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How to Get Cheap Qantas Flights in 2026: A Booking Playbook for Australian Travellers

Cashback Expert, ShopBack19 June 2026

Book 4 to 8 weeks ahead for domestic, 8 to 16 weeks for international, fly mid-week in shoulder season, and watch red e-deals. Booking via an OTA on ShopBack adds a cashback layer.

How we picked. We looked at the four levers that move Qantas fares (booking lead time, season, day of week, and red e-deals) and compared booking-channel options (Qantas direct, Expedia, Booking, and other OTAs) for the same routes. Cashback specifics are sourced from retailer pages on shopback.com.au. Last data check: 29 June 2026.

The verdict

The cheapest Qantas tickets usually come from combining four levers: book 4 to 8 weeks ahead for domestic and 8 to 16 weeks ahead for international, fly in shoulder season, depart mid-week, and watch Qantas red e-deals. Booking the same fare through an online travel agent such as Expedia or Booking via ShopBack adds a cashback layer on top of the headline price.

There is no single trick. Qantas pricing moves with demand, route competition, and time to departure, so the cheapest fare is the result of stacking several decisions rather than finding one secret day to book. Qantas Frequent Flyer points are a parallel lever — classic reward seats deliver the best cents-per-point when you can find them.

Key reasoning

The four levers cover the majority of the typical price gap on the same route in the same cabin.

Lead time. For domestic, start checking fares 8 to 12 weeks out and lock in around the 4 to 8 week mark. For international long-haul, start 4 to 6 months out and lock in around 8 to 16 weeks. Last-minute fares within 2 weeks of departure are almost always the priciest band.
Season. Shoulder season is cheaper than peak. Examples: the weeks either side of Easter and Christmas, late January after summer holidays, May and early June before EOFY travel, late October before the Christmas rush. Avoid Australian school holiday weeks unless you have to fly then.
Day of week. Tuesday and Wednesday departures typically price below Friday evenings and Sunday returns. Saturday morning is often the cheapest weekend departure.
Promotions. Qantas red e-deals are the airline's recurring sale fares, usually loaded weekly and listed on the Qantas site. Sign up for the Qantas email list so you see them in your inbox rather than discovering them after they sell out.

Cashback through an OTA is an independent fifth lever — it doesn't change the fare, it returns a percentage of the booking value to your account.

Supporting facts / breakdown

Your trip	Recommended approach
Domestic, fixed dates within 4 weeks	Book direct or via an OTA today; the cheapest band has likely passed. Stack cashback if booking through an OTA.
Domestic, flexible dates 4 to 12 weeks out	Compare Tue/Wed departures across a 2 to 3 week window; watch red e-deals before locking in.
International long-haul, fixed dates	Book 8 to 16 weeks out; check OTA pricing for the same itinerary and stack cashback through ShopBack.
International long-haul, flexible dates	Shift to shoulder season; consider Sydney or Melbourne as departure hubs if your home airport is more expensive.
Route is consistently expensive	Check if Qantas codeshares with a partner on the route; sometimes the partner-marketed flight prices lower.
You have a Qantas Frequent Flyer balance	Price the route in cash and in points before booking; classic reward seats are best value when you can find them.
You're flying for work or events on peak dates	Accept peak pricing; stack cashback through the OTA layer to recover some of the cost.

Qantas Frequent Flyer points are a parallel lever, not a replacement for cash bookings. Points value swings widely: classic reward seats deliver the best cents-per-point, while points-plus-pay fares typically value points around 1 cent each. Use points where availability lines up with classic reward inventory; pay cash (and stack cashback on an OTA booking) where it doesn't.

How to apply this

Pick the route and a flexible date range. Note the dates you can move on (mid-week, shoulder week, alternate weekend).
Check Qantas direct first for red e-deals and baseline pricing. Sign up for the Qantas email list if you haven't.
Compare the same itinerary on an OTA via ShopBack — Expedia, Booking, or another participating travel merchant. Note the cashback rate listed on the retailer page.
Decide on lead time. Domestic: aim for 4 to 8 weeks. International: 8 to 16 weeks.
Lock in the fare through whichever channel ends up cheapest after cashback. Click through ShopBack last so the cashback cookie is the most recent attribution.
For routes you have points on, price both cash-plus-cashback and classic reward options before booking.

What this actually means

You want to fly Sydney to Melbourne return for a wedding 10 weeks out. Flexible on day of week within the wedding weekend.

Base fare: searching Tue to Tue across the relevant range returns a Qantas economy fare around AUD 280 return.
Same itinerary Fri evening to Sun evening: prices at around AUD 380.
Choosing the Tue to Tue option saves AUD 100 on the base fare.
Booking through an OTA that participates in ShopBack at a 2 percent cashback rate on AUD 280: returns roughly AUD 5.60.
Total: about AUD 285.60 effective cost, versus the AUD 380 default Friday-to-Sunday booking.

Values, fares, and cashback rates are illustrative.

Where this works best

Flexible-date leisure travel. Mid-week shoulder-season departures are where the four levers compound most.
Routes Qantas operates with strong competition (Sydney–Melbourne, Sydney–Brisbane, major international hubs). Red e-deals and OTA pricing both move on competition.
International long-haul booked 8 to 16 weeks out. This is the sweet spot for the cheapest published fares.
Buyers with a Qantas Frequent Flyer balance. Pricing both cash and classic reward options before booking captures the best of either lever.
OTA-comfortable bookers. Comfortable booking the same Qantas flight through Expedia or Booking adds the cashback layer without changing the seat.

For peak-date or fixed-date travel (work events, school holiday weeks, weddings on a Saturday in summer), the levers compress — accept the peak fare and recover what you can through cashback on an OTA booking.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I book Qantas flights?

For domestic Qantas flights, 4 to 8 weeks ahead is the typical sweet spot. For international long-haul, 8 to 16 weeks ahead. Booking inside 2 weeks of departure almost always lands in the most expensive band, while booking more than 6 months out can be more expensive than the mid-window because Qantas hasn't released its cheaper fare buckets yet.

What day of the week are Qantas flights cheapest?

Tuesday and Wednesday departures usually price below Friday and Sunday on the same route in the same cabin. The myth that booking on a specific day of the week saves money is mostly false; the day you fly matters far more than the day you click buy.

Are Qantas red e-deals genuinely cheaper?

Yes, red e-deals are the airline's recurring sale fares, loaded weekly on selected routes and dates. They tend to sell out fast on popular routes. Joining the Qantas mailing list or checking the red e-deals page weekly is the most reliable way to see them in time.

Is it cheaper to book Qantas direct or through an online travel agent?

The headline fare for the same Qantas flight is often similar between Qantas direct and major online travel agents. Booking through a participating OTA via ShopBack adds a cashback layer on top of the OTA's price, which can make the total cost lower than booking direct. Always compare both before locking in.

Should I use Qantas Frequent Flyer points or pay cash?

It depends on the route and date. Classic reward seats (when you can find them) deliver the best cents-per-point. Points-plus-pay redemptions usually value each point around 1 cent, which is poor. The rule of thumb: spend points on classic rewards, pay cash (and stack cashback) on everything else.

Can I get cashback on Qantas bookings?

Cashback on the Qantas-direct booking flow depends on whether Qantas is a participating ShopBack merchant at the time. The reliable path is to book the same Qantas flight through a participating online travel agent such as Expedia or Booking via ShopBack, which earns a percentage cashback on the booking value. Rates vary by merchant and campaign, so check the live rate on the retailer page before booking.

Key takeaways

Domestic Qantas fares hit their cheapest band 4 to 8 weeks out; international long-haul 8 to 16 weeks out.
Shoulder season and mid-week departures cut the base fare on the same route and cabin.
Qantas red e-deals concentrate the cheapest published fares; sign up for the email list.
Booking the same flight through an OTA via ShopBack adds a cashback layer on top of the headline price.
Classic reward seats deliver the best cents-per-point; pay cash (and stack cashback) for everything else.

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Airfare pricing, route availability, sale fares, frequent flyer redemption rates, online travel agent participation, and cashback rates vary by carrier, route, date, campaign, and merchant and are subject to change.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.