Qantas to offer select vaccinated travellers free flights for a year

The mega-prize is one of several being offered by the airline in an effort to boost Australia's Covid-19 vaccination uptake

Qantas is set to give away free flights for a year to 10 vaccinated families. Courtesy Qantas

Vaccinated travellers flying with Qantas could win a year's worth of free flights, according to the head of the airline.

Alan Joyce, Qantas' chief executive, told local Australian media on Monday that the airline plans to offer a range of incentives as a reward to passengers for getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

These rewards will range from flight discounts and frequent flyer points, to upgrades or vouchers for future travel.

Joyce said that Qantas would also offer 10 "mega-prizes" of free flying for a year.

Speaking to local television station Nine Today, Joyce said this would represent at least one bumper prize for each state and territory across the country.

Details are still being finalised, but it's expected that each prize would be valid for a family of up to four people to enjoy unlimited economy class travel for a year on Qantas and budget sibling airline Jetstar.

Winners would reportedly also get one million Accor All loyalty points to use towards booking hotel accommodation, said Executive Traveller. This could effectively give each winning family free holidays for a year.

Eligible travellers must have either already had their Covid-19 vaccine or receive it before the end of 2021.

Australia's national airline grounded the majority of its international flights in March 2020 as the country closed its borders to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Domestic travel continues, however, and the airline has been busy adding new domestic destinations and pleasure flights to its network. Qantas says it's planning a December 2021 restart for its international network.

Despite an effective battle against the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's vaccination roll-out has been noticeably sluggish. Only 14 per cent of the population have had one dose of the vaccine, and less than 2 per cent are fully vaccinated, according to local media.

Vaccinated US travellers can get free flights with United Airlines 

Qantas is not the only airline offering travellers incentives to get vaccinated. Last week, United Airlines announced its Your Shot to Fly campaign.

In a bid to support President Joe Biden's national effort to encourage more people to get their Covid-19 vaccination, members of United's loyalty programme can upload vaccination records to the airline's digital services before Tuesday, June 22 to be entered to win a round-trip flight for two, in any class of service, to anywhere in the world that the airline flies.

The American airline will also randomly select five vaccinated MileagePlus members on Thursday, July 1 for the grand prize of "travel for a year for themselves and a companion – also in any class of service, anywhere in the world United flies".