium cabins to international destinations. The new partnership with Hawaiian Airlines comes as the number of seats unlocked through flagship partners grew by almost one third last year.
Qantas has also entered into a bilateral codeshare agreement with Hawaiian Airlines as the carrier nears oneworld membership, offering travellers a more convenient network of flights within Hawaii and beyond into mainland U.S.
Qantas Frequent Flyers will also earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on Hawaiian Airlines operated flights (with a QF flight number) for travel within Hawaii and to mainland U.S.
Alex Judson, Managing Director of Partnerships and International at Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines said the ability for Qantas Frequent Flyers to unlock new loyalty benefits comes as Hawaiian Airlines prepares to join the oneworld alliance in 2026.
"Hawaiian Airlines has served Australia for 21 years, and we're thrilled to extend our unique onboard services, products, and experiences-rooted in authentic Hawaiian hospitality-to even more Aussies through our partnership with Qantas," said Mr Judson.
"Qantas Frequent Flyers - and eventually oneworld members - will find unmatched value when redeeming their points to start their vacation on Hawaii's flagship carrier."
Hawaiian Airlines, now in its 96th year of continuous service, operates nonstop flights between Sydney and Honolulu using its 278-seat, spacious wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft, featuring 18 Premium Cabin lie-flat leather seats, 68 Extra Comfort seats and 192 Main Cabin seats.
These new seats add to the 20 million reward seats available to book on Qantas, Jetstar and 45 partner airlines, including Emirates, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific.