Updated February 26, 2026 — 10:50am,first published 8:42am
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Qantas has announced a major change to its loyalty program, allowing members to spend their way to status credits that allow access to priority boarding and airport, and flagged a hiring spree as chief executive Vanessa Hudson refreshes the airline’s offering.
Unlike regular Qantas frequent flyer points, which have long been available from the airline’s branded credit cards, status credits have largely required flying on its planes and come with perks including a more generous baggage allowance, no matter the class of their ticket.
The airline has been supported by robust consumer demand for travel and moderate fuel prices. James Brickwood
Qantas has also unveiled direct flights between Australia and the gambling capital of the United States, destination Las Vegas, while offering an olive branch to the unions that it clashed with repeatedly under the aggressive industrial strategy of Hudson’s predecessor Alan Joyce.
Hudson said the airline’s earnings have been helped by the delivery of new, more efficient planes, strong consumer appetite for Qantas loyalty points, and robust earnings from Jetstar.
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“We’re already seeing the benefits from the next-generation aircraft that are flying, which, along with strong demand, our dual brand strategy and expanding loyalty business, helped us deliver another strong result,” Hudson said.
“Around 60 per cent of Jetstar’s increase in profitability in the half was driven by its new aircraft, through a combination of growth, new network opportunities and the redeployment of existing aircraft onto other routes.
“This gives us confidence in the benefits that will flow once Qantas’ new aircraft reach scale. We’ve already started to see an acceleration in deliveries for Qantas, with six new aircraft arriving in the half and a further 30 arriving over the next 18 months.”
The airline posted $1.46 billion in pre-tax half-year profits on Thursday, helped by strong demand, rising efficiencies from new Airbus aircraft, and Jetstar’s continued growth. The result is up $71 million on the previous half. The board also announced a share buyback of up to $150 million. Qantas shares initially rose but have slumped 4.7 per cent in mid-morning trade.
The airline remains on track to create 8500 jobs in Australia by 2030, Hudson said. Qantas will re-establish a cabin crew base in Singapore, supporting its growing international network, Hudson said.
Qantas plans to hire an additional 3500 cabin crew and more than 1000 pilots. It will launch a new Jetstar Perth cabin crew base later this year, creating 90 roles. Qantas’ ambitious plans will require a level of collaboration from the Transport Workers’ Union to ensure the smooth expansion of the airline’s crew bases abroad.
Hudson said the airline’s earnings have been helped by the delivery of new, more efficient planes, strong consumer appetite for Qantas loyalty points, and robust earnings from Jetstar.Renee Nowytarger
The carrier will open a Qantas crew base in a Singapore subsidiary, paid at local wages, for 120 staff. That headcount is expected to rise to 650 by 2031. At the same time, Jetstar will open a smaller crew base of 90 jobs in Perth. In June, Qantas closed Singapore-based Jetstar Asia, eliminating 500 jobs.
The Singapore-based Qantas crew will work flights between Singapore and Australia, while Australian-based cabin crew will “take on other flying” on Qantas’ international network, the company said, in a nod to its forthcoming ultra-long-range Project Sunrise routes.
The growth plans come as Hudson pursues warmer relations with a key union in an effort to “reconsolidate” the enterprise agreements that had been splintered under the former leadership.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said it was too early to say this was “a totally new Qantas”. “It’s certainly a Qantas that wants to say the right things,” he said. “We must continue to see open dialogue with workers right across the industry and we acknowledge the first steps here to make that happen.”
Five years ago, the TWU and Qantas clashed after the airline illegally sacked nearly 1800 ground crew as COVID shutdowns hit. Those firings were found to be illegal and Qantas was fined $90 million, on top of $120 million it had to pay out in compensation.
The TWU, which represents more Jetstar crew than Qantas crew, said Qantas’ plan to open a new crew base will remain an issue.
Bali’s crewing hub has been central to the low-cost carrier’s dominance of Bali traffic. The lower cost of crew in South-East Asia reduces the cost of Jetstar tickets. The conditions of the Bali-based staff have been another irritant for the TWU.
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Underscoring the importance of Bali travel to Jetstar, and by extension Qantas, the crew hub in Denpasar is home to 400 staff, growing at a rate that could supersede the size of the airline’s largest crew base in Melbourne.
Jetstar flight attendants have long been concerned by the fact that Jetstar employees in Bali, Thailand, and Singapore work at rates substantially below Australian-based crew.
The Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia typically represents Qantas crew.
As travel demand resumed following COVID lockdowns, Jetstar has dominated travel to Bali. In 2026 alone, the airline announced 14 new international routes; five of them were to Bali, including from Avalon Airport near Melbourne.
Hudson also lamented the impact of cost increases “outside” Qantas’ control, such as airport charges and fee increases, which Qantas is trying to avoid passing along to consumers.
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Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners