Keeping your Westpac Altitude Rewards credit card points flowing in

By Chris C., October 9 2018
Keeping your Westpac Altitude Rewards credit card points flowing in
Disclaimer

Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.

The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.

Westpac is making some changes to its Altitude Rewards credit card points scheme in November with new points transfer rates applying to many of its partner frequent flyer programs, affecting cards like Altitude Platinum and Altitude Black.

Here’s what you need to know.

Westpac Altitude Rewards changes: what’s happening?

From November 9 2018, the number of frequent flyer points you’ll get in return for manually converting your Altitude points will change, as follows:

 

Current Altitude transfer rate

Transfer rate from November 9

Virgin Australia Velocity

2 Altitude points = 1 Velocity point

3 Altitude points = 1 Velocity point

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles

2.5 Altitude points = 1 KrisFlyer mile

3 Altitude points = 1 KrisFlyer mile

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

2.5 Altitude points = 1 Asia Mile

3 Altitude points = 1 Asia Mile

Malaysia Airlines Enrich Miles

2 Altitude points = 1 Enrich mile

3 Altitude points = 1 Enrich mile

There’ll also be a small change to the minimum number of Altitude points that can be converted to Velocity, switching from a minimum transfer of 2 Altitude points – currently worth one Velocity point – to 6 Altitude points, which will equal two Velocity points.

Westpac Altitude Rewards: what’s not changing?

The conversion rate on points transfers from Altitude into Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars also remains unchanged at 180 Altitude points = 1 AirNZ Airpoints Dollar.

For Altitude Platinum and Altitude Black cardholders earning Qantas Points through the separate Altitude Qantas loyalty option, these earning rates equally remain untouched.

Westpac Altitude Rewards: maximising your points

It should go without saying, but if you’re sitting on a pile of Westpac Altitude points and were ultimately planning to transfer them to KrisFlyer, Asia Miles or Enrich, making those transfers before November 9 gets that conversion locked in at today’s more favourable rates.

Having said that, some of these partner frequent flyer programs adopt their own points expiry rules, so while your points won’t disappear when sitting in your Altitude account, transferring them to a frequent flyer program can start the clock ticking on their lifetime, so have a plan as to how you’ll spend them before their time is up.

Also read: Westpac Altitude Black Mastercard review

Disclaimer

Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.

The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

13 Jan 2015

Total posts 584

Thanks for the heads up...no surprise that I hear it from here before I get any comms from Westpac. I was waiting for the usual 15% transfer bonus for velocity that comes every May & Nov. Hopefully they will start it up just before the change as I expect to get my bonus before then.


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