Rex to offer status match against Qantas, Virgin Australia

Regional Express has come roaring out of the gate with its just-launched Rex Flyer program, and it has the 26 million frequent flyers of Qantas and Virgin Australia in its sights.

The challenger is drawing up plans for a ‘status match’ membership drive aimed at Qantas and Velocity Silver, Gold and Platinum card holders which will fast-track them to the equivalent Rex Flyer tier.

This push is expected to hit the market in early 2024, after Rex Flyer rolls out its own status tiers of Opal, Sapphire, Emerald and Diamond.

While Rex Flyer membership is starting from zero – membership to the program went live this week, with a free 5,000 point sign-up bonus and 2x points earning to bait the hook – there’s obviously plenty of scope to turbocharge those numbers by tapping into the near-15 million Qantas Frequent Flyers and 11+ million Velocity Frequent Flyers.

Rex promises that not only will Rex Flyer status be faster to earn on intercity 737 routes compared to Qantas and Jetstar, but there’ll be more chances to use those points to book a flight under the airline’s Last Minute Flight Rewards initiative.

This will see all unsold seats put onto the market at the lowest redemption rates in the days leading up to the flight.

Read more: Your guide to the new Rex Flyer program

The Rex Flyer status match 

Executive Traveller expects Rex will unleash the usual combination of an instant or single-flight status match to be granted the equivalent Rex Flyer tier equivalent to your Qantas or Velocity ranking, in concept with a 'status challenge’ where there’ll be a heavily reduced threshold or ‘fast track’ to retaining that Rex Flyer tier for 12 months.

While Rex Flyer has three ‘elite’ gemstone-themed tiers above the entry-level Opal rung – these being Sapphire, Emerald and Diamond – the status match is likely to line up as follows:

• Qantas Silver and Velocity Silver = Rex Flyer Emerald
• Qantas Gold and Velocity Gold = Rex Flyer Diamond

As Rex Flyer has no Platinum-equivalent tier, Qantas and Velocity Platinums would also likely slide into the Rex Flyer Diamond club.

As explained in our in-depth guide to Rex Flyer, both Rex Flyer Emerald and Rex Flyer Diamond include the following practical perks such as

• complimentary front seats and extra legroom seats
• complimentary ‘Get Me Home’ access to earlier flights
• complimentary business class upgrades
• additional checked baggage

However, Rex Flyer Diamond adds extra shine with lounge access, additional carry-on baggage and no service fees when using the Rex call centre to make or change a flight reward booking or request a points upgrade. 

Gaining altitude with fresh attitude

As Rex enters the fourth year of its Boeing 737 intercity service, which took wing between Sydney and Melbourne in March 2021, the airline will sharpen its challenge against Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar.

2024 will see the debut of a Rex app to let travellers make and manage their bookings from their smartphone, along with tasks such as purchasing one-off access to Rex lounges.

And those lounges are also changing, with the airline promising “new airport lounges planned for Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with construction commencing imminently.”

The airline is also rebooting its Rex Business Flyer to level up against Qantas Business Rewards and Virgin Australia Business Flyer.

Executive Traveller understands Rex Business Flyer will be aligned with the consumer-focussed Rex Flyer scheme, along with points earning for both the traveller and their company.

By the middle of 2024 Rex intends to take up two more Boeing 737s “based on aircraft availability,” swelling its jet fleet to 11 and bringing the airline closer to its long-stated goal of establishing a national jet network “to fly between every capital city in Australia.”

Read more: Your guide to the new Rex Flyer program