How the Qantas status changes will affect you
We pull together what you need to know about the sweeping shake-up to Qantas status.
By David Flynn, February 27 2026
They’ve been touted as the biggest changes to Qantas Frequent Flyer status in the 40-year history of the airline’s rewards program.
In one way or another, they’ll impact almost every one of the scheme’s 18 million members.
The sweeping revamp won’t hit Qantas Points, this time around – this is all about Status Credits, with the effects rippling through the Qantas Frequent Flyer program in a staged rollout over the coming 18 months.
Executive Traveller sat down with Qantas Loyalty CEO Andrew Glance to talk through the changes and the thinking behind them.
Status Credits rollover
One of the biggest improvements is the ability to carry over ‘unused’ Status Credits from one membership year to the next.
Let’s take the example of a Qantas Gold member who closes out their year with 1,000 Status Credits.
600 Status Credits is all that’s needed to retain Gold – but with Platinum’s 1,400 Status Credits target out of reach, the remaining 400 Status Credits will in effect be wasted when the new membership year kicks in.
“Around half of the Status Credits our members earn each year and over and above their tier thresholds,” Glance shares.
So the new Qantas Status Credits rollover mechanism allows 25-50% of those ‘excess’ Status Credits – 200 Status Credits, in this example – to be carried across into the next membership year, giving members a head-start on their status.
And that’s nothing to be sneezed at. In this example, those 200 Status Credits mean beginning the year already one-third of the way to Gold – it’s almost equal to a return Sydney-Singapore business class trip.
Rollovers will be capped at the following annual levels:
- Silver – 100 SCs
- Gold – 350 SCs
- Platinum & Platinum One – 500 SCs
The Status Credits Rollover system will be in place by the end of this year, Glance says.
Points Club axed
Qantas is killing off the Points Club program, launched in 2020 and aimed at “frequent buyers” rather than frequent flyers – people who heavily earn Qantas Points on the ground through shopping, especially with a Qantas credit card in hand.
“This is about removing program complexity,” Glance explains, saying that this “clubs-within- clubs” approach was something “that members just couldn’t understand.”
The Qantas Points Club will be shuttered at the end of 2026, although Glance says current members will see their benefits “grandfathered” into 2027.
More importantly, the key benefits of Points Club and Points Club Plus will become part of the ‘core’ Qantas Frequent Flyer program.
This includes the ability to earn Status Credits on Classic Rewards flights, and roll over Status Credits from one year to the next.
“One of the things that we have found over the last few years is the program has become a bit more complex,” Glance reflects, with elements like Points Club adding “noise” to “the ways in which our members navigate the program.”
“So this is around simplification and creating clearer pathways as they move through those tiers – from Silver to Gold to Platinum – using status.”
Earning Status Credits on Reward flights
The ability to earn Status Credits on Classic Reward flights is one prized perk of Points Club membership, and Qantas says this isn’t going away.
It’s just a matter of determining exactly where it fits into the broader Qantas Frequent Flyer status landscape.
“We are looking for a new home for that benefit,” Glance confirms.
“We’re aware that it’s a much-loved benefit and will look at a way to implement it again in the future.”
No tears for the Green Tier
Qantas rolled out its unique Green Tier in early 2022 “to educate, encourage and reward” frequent flyers for taking environmentally-friendly activities such as “offsetting their flights, staying in eco-hotels, walking to work and installing solar panels at home.”
The Green Tier confusingly sat alongside existing status tiers, and reportedly saw very little update – and the ‘reward’ was just 50 Status Credits.
As part of the program-wide reset, the Green Tier will be shut down at the end of this year.
Earning Status Credits on the ground
Qantas has previously experimented with short-term promotions where frequent flyers can earn Status Credits on the ground rather than in the air, by spending money at selected Qantas Points partners
The most recent of these, in late 2025, served as a ‘proof of concept’ for the new system which will remain in place all year round.
“We saw record-breaking registrations for that campaign,” Glance reflects, “So there is absolutely no doubt that our members love status and love status on the ground.”
The new system will launch towards the end of this year – “probably around October/November, but give me a month either side”, Glance says.
Members will need to earn at least 1,000 Qantas Points with Qantas and its partners across ten categories such as Food & Wine, Shopping, Hotels & Travel, Utilities & Services, Cards & Banking, Insurance, Fuel & Cars, Health & Leisure – you get the idea.
Glance says there will be “multiple partners in every category,” giving members more choice on how they spend their money to earn those Status Credits.
For every category in which you earn 1,000 Qantas Points, you’ll unlock between 10 and 20 Status Credits, up to a limit of 140 Status Credits per membership year – sufficient to help frequent flyers close the gap in reaching or renewing status.
And yes, those 140 Status Credits will count towards your Lifetime status tally.
Loyalty Bonus removed
Also for the axe: the long-standing Loyalty Bonus which awards 50 bonus Status Credits for every 500 Status Credits earned on Qantas and Jetstar flights, capped at 200 Loyalty Bonus Status Credits per year.
Losing the Loyalty Bonus takes a maximum of 200 Status Credits off the table.
As with the aligned tier thresholds, the Loyalty Bonus won’t vanish until late 2027 – so there’s still plenty of time to pocket those additional Status Credits.
The Loyalty Bonus will effectively be replaced by the Status Credit rollover mechanism.
New status thresholds
Qantas has traditionally maintained two status thresholds: one for the first time you reach a new status tier, and a lower one in order to keep that status for the following year.
However, Qantas is doing away with those lower thresholds to retain status.
From late 2027, the number of status credits needed to retain your current Qantas Frequent Flyer tier will be increased to the same number needed to initially earn that status.
- Qantas Silvers will need 300 SCs to earn and keep their status (the current retain threshold is 250 SCs)
- Qantas Golds will need 700 SCs to earn and keep their status (the current retain threshold is 600 SCs)
- Qantas Platinums will need 1,400 SCs to earn and keep their status (the current retain threshold is 1,200 SCs)
There’s no change for Platinums Ones, who will continue to have the same 3,600 SCs to earn and retain status (with at least 2,700 SCs earned on Qantas flights).
Glance believes this alignment of “attain and retain” levels won’t impact members due to both “the new ways in which you can earn status on the ground” and the ability to rollover Status Credits from one year to the next.
Adding shine to Qantas Silver
Silver is the first rung on the loyalty ladder, “and it’s our largest tiered cohort”, Glance revealed, describing it as “a tier that we have been looking at for some time now” in terms of uplift.
Qantas Silver members can look forward to receiving two Qantas Lounge passes per year, up from one today (and remember, these are best used on international Qantas lounges such as Auckland, Singapore, Hong Kong and London).
Status vouchers
A new series of ‘on-the-ground’ vouchers and discounts will be available to all tier members, from Silver through to Platinum – potentially as ‘milestone benefits’ based on set SC targets.
Vouchers and discounts for Qantas Hotels, Qantas Holidays and Qantas Wines will obviously offset the loss of some Points Club benefits, but Qantas also will tap into its broader partner network.
The voucher system remains “in design” ahead of its debut in 2027, Glance tells Executive Traveller, but says there will be “accessibility to a broad range of vouchers.”
“I think those vouchers could go across our entire ecosystem, including partners... so you may very well have a BP voucher (for example).”
‘Banked’ Platinum years for Lifetime Gold members
Reaching Qantas Lifetime Gold is a milestone goal in itself, given the need to clock up 14,000 Status Credits – but it’s also the point at which many frequent flyers begin to reassess their loyalty to the airline .
After all, they’ve locked in a lifetime of practical travel perks like lounge access (including international business class lounges with Emirates and all Oneworld partner airlines), free seat selection, a boosted baggage allowance and business class check-in.
And with Lifetime Platinum way out in the distance, at an almost unreachable 75,000 Status Credits, why keep striving?
On top of this, Lifetime Gold members enjoy no special privileges or perks above ‘regular’ Gold members.
Qantas’ solution is to introduce complimentary Platinum membership for Lifetime Golds, based on how many additional Status Credits they have earned above the 14,000 mark.
One ‘banked’ year of gratis Qantas Platinum membership will become available for roughly every 10,000 Status Credits earned above 14,000 (although because the first Platinum year kicks in with 25,000 Status Credits, that one will be 11,000 Status Credits away).
This feature launches in early 2027 and “when we turn this on, 30% of our Lifetime Golds will get that banked year,” Glance forecasts.
Lifetime Golds can keep up to five Platinum years up their sleeve and activate them at any time.
So if you’re facing a year with not too much travel, you can keep that Platinum year on hold – and when some serious long-haul flying is on your horizon, such as a round-the-world trip with several Qantas partner airlines, you can claim your Platinum year to make the experience even more enjoyable.
Lifetime Golds can check their current Lifetime tally by opening the Qantas App, tapping the My QFF icon at the bottom-right of the screen, and scrolling down to see the progress bar for Lifetime Platinum.
If you’ve got more than 25,000 Status Credits showing, you’ll be entitled to at least one Platinum year.
Also read: Qantas’ new Classic Reward search tool
Etihad - Etihad Guest
09 Jun 2019
Total posts 14
The new rules don't seem to say anything about status credits on OneWorld partner airlines. They are usually there, but not as much as with QF, and for some airlines (e.g. Malaysia) only half the credits are awarded compared to other partners.
25 Nov 2025
Total posts 35
This; and especially on QF/EK routes where you don't earn anything if you happen to have the wrong two letters on your ticket.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 614
Have to say that this strikes me as pretty good. I'm sure some people who love to complain will find something to complain about, they always do, but on the face of it, the only real 'negatives' are 'aligning' attain & retain levels which won't make a huge difference in the scheme of things and especially not with SC roll-overs, and some people won't like losing Points Club but it sounds like the benefits will be kept so yes, all good!
25 Nov 2025
Total posts 35
Absolutely. The endowment effect and associated entitlement (the former cognitive bias holds true even when the object is received for free, like FF points or status and often as a result of other person paying / company funded travel) is high on here, Aus Frequent Flyer and Flyertalk forums, and that's the elephant in the room that no one ever discusses.
26 Nov 2017
Total posts 4
One thing i dont understand is the way that the glaring obvious way to keep lifetime attainees engaged with flying Qantas has been overlooked.
For excample, if they allowed a lifetime silver to start at 300SC, they would only need the additional 400SC's to achieve Gold for the next year.
I know a chap that reached lifetime silver and as soon as he reached it, he switched to Virgin because he said it was too hard to get to Gold each year to ensure he had lounge acess for his travel
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 263
Agreed, the easiest and obvious thing to do would be to automatically “roll over” lifetime members to the limits provided.
E.g. LTS (such as myself) would start each year with 100 credits.
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 57
While a lot of people will be better off with the new system I will considerably worse off. Anyone who typically earns 1200-1450 points a year, such as myself, will drop from Platinum to Gold. Typically I earn 100 status points a year from the loyalty bonus, which is being removed. So in the past if I earned 1450 points, I will now earn 1350 which is only enough for Gold. I do agree the system needs to be changed as it is far too convoluted but this is not going to benefit me
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 185
Except you can roll over credits from the year you didn’t quite make it.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2015
Total posts 132
No you only can roll over a max of 500 in this instance, still requiring 900 more to jump back into Platinum which he likely wont do till near the end of the his membership year…
Yes I agree this changes totally disadvantage people in the 120-1400 earning space, which is exactly where i often sit..
I also quite enjoyed the “complexity” why make it for the dumbest people always
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 271
Obviously not everyone is going to come out on top with any change but this is to be honest a pretty small thing here. If you earn 1350 then at the end of your membership year you'll have have 1350-700 = 650 'left over' and so 325 of that will be rolled over to your new membership year, putting Platinum at 1400 within reach with only 1075 left to earn. If you only earn 100 from the loyalty bonus then you are better off with this rollover. Seems to me that getting to Platinum won't be that hard based on your numbers, and even if you are still looking to be short by 100-200 then just do a quick status run flight with DSC.
25 Nov 2025
Total posts 35
Are you serious, OP ? Respectfully, at 1200-1450 Status Credits a year (not 'points'), you already likely fly more than 80-95% of the general population...and yet you can't scratch out another 100 from somewhere else on the ground or even by doing a 'status run' on a DSC promotion ?
Please, give me strength. First world problems (FWP, sic)..."only enough for Gold", cry me a river...
11 Mar 2012
Total posts 317
Aren't any discussions around FF Programs "First World Problems"? Kind of a pointless statement on this forum/site.
25 Nov 2025
Total posts 35
"Aren't any discussions around FF Programs "First World Problems"? Kind of a pointless statement on this forum/site."
The irony of this statement.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1617
At certain degree whole aviation is "First World Problem" and everything related to Business/First is for sure "First World Problem". So you suggest not discuss it at all? Then this site should be shut down because "Executive Traveller is the global destination for the world’s premium travelers." as stated in "About"
11 Mar 2012
Total posts 317
Except, if you earn 1350 SC's, you'll start your new FF year with 325 SC's in your account.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 144
It’s a kick up my rear end too. This penalises Platinum FF who get Just Enough sc per year with the sc loyalty bonuses to maintain their status.
With the current system, a savvy frequent flyer could plan to earn 1100 SC per year, knowing that for each of their 500 they will earn another 50. That brings their total SC up to 1200 – enough for platinum maintenance.
When the new system comes into effect, they will be 300 SC short of maintaining platinum (no bonuses (-100SC), and higher 1400 threshold (-200). They will be demoted to gold. They would then have 400 status credits over the gold requirement. 200 of those will be rolled over to the next year.
If in that next year they only earn 1100 again, and then add the 200 from the rollover, they will still be 100 status credits short of platinum. They would have six 600 status credits left over from gold, and 300 of those would be rolled over.
Finally, after two years of being pushed back down to gold and not being recognised for being a consistent good flyer, they will finally have enough to make platinum again. That is 1100 from flying plus the 300 from the previous year rollover.
And then another kick in the guts. After finally getting back to platinum, there will be nothing left to roll over and the following years 1100 status credits will only be enough for gold, with no rollover to assist getting back to platinum.
Please rethink this Qantas! This is not the way to reward your consistent frequent flyers!
And just because some people can’t keep up with the complexities of playing the frequent flyer game, doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t. It’s actually part of the pleasure that you get in attaining your status goal. If it was simple and easy, what would be the point?
17 May 2017
Total posts 21
Seems to me that Qantas fails to see the benefit of retaining long termers. If you've been at a certain level for years, say 15-20, and get to that time of life where you slow down, it would cost Qantas virtually nothing to honour your service and loyalty and grant lifetime status at that level. You may not travel nearly as much, but you would still stay with Qantas, be virtually a brand ambassador and enjoy the status you built up. Kind of like that Rolex watch.
Take on the challenge, Qantas !!
05 May 2016
Total posts 620
QANTAS already does for LTS and LTG. Most could probably get those with 20 years or so of Silver and Gold respectively. It’s LTP that is priced way out of reach for most. 20 ish years of Platinum would be 28k points not 75k points
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Jan 2017
Total posts 71
We all know how Qantas’s last great revamp worked out with the classic plus rewards basically replacing the classic reward seats at 3 t 5 times the redemption rate. This new system really doesn’t bring any benefits. You could roll over status credits in the old system. You will now need up to 300 more status credits to retain your tier but the earn from non flying is capped and will require large expenditures across multiple categories. This will be another massive downgrade which will become obvious when they drip feed the details.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 430
I have lifetime platinum and have well exceeded that threshold. I an at platinum 1 and would love to see lifetime plat1.
09 Feb 2021
Total posts 23
I'd hate to think where they'd set lifetime P1! 300,000 SCs maybe?
And maybe they could add in lifetime Chairman's Lounge for 1 million SCs too......
05 Jan 2021
Total posts 26
The only benefit I was looking for in the changes is access to more international business class reward seats . Sadly, Qantas disappoints again!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Dec 2011
Total posts 7
happy with the recognition of status credits beyond the lifetime gold requirement being utlised to get extra platinum years. As a recent retiree on platinum (I was never going to achieve achieve life plat).
17 Jan 2018
Total posts 87
As lifetime gold for the past 20 or so years i will never reach lifetime platinum the bar for which is set rediculously high. For all international flights I only travel in business clas (which i imagine many others do as well if you have travelled professionally for past 25 years and can afford to travel in style for infrequent leisure during their golden eyes). The perks for lifetime gold are meaningless as paying for business i dont even get access to first class lounge! So i switched to Singapore airlines which is a much better airline and has a much better frequent flyer program that is so much easier to book reward flights. My recommendation don't waste your time with Qantas.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 136
But their lounges suck especially their flagship F in SIN. And those ridiculous flip seats in J??? Enjoy SQ
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 337
As someone using the wine and points club combo for points and converting to reward flights to help maintain status, loss of points club is a game changer, if they don’t have some way of working some sort of bonus scheme other than the 20 status credits on the ground, I won’t be buying anymore.
01 Dec 2011
Total posts 41
It won't affect me at all. I did get to silver once, but not for long. I must try to get an awards flight while I can still travel.
22 Jul 2022
Total posts 7
I really wish they would introduce a fair path for LTG’s to get to Platinum each year, rather than having to obtain the full 1200 SC’s. Even if they had to achieve 700 SC’s each year to get Platinum, it would still acknowledge their LTG, and encourage them to keep flying on QF.
04 Mar 2015
Total posts 18
I just want a decent credit card in New Zealand that we can earn Qantas FF points and status points on.
21 Apr 2017
Total posts 22
I agree with others re LTP. LTP at 75,000 is in no man's land, and is impossible for 99.9% of people to reach. I have been Plat since 2002, amassed 30,000SC, but after this year, and being Plat for 25 years straight, I will be dumped back to Gold. I agree with mviy, that after a period of 20-25 years, that upon retirement you retain your current status.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 Dec 2023
Total posts 15
I've been considering swapping back to Qantas from Virgin since earning status on mostly international (partner) flying is no longer a thing with Virgin. I've already been dumped from Platinum to Gold and will be lucky to hang onto Silver long term. Unless Virgin starts flying to Asia and/or America in the near future then their FF program is useless to people like me.
Anyway, the good news is nothing in these Qantas changes makes me think that a swap would be a bad idea. Hopefully they are amenable to a status match type thing.
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 9
Qantas frequent flyer latest changes (and all those in the past - clue "the biggest changes ever etc.") are as usual made out to benefit the frequent flyer, but rarely do, and this is another one that does not benefit the frequent flyer. Let me make it clear here that Points Club and Points Club plus were introduced at the "last big change" to sweeten the deal and now they are being discontinued.
SC's on Classic Reward flights. Apparently still under consideration for the future. Currently only for Points Club members. Best case, for all members - AT CURRENT SC BENEFITS... Only then will this be a small plus, since not too hard to be points club member.
Earn SC on the ground. Yes this one is a plus, allowing an average of 100 SC each year. Note however that this was done last year during the same existing frequent flyer benefits, so after changes are made it is minus 100SC's.
SC rollover. This again is an existing benefit for points club. Now it going to be 50% of excess SC's each year. This is overall another minus. Currently points club automatically rolls over 100SC's.
LTG. Ability to receive 1 complimentary year of Platinum for every 10000 SC above LTG !!! Hello ? I can get one year of Platinum just by getting 1400 SC's in one year !!! Why would I want to earn 10000 extra SC's ? No overall change.
Enhanced tier benefits : On the ground vouchers for all tiers. Cannot evaluate this one as benefits are not know as yet, but sounds dubious. Hopefully this will negate the loss of 10% discount and $100 voucher each year for Qantas Wine and $100 Hotel for Points Club Plus and $50 voucher each year for Qantas Wine and $50 Hotel for Points Club. Also, 10% off at Qantas Marketplace for Points Club
Removing Program Complexity. NO !!! Points Club and Green Tier are not complex. I have used them every year since they were introduced. This is a big minus of 100 SC's each year.
Single Status Targets. So no more reduced "retain" targets. Minus 100 for gold and minus 200 for platinum.
Improved digital improvement: Nothing to do with SC's but doesn't sound any different to what we currently have, unless one can select to search for ONLY Qantas Classic rewards on Qantas metal - never going to happen as then they will be found out at to how few Qantas Classic rewards on actual Qantas flights are available., especially international.
So overall Gold will be minus 400 SC's and platinum minus 500 SC's overall compared to now. Only plus to these SC's is the possibility of a few members getting the odd extra SC's due to new rollover. So for gold would need to earn at least 200 above 1400 and platinum 200 above 1400 to break even with current program. We are not fooled Mr Glance.
It is obvious that the new program will be a big minus to most FF's. We are not fooled by a senior manager at Qantas whose surname doesn't give us much confidence in details.
Happy to accept any challenges to this (including from Qantas - but will never happen).
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 9
Sorry, one error in above.
So for gold would need to earn at least 200 above 700
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 9
One more thing. How is Qantas going to introduce these changes when all members have different anniversary dates and will be part way through earning SC's in a membership year based on current program v new program. I guess Mr Glance didn't think about that...
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 9
Oh, and also, Loyalty bonus is being discontinued. So for 500 SC's on Qantas metal. no more bonus 50 SC's.
Can somebody at Qantas please tell us how these new changes are for the better of FF's ? I guess not.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1617
I do not feel that new rules are less confusing and more importantly I have not read anything about killing Classic Scam and release all those seats into Classic Rewards.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Mar 2015
Total posts 23
I live in Singapore. How does one earn ground status credits out side of Australia. LTG and long time platinum. But no way I will get LTP. Sigh.
Air Canada - Aeroplan
28 Feb 2015
Total posts 135
"So the new Qantas Status Credits rollover mechanism allows 25-50% of those ‘excess’ Status Credits…" So which is it? 25%? 50%? Something in between? I haven't seen any information on exactly who gets what percentage - can anyone help?
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