Qantas: new rules for sharing lounge passes from this week
Get ready for tough restrictions on how you can use lounge invitations.
By David Flynn, June 28 2026
Qantas is about to make it much harder to share lounge passes with family, friends and colleagues, when new rules for lounge passes take effect this Wednesday, July 1.
Formally known as Complimentary Lounge Invitations, these are digital passes issued to Qantas Silver frequent flyers and also included as a benefit of Qantas credit cards.
They allow one-off entry to a domestic or international Qantas lounge, ahead of a Qantas or Jetstar flight.
Lounge invitations can be used by any Qantas Frequent Flyer member, not just the recipient, with the Qantas website providing an easy mechanism to transfer passes between frequent flyers.
But that’s about to change, with two significant changes to how complimentary lounge passes can be used as of July 1.
New restrictions on Qantas lounge passes
Firstly, lounge passes “will only be transferrable to someone travelling on the same flight as you.”
This pretty much puts an end to widescale gifting and sharing of Qantas lounge passes, such as is now done on several Facebook groups – including not-uncommon offers to swap a lounge invitation for a $50 Qantas Wine voucher.
Passes are also sold on websites like eBay and Gumtree, where they often fetch around $50.
Instead, the airline is repositioning complimentary passes as a benefit for people who are travelling together.
If you have any spare Qantas lounge passes, they can be transferred to another Qantas Frequent Flyer member until 11:59pm Tuesday June 30, for that person’s use as they see fit.
But once the clock hits midnight and the calendar ticks over to Wednesday July 1, Qantas says passes will only be able to be shared with somebody on the same flight as you.
Platinum One exceptions
Qantas notes that this change does not apply to Platinum One Lounge Invitations, which are issued to Platinum One frequent flyers (two invites per year).
The prized Platinum One Lounge Invitations permit entry to the Qantas First Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Los Angeles, along with Qantas Business and Qantas Club lounges.
Also read: Qantas scraps plans for London first class lounge
No Qantas lounge passes for international Jetstar flights
In addition, Qantas lounge passes will no longer be valid for international Jetstar flights (although they can still be used for Qantas codeshare flights operated by Jetstar).
This will rule out a visit to any international Qantas lounge – such as those in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland – for Jetstar passengers unless they are flying on a Jetstar Business Max fare (which includes lounge access as one of its perks) or are booked on a QF codeshare.
And even on a Jetstar Business Max fare, travellers will be limited to Qantas business class lounges – even if they have Qantas Platinum status.
Only a Qantas Platinum One booked on a Jetstar Business Max fare will be welcome into the Qantas First Lounge, a Qantas spokesperson tells Executive Traveller.
Also, as previously reported, Qantas Platinum and Gold frequent flyers, along with Qantas Club members, will no longer have any Qantas lounge access before a Jetstar flight.
25 Aug 2017
Total posts 22
Another example of people not doing the right thing. The rules are they are not to be sold and transferred to only family members. It spoils things for the rest of us.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 212
One more way to try and alienate frequent flyers. I get lounge passes through one of my credit cards. When I travel with my partner, she is a guest when I use the lounge. I always gift her my passes to her so that she can use the lounge when she travels to visit family. So, the new rules mean that the passes have zero value. I understand that Qantas do not want them sold or traded, but surely, they could have come up with a system that allows for family transfer. More penny pinching I guess.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Jan 2018
Total posts 63
Just to clarify,
"Also, as previously reported, Qantas Platinum and Gold frequent flyers, along with Qantas Club members, will no longer have any Qantas lounge access before a Jetstar flight."
This sentence sounds like any Jetstar flight is excluded from accessing Qantas lounge, including Jetstar domestic? (Although the article sub-heading seems to suggest it is limited to international flight only). Perhaps I am just being too academic....
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2011
Total posts 66
Which is under the heading:
No Qantas lounge passes for international Jetstar flights
03 May 2013
Total posts 712
Which brainiac at Qantas came up with this? Most of us can already guest people into the lounge as part of status perks? What a waste of good passes and being able to share them. The honest always suffer. Qantas should be ashamed treating loyal FF's like this. It's very childish and something a school principal would do.
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