From groceriesto getaways.

Turn your Coles or Woolies shop into a Business Class seat by pairing Flybuys or Everyday Rewards with the right card, plus the gift card play.

  • 3 min read
  • Updated
  • Earning

What if your weekly grocery run at Coles or Woolies could turn into a lie-flat bed on a flight to Singapore? It sounds like a dream, but it’s a real, achievable strategy. This is your guide to turning that trolley full of groceries into a boarding pass for the front of the plane.

1. Choose your alliance (Coles vs Woolies)

Your journey starts with a simple choice. You need to align with one of two huge retail ecosystems in Australia, based on where your family already spends the most money.

A) The Flybuys–Velocity ecosystem (Coles and co.)

  • The team: Coles, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Officeworks and Shell Coles Express.
  • The airline: Velocity Frequent Flyer (Virgin Australia).
  • The conversion: 2,000 Flybuys points = 1,000 Velocity Points.

Flybuys logo Velocity Frequent Flyer logo

B) The Everyday Rewards–Qantas ecosystem (Woolies and co.)

  • The team: Woolworths, BIG W, BWS, and Ampol or EG Australia fuel stations.
  • The airline: Qantas Frequent Flyer.
  • The conversion: 2,000 Everyday Rewards points = 1,000 Qantas Points.

Everyday Rewards logo Qantas Frequent Flyer logo

2. Master the “double dip”

To accelerate your points earn, you need to get paid twice for every dollar you spend. It’s simple:

  1. Scan your loyalty card: At the checkout, scan your Flybuys or Everyday Rewards card first.
  2. Pay with a points-earning credit card: Then pay for your shopping with a good rewards credit card. Not sure which? Start with our top 3 cards for points beginners.

You’ve just earned two different sets of points on one transaction. Do this every time and your balance will skyrocket.

3. The ultimate hack: the gift card play

This is the single most powerful way to turbo-charge your points balance. Both Coles and Woolies run weekly promotions offering massive bonus points (often 20x) on third-party gift cards.

4. The payoff: why flights beat groceries

After collecting all these points, you have a choice: get $10 off your groceries or book a flight. Redeeming 2,000 points for a $10 discount gives you a value of 0.5 cents per point. Redeeming points for a premium flight can give you a return of over 9 cents per point — that’s 18 times more value!

The rule is simple: flights, not stuff. Always use your hard-earned points for high-value travel to get the best return.

Your 12-month flight plan

  • Month 1: audit and align. Check your bank statements, then commit to either the Flybuys–Velocity or Everyday Rewards–Qantas alliance.
  • Month 2: get your weapon. Apply for a rewards credit card that aligns with your chosen alliance — see the Velocity and Qantas guides.
  • Months 3–6: master the basics. Perfect the double dip on every shop and get in the habit of activating all bonus “booster” offers.
  • Months 7–11: go pro. Start the gift card play. Plan your major upcoming purchases and buy gift cards when you see a 20x points offer.
  • Month 12: book your trip! Tally up your points, find a reward seat on the airline’s website, and book that Business Class getaway you’ve earned.
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