Qantas gives grounded frequent flyers bonus status credits
Most Qantas Frequent Flyer members will receive at least 50% of the status credits needed to retain their tier, without flying.
By Chris C., July 14 2020
As the coronavirus continues to hamper travel plans, Qantas is gifting bonus status credits to its tiered frequent flyers, helping them retain their level or even move up the status ladder.
Following Qantas' previous 12-month status extension for all elite frequent flyers, many members will get at least 50% of the status credits needed to retain their tier, while others will gain even more.
The precise number of status credits you'll receive depends on the expiry date of your current status – here's what you need to know.
50% Qantas status credit boost
Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One cardholders whose status is due to expire between March 2021 and February 2022 will receive 50% of the status credits needed to retain their tier. That's a bonus of:
- 125 status credits for Silver members
- 300 status credits for Gold cardholders
- 600 status credits for Platinum frequent flyers
- 1,800 status credits for Platinum One jetsetters
Members whose status expires between March and June 2021 will receive this bonus within the next 72 hours. Those with an expiry between July 2021 and February 2022 will instead get their bonus in the first month of their new membership year.
This bonus will be given to all members at those tiers, including those with lifetime status, on a 'status hold', and those on complimentary Gold or Platinum membership, courtesy of a higher-flying friend or family member.
Bonus status credits will also count towards achieving lifetime status.
Bonus monthly status credits, for some members
Even though Qantas had already provided a 12-month status extension to every eligible frequent flyer, for some members, that 'extended' year has already begun, with travel options still quite limited.
To reflect this, Qantas Frequent Flyer members with a status expiry date of March through to August 2021 will earn an extra helping of status credits each month, as follows.
- 5 status credits each month, for Silver cardholders
- 15 status credits each month, for Gold-grade members
- 50 status credits each month, for Platinum frequent flyers
- 150 status credits each month, for Platinum One members
Exactly which months these bonuses will be received depends on when the member's current status expires, with some monthly bonuses also retroactively awarded for prior months, as below.
Members don't need to register – these status credits will appear automatically, if eligible.
Reprieve for Platinum One frequent flyers
As the highest public Qantas Frequent Flyer tier, holding onto Platinum One status normally requires 3,600 status credits per year, of which at least 2,700 need to come from Qantas marketed flights.
Qantas is making that goal a little easier for now, by counting the bonus status credits provided above towards the 'Qantas Status Credit' earn requirement to reach or retain Platinum One.
Until December 31 2021, any status credits earned via loyalty bonuses will also count towards reaching and retaining Platinum One: these being the 50 status credits given when the member chooses that reward instead of 8,000 Qantas Points.
Also read: Qantas extends frequent flyer status for a full year
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
05 May 2016
Total posts 619
Nice. With the benefit of hindsight maybe I should have spent the points to retain Platinum. But who could have predicted this situation would happen.
A nice gesture from QANTAS. Still unless I can get a DSC long haul trip on QF in levelling back up to WP may not be possible.
Certainly gives me less incentive to try to fly before the end of my current membership year as 300 SC is above my tally for this membership year so I'll be closer to my goal next membership year before doing any flying.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Nov 2016
Total posts 129
Good gesture by Qantas. They are unfortunately caught between the devil and the deep sea trying to keep and help their frequent flyers and running a business in very trying times where revenue is close to nil and cash is being burned. Feel for their people as the build up to domestic travel has also taken a back seat.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
14 Jan 2013
Total posts 4
Great, however given my two recent experiences with QF, I doubt, if I have a choice Ill fly QF again any time soon... Taking 290,000 QF points in error then saying a 14 week refund period is a joke!
17 Jun 2020
Total posts 238
A good gesture to try and retain loyalty.
Except I am sure I am not the only person (like chevie82) who has second thoughts about engaging with a dishonest business. I was told that I was not eligible for a flight refund in March, but then it turned out I was by law and as a result won't receive this refund until August at the earliest. Basically given an interest free loan to Qantas at the same time as having to battle my own reduced income. And, unlike Qantas, I cannot go to the share market to raise equity.
Covid has taught me which companies are worth being loyal towards. Qantas, unfortunately, is no longer one of these companies.
16 Jul 2020
Total posts 6
Absolutely agree... they are holding refunds for 4 Business European flights... they cancelled and are also holding my money. When this panic ends...and it will...who would be loyal to them. Status credits..joke. They are giving nothing really..paper entry!
Others are giving 2 years to use a credit with added 20% bonus value added. Shame on you Qantas!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Mar 2017
Total posts 37
Tempted to give my status up and move to VA, perfect opportunity. Hmmm. Anyone else investigated doing this? I'm only silver but would've made platinum this year
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 123
Goodness, I cannot imagine why anyone would do that, unless you fly lots of transcon and no international and don't like lie flats on domestic. I guess your experience must have been bad, but pop over to the VA forums and see what those peeps are saying.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Mar 2014
Total posts 204
Having maintained Plat for the last 6 or so years, i'm actually quite happy to let it lapse even with the status boost.
Since my membership reset in april, i haven't done any flying, and actually not missing it particularly - for the moment all the joy has been removed anyhow. The main perk of Plat is intl First lounges, and since i wont be flying intl any time soon, i dont see any benefit and would be quite happy to land into gold and use the Qantas clubs - even domestic flying wont be back to normal until 2021 at the current rate anyhow
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 May 2019
Total posts 39
We all know Qantas are in a world of pain.... but this offer is almost worthless. With some borders closed and international flying basically off the table Qantas would have been better sating no status change for the moment.
05 May 2016
Total posts 619
Depending what happens with borders etc. it may still come to that. But for now they want to encourage people to make bookings and fly.
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 113
I am plat one...had requalified for this year but was given it anyway for another year...with my current status expiring in May 2021 I have very little chance of retaining as I have no ability to fly...so these credits are kinda useless...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jun 2017
Total posts 37
P1 in Melbourne. Where could I fly? I'm not sure I am even allowed to the airport anymore and certainly don't feel confident booking ahead and being treated well if I need to cancel given comments generally on this site.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 May 2019
Total posts 8
This feels like a bit of a bet for expats that their regional borders reopen AND their local OW partners will fly. Clever move for Qantas gently encouraging the most inclined to fly to get back into it... Dreaming of the post-vaccine return to a full international network!!
15 Jul 2020
Total posts 1
We expats still need the 4 Qantas sectors - which is impossible since there are no international Qantas flights. So even though we *could* get the SCs over here... we can't get the 4 Qantas sectors so can't requalify.
22 May 2011
Total posts 89
Would rather they just extended everyone by another year. I'll need 500 after this to maintain platinum - where do I go? Melbourne? I ain't doing that 250 times just to maintain first lounge access on international flights I can't take
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Jan 2016
Total posts 90
Nice offer, but still have to be able to fly which is not part of the companies world view at present...
On the up-side, there is no need to fly...woohoo...!!!
17 Jan 2018
Total posts 84
No flights until March 2021! If they dont extend my existing status will fly with other airlines who are open for business. Q has lost my loyalty for the forseeable future.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Mar 2019
Total posts 22
If you need to fly and can get permission to leave Australia to do so, QR and CX are your Qantas partners that you can still be earning QFF SCs flying internationally
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2014
Total posts 112
A nice gesture which works for me but understand it doesn't for many others.
It works for insomuch as the SC I missed by my cancelled northern summer trip are essentially gifted to me and I get the last SC I need to click over to life time gold.
I've already been extended status until 2021 but will not hit platinum again by then on what I can see going forward. After almost twelve years at platinum.
As I said, works for me and is nice.
15 Jul 2020
Total posts 1
Wow, Qantas make a gesture of good will to client loyalty at no cost to anyone and the majority of comments are complaints! What a terrible time we are in.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
Agreed, I was critical of their status extension as many who had already attained for that year got nothing, but hard to see how too many wouldn't get something out of this, and it counts towards lifetime status as well.
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Aug 2018
Total posts 107
As a purely recreational Victorian traveller, the current border restrictions are the pits, understandable, but still the pits. Efforts by Q to keep my custom and current status are appreciated, but 5 paid for return tickets Melb./ Cairns represent a minor investment one is not likely to walk away from. Just wish all domestic boundaries/ restrictions had been lifted to enjoy ten days of FNQ warmth in early August 2020. Now to wrangle to rebook for similar dates next year.........fingers crossed to see if status might be a help?
Etihad - Etihad Guest
14 Jun 2019
Total posts 4
This is such a con.
In March when international flights were stopped we received an email telling us that our frequent flyer status was to be extended to March. It was worded to suggest we would retain our status credits till then.
So I got a shock when my status credits reset to zero on June 30 when they would normally do so.
The two European tradeshows I was going to attend in March and May and the Chinese one in June were both cancelled, so, without the pandemic, I would have got my Platinum status back by June 30.
So let's look at that gift of a status extension? I already had my Gold retention points by the time everything shutdown, and consequently what kind of "gift" is it to give me Gold till March next year when I had it to July already?
And now they have given me another "gift" of 300 status credits, but Qantas have cancelled.all the flights I had booked this year, and announced no international flights until.at least March next year. Meaning I have only 3 months to try and get back to Gold by earning another 300 credits, whereas normally one has 12 months to earn 600 status credita.
I will not achieve that, so my status will slip to Silver (I am lifetime Silver anyway) on July 1 next year, in other words the 300 credits are nonsense.
You have to admire their PR department though for the cleverness in how these "gifts" have been derived. They cost Qantas absolutely nothing, they give zero reward to their frequent flyers, and yet can be easily "spun" to suggest otherwise.
As QF kept raising the costs of everything, I have become increasingly annoyed at the feeling of being trapped by my status. The idea that I will lose the extra baggage allowance and lounge access if I change to another airline.
Well I will be Silver on July 1st which is virtually useless, so there is nothing to stop me treating Qantas with the same level of loyalty they have extended to me - zero.
And there must be a lot of you in the same boat. Time for us to leave and join another frequent flyer program when the pandemic is over, and Qantas have used the pandemic as a method to push the status of as many frequent flyers down as they can get away with.
I wonder if there are any good lawyers out there who are in the same boat. Class Action?
16 Jul 2020
Total posts 6
Exactly and they have my money...its 14 weeks and counting...!! They have taken government hand out money as well. Totally agree with all you have said.
They have lost us as Platinum, previously loyal members . They obviously think their customers are fools! Agreed!..clear out our 1 300 000 points and start over. Not happy with the Dreamliner or leaving from Perth to get to Europe!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Nov 2017
Total posts 13
So, as a Gold QFF with status expiry July 2021, QF will give me 300 SC in August this year (50% of retention for 2022.
Furthermore, they will give me 15 SC in August, and 15 SC in September for a total of 330/600.
Problem : 1. I'm a Melbournian
2. No QF International flights until March 2021 (Or is it end of march?)
As a conclusion, that gives me 4/5 months to earn 270 SC, which won't be happening unless...
They give 15 per month for more than 2 months, has that been indicated?
Also, how will this affect the Loyalty Bonus at 500,100,1500,2000 SC etc?
Will the gift of 300 count towards this?
Confused and don't think I will be able to maintain my status.
Qantas should give everyone a status hold until their full network is up and running again. This should be done for All currently existing QFF's.
Simultaneously, they should be drafting a new system for new sign-ups to the QFF program.
27 Nov 2016
Total posts 25
I'm really not sure what the point of this is? I have 1800 SC credited to my account but how exactly am I supposed to attain the other 1800 to maintain P1 when there are zero international flights? My SC year ends in April (had already attained P1 when they first extended) & QF doesn't start intl flights again till April.
A better idea might have been to extend status from the date the red roo starts flying internationally again. And as we are on a govt prohibition, we can't notch up sc on partner airlines either.
So while the SC become useless, so do my squillions of miles & who knows when it will be possible to use all the credit vouchers from already cancelled flights.
All that aside, I miss flying!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2011
Total posts 88
Not everyone received a 12-month status extension from Qantas. My membership year ends 31 March and by 31 March 2020 I had already retained Platinum for that year so by normal program rules Plat status was granted to 31 March 2021. Qantas did not further extend it by 12 months - it remains at 31 March 2021. These bonus SCs might help but it will depend on when the international skies open again as to whether I can make any use of them.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 413
I tend to agree with @janeblogs, why not just extend status again.
I can't wait to get on a plane
29 Feb 2016
Total posts 28
Lifetime Gold, and living in Tas ? Nothing there for me..
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Oct 2015
Total posts 13
I'll think you'll find this will be revisited again. I'm 99% sure of it.
They need people like ya frequent flyers to start flying again and they wouldn't risk losing it over not maintaining a status for a little longer.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2011
Total posts 88
Fingers crossed!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Mar 2015
Total posts 94
The shutdown cost me getting back to Platinum. Not Qantas, not "the government"; a virus, public health emergency shut down. Yes I was annoyed, but my status vs peoples lives is a no brainer.
I sincerely appreciate Qantas efforts at keeping my loyalty.
I understand that their efforts dont work for everyone, but I would have thought everyone could appreciate the efforts being taken.
May we all get back to our beloved 1A asap!
15 Mar 2018
Total posts 93
I appreciate I'm an oddball, but I was sitting on 1095 SC and had flights booked in March and April for 620 SC so would have requlified for Platinum.
17 Jan 2018
Total posts 84
So simple extend everybody by 12 months from date Q starts to fly 50% of its previous international capacity. And get rid of the Q staff coming up with this nonsense. 3 strikes and you are out.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 138
Agree with many above
I had earned enough credits to re-qualify for P1 without needing the free extension
The 1800 credits are useless as my March 2021 membership year will zero these and there are no significant QF flights
Qantas has failed to distinguish between its loyal customers who actually earned enough credits to re-qualify for P1 WITHOUT needing the extension - this population should receive another 6 months at a minimum
16 Jul 2020
Total posts 1
Thank you Qantas. I was on schedule to qualify for lifetime gold this year and this gift of status points will just about get me there.
Disappointed to see so many complaints. Unless you've already qualified for lifetime gold these bonus status points will count towards that goal and that's worth achieving if you plan to fly after retirement.
It's very difficult times. Qantas, like so many others, are struggling. I'm sure Qantas will revisit it all down the track.
17 Jan 2018
Total posts 84
You would get lifetime gold anyway.!They are not giving anything over and above what we deserve and in many cases much less. Too much window dressing and not enough substance.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Dec 2016
Total posts 22
My status runs from March to March so this SC giveaway is useless as there is no way I am going to get another 300 SC as no international flights until then Qantas should put everything on hold until they start to fly again
21 Jun 2019
Total posts 5
I'm Platinum and a cancelled trip in April which would have retained it for my membership year, so with the bonus and the extension, I'm happy. It's not their fault they can't fly and they haven't said this is the end of the 'gifts' They will have to reassess the situation as time rolls on.
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