Getting a little something back on purchases – including when booking flights - is always nice.
If you do not have enough points to book a reward flight – or cannot find the seat you want available – you will have to pay for the flight yourself if you’re going to take off.
However, there are ways to reap the rewards of such bookings, including what we call ‘triple-dipping’.
Here, you can discover how.

How can I earn cashback on flights?

Australian cashback websites like Cashrewards allow you to earn cashback on almost anything you want to purchase online – including travel and flights.
If you book flights on a travel agency or airline website after clicking through the link to that website on Cashrewards, you can earn a little bit of money back.
As of September 2024, the following popular booking sites were available on Cashrewards with these earn rates:

These cashback rates are subject to change, and regular short-term promotions offer higher ‘boosted’ rates.
It is also worth noting that you will generally only receive cashback on the airfare portion of your booking – not any levies, surcharges or taxes on top.
However, your cashback earnings can still add up - even with a low cashback percentage - and deliver significant flight savings.

Earn more on your flights by using a credit card

There are not as many good ‘cashback’ credit cards in Australia as there are in some other countries, such as the United States.
However, you can earn plenty of extra points by paying for your flights using a rewards credit card.
Some travel credit cards even earn bonus points on bookings made directly with airlines.
The Qantas American Express Ultimate card earns 1.25 Qantas Frequent Flyer points per $1 spent on most everyday purchases but earns 2.25 points per $1 spent on eligible Qantas products and services.
The American Express Velocity Platinum card also earns 1.25 Velocity points per $1 spent on most everyday purchases, but brings in 2.25 points per $1 spent with Virgin Australia.
If you use this card to book flights on the Virgin Australia website after clicking through Cashrewards, you can receive 0.8 per cent cashback and 2.25 points per $1 spent from American Express.

Book a points-earning flight for more rewards

When we talk about ‘triple-dipping’ on rewards for paid flights, the third part is booking a flight that will earn you points in addition to any cashback and credit card points you might receive.
Velocity members on the base-level ‘Red’ tier can earn 5 points per $1 spent on Virgin Australia flights, except for ‘Economy Lite’ fares.
Silver, Gold, and Platinum members also receive bonus points at 50%, 75%, and 100%, respectively.
Therefore, if you are a Silver member with Velocity, you could receive 0.8% cashback through Cashrewards, 2.25 points per $1 spent for using an American Express Velocity Platinum card and 7.5 points per $1 spent by booking an eligible points-earning ticket.
Cha-ching.

Summary

Use cashback websites like Cashrewards and book through affiliated travel agencies or airlines to earn cashback on flights. Additionally, consider using a rewards credit card to earn points on your flight purchases. By combining these strategies, you can maximize your rewards and potentially reduce the overall cost of your travel.

Written By: Chris
Updated: October 2024

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