How to get Qantas Lifetime Gold status

You'd be surprised to learn how many frequent flyers know very little about the frequent flyer program they're enrolled in – and while some readers on this site are very knowledgeable in that regard and we write some higher-level articles from time to time tailored to those readers, this article (like much of what we write) is positioned at a mainstream audience, comprised of those many people who aren't as clued-in as you are.

So true!

One of the guys at the office made it to P1. He had no idea there was a higher status than Gold. (Let alone that he must've previously been Plat)

Some people are regular commuters to Europe in J and have very little knowledge about their FF program

When your travelling decreases, a soft landing at Lifetime Gold is better than descending to bronze. At the same time QF offers little incentive to earn status points for its members that are at Lifetime Gold, but cannot maintain Platinum status.  There was speculation that with the introduction of P1 status, there was a case for offering Lifetime Platinum.

Not quite sure your question/point?

I made LTG over 20 years. I went from lifetime silver to gold over a 4 year period I lived in London.

My travel patterns now won't get me seeing platinum again, so rather happy to have LTG as the fallback for those 4 intensive years (and the previous 16 not so intensive years)

As a loyalty hook it doesn't make the grade.

Nope – once you have Lifetime Gold, it's yours for life.

Of course, if you hope to attain or retain Platinum status or higher in individual years, you still need to meet the regular requirements of that higher status (including the minimum sector requirements).

Hi readosunnycoast, just to clarify, what you're referring to above is outright award bookings on Qantas flights rather than upgrade priority after booking Qantas flights with money and using points to upgrade, which is what we've referred to in the article.

yes if you're willing to "burn" points as the value of points are much less in point plus pay but there is the significant advantage of earning status credits as opposed to reward flights

No there has never been a Lifetime Plat level.

Start crediting to AA if you're happy at Gold or post retaining platinum if you're still travelling regularly.

that's my point I suppose...why dont they have life time Platinium...it would logically kick in at 28k status credits.

Yep – any status credits you've earned in any way are counted.

It should however it hasn't work me but good luck anyway!

I think your situation is probably the most common (Platinum aquiring Lifetime Gold).  It makes no difference while you continue to earn status points at Plat or Gold level.  It is only if you reduce your flying with QF that you will see some benefit.  It got me into a CX lounge earlier this year ! 

Yes you'll get Gold perks by purchasing business class fares but those last only for as a long as you're flying business class. If you end up flying economy or premium economy, forget about lounge access etc. Jonnie, if you are always flying business or first you definitely want to be in a QFF member so you can start earning those status credits to get lifetime Gold or one day you may look back and wish you'd done so!

status also nets benefits when things go wrong - most elite statuses have their own call centre number but business/first class ticket holders join the regular call queue. At the end of the day - if you're already flying you might as well get something extra, you never know when you might only be able to fly economy class on a flight and need/want your usual business class perks that status would give.

Lifetime Gold is really about retirement travel for those used to the pointy end paid for by someone else. I have been a member since 1992 and will get lifetime gold in the the next 2-3 years when I am heading to retirement. Perfect I can find cheaper tickets on  wider range of airline and still have shorter queues and lounge access not to mention the odd upgrade (for the QF flights).

Negative, I'm LTS and get the passes still in the mail

The prize is Lifetime Oneworld Emerald. 

For me never to pay for Q Club ever has been the prize.

Horses for courses. But as a retention tool I wonder about its effectiveness. I still find the audience that this is pitched at a bit muddled. Seems like a throwback from another time before the great strides in First Class offerings...

Sorry to leap in at this stage. I am Platinum going for LTG in the next 18 months and Platinum again next year. I joined in 2001 but only intensive travel in the last 5 years.  I am looking forward to LTG but Gold is no problem, but at least it takes out the worry.  I have been in the Sydney F lounge many times and appreciate the environment and food so I can work in comfort after a hard few days in Australia. (I live in NZ). Travel next week is to Glasgow Scotland with EK via Dubai on a QF ticket.  The EK F lounge in Dubai is soemthing else. Been there once before, just not enough time between flights.

Though hard to know if true or not but I was once told that when it comes to upgrade precedence LTG comes before yearly gold. So might be one thing.

The main benifit is to people like me who spent years flying but have now slowed down.

As same as you I always did my best to other airlines when it comes to long haul ones. QF cannot compete with other airlines. Domestic - there is no other decent option.

Qantas needs to rethink thoroughly about its recognition to its most loyal customers, not just to concentrate on CL.

I'm not aware of any 'special' baggage tags (beyond the regular Gold kit), although the next time you receive a Gold frequent flyer card, the expiry date printed will be "lifetime".

(If you're currently Platinum or higher, you'll keep getting the higher-tier card with that tier's expiry date on it, but when you drop to Gold, you'll get a "lifetime" card.)

If your status goes up as a result of achieving LTG (from Bronze or Silver), you'll get the LTG card immediately, and I believe if you're already Gold, you'll get the LTG card when your current yearly membership period expires (as your current card will still serve you until its expiry date).

You can see a photo of an older Lifetime Gold card in one of our previous articles, albeit in an older design.

Unless things have changed you got tags and a new card every time you moved up a tier.

When my bag tags were severely damaged by LH when I was overseas last year, I rang QF and they sent me a new set gratis compatible to my current status.

Unless you are CL (which you don’t need to soend money to get it), QFFF program is not worthwhile to focus on and spend more money to get or to keep them continually for so many years.

Being P and P1 for many years, but not LTG yet, my current travel options are that Domestic and short flight I fly on J. Either short ir long haul, if there is F on that aircraft, I purchase it. I don’t care to focus on Qantas flight number any longer. No need to stick to them because appaythey don’t care about their high value customers.

Bettrr give koney to better airlines. Now I am expecting to get Platinum invitation from TG and soon with EK Platinum.

There is no real recognition for LTG, G or P of Qantas. It is nearly useless. A marketing trap maybe.

If one feels there’s no recognition or value in LTG, G, P, P1 etc there’s other options. However, I’d be interested to know who offers, for an Australian based traveller, a better proposition than QF. Equal to at best-maybe, but not better. I did look into trying for lifetime Oneworld emerald with BA but it was too much hassle needing a UK address etc etc. I like to think I’ve done a lot of miles over the past 11+ years (I was QF gold for a few years before cracking platinum too!), I’ve done a fair bit of research into how else I could maximise value for all the travel I was expensing, other than earning the highest status I could in a given year with one airline then switching to another. In my case VA, but it was more so because I could, and to experience airlines I wouldn’t normally fly, like Etihad. Hell, I’d even fly CX knowing I don’t get anywhere near the same points or SC as flying QF. Again, because I could. On a side note the VA program has its advantages (e.g comp Hilton diamond membership, a couple of free domestic upgrades from eco to business) but I don’t think the overall FF experience with VA and Velocity is as strong as QF’s, nor is their network or lounge experience with partner airlines. We all have choices. Just sayin’.