Oman Air Awards Can Now Be Booked With Qantas Points

Oman Air, the flag carrier of the Gulf state of Oman, is joining the Oneworld alliance soon. That means you’ll be able to book its flights using points from its alliance partners. It’s already possible to book award seats on Oman Air with Alaska Mileage Plan miles, and now you’ll be able to do so with the loyalty program of another major Oneworld airline.

As of October 22, Qantas Frequent Flyer points can be redeemed for seats on Oman Air, as first noticed by AwardWallet.

The Omani carrier is a relatively small airline, especially compared to other Middle East carriers, with just 40 airplanes. Future alliance partner Qatar Airways, for example, is 7 times bigger. But Oman Air is also known as a boutique, luxury airline with service and food above average.

So, how much does it cost to book Oman Air with Qantas points? Let’s take a look at what this development means for you.

Using Qantas Points to Book Oman Air Business Class

Oman Air is retiring long-haul first class, but its business class is no slouch when it comes to inflight luxury.

An attractive option for U.S.-based flyers who want to try out Oman Air’s inflight luxury and excellent lounges is booking award seats using Alaska Airlines miles. But Alaska Mileage Plan miles aren’t the easiest to come by, given the program’s relative lack of transfer partners.

That is not as much of an issue with Qantas Frequent Flyer, which allows transfers from several partners. This is the latest Oneworld program to offer Oman Air redemptions as the airline prepares to join the alliance.

With that in mind, we checked award prices in Qantas points on Oman Air from the carrier’s home base in Muscat to 2 popular destinations, Zanzibar and Bangkok.

Muscat to Bangkok in Oman Air’s top-notch business class on the Boeing 787 comes to a very reasonable 61,200 Qantas points, plus $161 in taxes and fees.

Muscat to Zanzibar, Tanzania, in economy costs just 24,500 points plus $108 in taxes and fees.

Qantas is among the airlines that still have an award chart, as opposed to dynamic pricing that varies according to day, demand, and other algorithmic factors. Oman Air does not appear yet among the airlines listed at the top of Qantas’ distance-based partner-awards chart, but awards are bookable on the Qantas site all the same.

Where Does Oman Air Fly?

The bad news is that Oman Air does not serve the U.S., although its 787-9s have more than enough range to do so if the airline decides to open destinations in North America.

The good news is that its route map is large for a carrier its size, with a relatively extensive presence in Europe and South Asia. That provides interesting options for flyers curious about the Middle Eastern airline.

From Muscat, Oman Air serves London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, and Milan in Europe alone — all convenient transfer points for passengers coming from the U.S.

How To Get Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

Qantas is the largest airline in Australia, but you don’t need to live Down Under to find having a loyalty account with it worthwhile. You don’t even need to fly Qantas, in fact.

That’s because the Qantas Frequent Flyer program is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, as well as Marriott Bonvoy. There are many other ways to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points, too.

You can easily transfer your credit card or hotel points to the Qantas program and then book awards on partner airlines from its site.

Final Thoughts

Qantas points are easier to earn than Alaska miles, so this new option to use them for award bookings on Oman Air may be a great idea if you want to fly where the Middle Eastern airline can take you. And with Oman Air’s business class being among the most luxurious, it may be a good idea to explore this new possibility.

We cannot wait to see what other opportunities may open up when Oman Air fully joins the Oneworld alliance, whose biggest member is American Airlines.