Qantas, The Wiggles launch Joey Club for young frequent flyers

Hot potatoes, cold spaghetti and mashed banana were on the menu at Sydney Airport's Qantas Club lounge today, but thankfully it wasn't a new Neil Perry concept in preflight dining.

Instead, this was Qantas teaming up with The Wiggles to launch The Joey Club – a program aimed at Australia's youngest frequent flyers.

Frequent flyers between 3 and10 years old will receive a special Joey Club-branded 'novelty passport' where they can record details of their flight, which will no doubt activate the planespotter gene in many a tiny traveller.

(That said, it should be noted that in April 2014 Virgin Australia launched a similar program aimed at young flyers, complete with a passport in which they could collect special stamps each time they fly.)

"Many of our pilots, engineers and cabin crew chose careers in aviation after taking their first flight with Qantas so we want to further inspire a new generation of Qantas customers and employees" explains Qantas exec Olivia Wirth.

"We've always had initiatives in place for children travelling with us but the Joey Club takes it to the next level with a formal program and a number of new benefits that will make flying with Qantas more fun for kids,” Wirth added.

This will include special kids menus in domestic lounges, including made-to-order sandwiches in animal shapes, fresh fruit and snacks such as popcorn and sultanas.

Qantas says it's also building up inflight entertainment channels for kids, including dedicated movie and TV channels for kids.

Meanwhile on the ground, Qantas is expanding the kids zones across its lounge network, which include children's furniture, toys, books and Apple iMacs, with a new Family Zone opening this week at Qantas Los Angeles Business Lounge.

Wirth reveals that children are currently the fastest-growing segment of the Qantas Frequent Flyer membership base, with some parents signing up their children from birth.

However, they'll still need to go some distance to top the elite Diamond status of two-week old Hilda Björnström, who ranks as the world's youngest elite-status frequent flyer

From June 2015, all new Australian-based Frequent Flyer members between the age of three and ten years old will receive a special Joey Club kit when they join the program.

If your kids are already signed up to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, you can call 13 11 31 and quote their QFF membership number to have a Joey Club passport sent your way.

To mark the Joey Club launch, Qantas is also waiving the normal Qantas Frequent Flyer joining fee of $89.50 for children who sign up  at www.qantas.com/kids until December 31, 2015.

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David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.