Credit card sign-up bonuses are one of the easiest ways to accumulate frequent flyer points quickly and relatively cheaply! By applying for a credit card and paying the annual fee, you can earn tens of thousands of frequent flyer points towards your next trip.
If you’re thinking about applying for a new credit card, why not take advantage of these great sign-up deals and top up your frequent flyer points? To help you out, here is a selection of the top 5 Australian credit card sign-up deals for May 2019:
1. Qantas Premier Titanium – 150,000 Qantas points
Qantas has extended its Qantas Premier Titanium card sign-up offer. Until 30 May 2019, this card comes with 150,000 bonus Qantas points if you spend at least $5,000 on the card within the first 90 days. This is the highest-earning Qantas sign-up deal for May 2019 and comes with more than enough Qantas points to book a round-the-world award in Economy class. However, this card has a whopping annual fee of $1,200 and the minimum annual income required to apply for this card is $200k.
The $299/year Qantas Premier Platinum card is still offering 100,000 bonus Qantas sign-up points.
2. ANZ Frequent Flyer Black – 100,000 Qantas points
ANZ is also offering 100,000 bonus Qantas points this month with its ANZ Frequent Flyer Black card. This card has a $425 annual fee, but ANZ is currently offering $200 cash back on this annual fee. To get the bonus points and $200 cash back, you would need to spend at least $4,000 on the card within 3 months of approval. There is no listed expiry date for this offer.
3. Virgin Money Velocity Flyer – 75,000 Velocity points
Virgin Money is still offering 75,000 bonus Velocity Frequent Flyer points with its Velocity Flyer credit card. This card has a $129 annual fee but also comes with a $129 annual Virgin Australia flight credit and 50% off the annual fee in the first year. So, this card is already paying for itself before accounting for the bonus points!
75,000 Velocity points is more than enough for a round-trip Business class ticket from Australia to New Zealand or most destinations in the Pacific Islands. To earn the full 75,000 Velocity points you’d need to spend at least $1,500 on the card each month for the first three months. You’ll earn 25,000 points during each of the first three months if this goal is reached. This offer now expires on 30 June 2019.
This deal is being discussed on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Virgin Flyer Card – now 75k introductory points
Virgin Money continues to offer 90,000 Velocity points with its $289/year Velocity High Flyer card. However, that card does not come with a reduced annual fee and the $129 travel credit is exactly the same as you get with the less expensive Virgin Money Flyer card. In addition, you’d need to spend $3,000 per month in the first three months (rather than $1,500/month) to earn the full bonus points. So, in our view, Virgin Money’s Velocity Flyer sign-up offer is actually better despite the amount of bonus points being slightly lower.
4. NAB Qantas Rewards Signature – 90,000 Qantas points
National Australia Bank continues to offer 90,000 Qantas points to new NAB Qantas Rewards Signature applicants that spend $4,000 on the card within 90 days of opening. That’s enough Qantas points for a return trip from Australia to Los Angeles in Economy (plus taxes and $240 in Qantas carrier charges). This card has a $395 annual fee which is currently reduced to $295 in the first year. This offer has no listed expiry date.
5. Westpac Altitude Black – 80,000 Qantas points
Westpac is offering 80,000 bonus Qantas (or Altitude points) with its Altitude Black credit card until 2 June 2019. Note that Qantas points are worth around triple the value of an Altitude point. You will need to pay an extra $50 on top of the $250 annual card fee to opt-in to earning Qantas points with this card.
Beware that most banks have credit card exclusion periods whereby bonus points are not awarded to customers that have previously held a card with that bank in the past 12-18 months. Most current credit card sign-up deals are discussed on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Current Credit Card Promotions
Note: This article is not financial advice. Be sure to seek professional advice before applying for credit cards, or any kind of credit for that matter.
