Qantas tightens Partner Gold rules for Platinum frequent flyers
By Chris Chamberlin, December 15 2017
Qantas is about to make it a lot harder for its Platinum frequent flyers to earn free Gold status to give to a partner or friend.
Platinum high-flyers who earn 2,400 status credits in a single membership year – twice as many as needed to retain Platinum status, and two-thirds of the way towards Platinum One – are able to choose between a bonus 50,000 Qantas Points or free partner Gold status, with the later being a useful gift to one's partner, a family member or friend (there are no restrictions on who can receive this gratis status).
Under the current rules, those status credits can be racked up on not only Qantas and Jetstar but when flying with array of partner airlines including Emirates, Oneworld members and Fiji Airways.
But from March 13, 2018, only status credits earned from Qantas and Jetstar flights will count towards that 2,400 tally.
The tighter qualification rule to reach that 2,400 milestone means that only status credits earned on flights ticketed with Qantas' QF code or Jetstar's JQ, 3K GK and BL flight numbers will be recognised as you ascend the Qantas Frequent Flyer ladder beyond Platinum.
If you take a flight with Oneworld partner airlines such as American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways, and list your QFF number in the booking, you'll still receive Qantas frequent flyer points – typically at a very modest rate – but any status credits you get will count for nothing beyond the initial threshold to earn (1,400) or keep (1,200) Platinum status.
All status credits earned prior to March 13, 2018 will remain in your tally: the new rule applies only to status credits earned after that date.
The revised rules also mean that bonus status credits – such as those from double status credits promotions, via Qantas’ loyalty bonus or with the ANZ Frequent Flyer Black credit card – won’t count towards your partner Gold goal.
There’s no change to the number of status credits needed to earn or retain Platinum status, or Gold status if qualifying under your own steam.
Platinum members will also have only 90 days to opt-in for partner Gold status after qualifying – ditto the other Platinum benefits like 50,000 bonus Qantas points or complimentary airport parking vouchers, if preferred over the partner Gold membership.
Chris Chamberlin is the Associate Editor of Executive Traveller, and lives by the motto that a journey of a thousand miles begins not just with a single step, but also a strong latte, a theatre ticket, and later in the day, a good gin and tonic.
06 Aug 2011
Total posts 6
An own goal again. Someone flys a lot for work and not home a lot. Partner used to get status when they fly sort of like a consolation prize. Cost zero to qf.
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 108
05 May 2016
Total posts 621
Looks like this year will be my first and only chance to get Partner Gold (and I still may not get there). The only way I can see myself getting 2400 SCs involves getting lots of bonus status credits.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Mar 2014
Total posts 19
I'm in similar situation. I normally earn about 2500 SCs a year with 1600-1800 of those on Qantas coded flights. Platinum One is now only 300 SCs harder for me to attain than the Partner Gold award, which makes this benefit quite pointless since I either will simply miss out or get Partner Platinum a month later.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Dec 2017
Total posts 2
P1 requires 3600 SCs, not 2800 as is implied by your calculations.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Mar 2014
Total posts 19
P1 requires 2700 SCs on Qantas coded flights, the rest from elsewhere.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Mar 2014
Total posts 19
Partner Gold requires 2400 SCs on Qantas coded flights with this change, so unless you exclusively fly Qantas, P1 is now only 300 SCs further away.
17 May 2012
Total posts 81
There is that 'Qantas Customer First ' credo making an appearance again....They never give up chipping away and devaluing.
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 47
Another own goal by Qantas. I am a 2400-3000 status a year person with about two thirds on Qantas. The latest change means that once a get to platinum I will change to another airline. Qantas are going to lose out on $30,000-$50,000 from a loyal customer. Mad!
01 Jan 1970
Total posts 0
Me too. As a Lifetime Gold with a similar SC haul as you, I am already thinking about switching to BA anyway (as I have an UK office address) since QF does not have Lifetime Platinum. This will only add fuel to the fire.
15 Dec 2017
Total posts 1
Does this mean just that 2400 QF points are needed for partner gold or even the 50k bonus?
05 May 2016
Total posts 621
I hope LifeTime Status Credits accrual is not affected. If it is that’ll be a much bigger concern for me. It’ll take me a lot longer to reach LTG (still a long way off) which I’m hoping to get ASAP.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Nov 2013
Total posts 6
Absolutely no incentive for me to fly Qantas after reaching platinum. Usually do 2500-3000 SCs per year but now I will credit to another alliance. I'm not the one that's loosing out here.
05 Aug 2017
Total posts 15
Totally ridiculous - dont understand the rationale behind this.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Oct 2015
Total posts 11
Hi Chris. I just wanted to clarify something from your article. My partner is scheduled to make the 2400 points with a QF flight on April 2,2018. This assumes that bonus points, partner airline points earned etc before March 13, 2018 are counted. Do you mean to say that if she has not reached 2400 by March 13, 2018 then Qantas will not count these points towards her making the 2400 on April 2?
05 Aug 2017
Total posts 15
BTW saw yesterday in the Finnair in-flight magazine that as AY Platinum (= OW Em) you have one free Gold-membership (OW Sapphire) give-away. QF is definitely going into wrong direction here...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Feb 2016
Total posts 49
Whist I may not like this these changes QF seems to be bringing the WP loyalty bonus in line with the 5000SC and 7000SC WP1 loyalty bonus rules.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 390
Yet another reason of the many why anyone who obsessively relies on frequent flyer schemes needs to realise that it's airlines, not individuals, who are 'in contrrol.' Benefits can be downgraded at any time or abolished, and 'points value' can decrease with the stroke of a pen. Not to mention how difficult it can be to redeem J or F seats on airlines like QF.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2012
Total posts 306
Might as well get rid of the Platinum status. Pax are either Gold and then the “real” frequent flyers get Platinum One....
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 108
Totally agree. Gold gives the benifits, while Platinum is vertually an empty level. Platinum One is the golden goose - so to speak as this level comes with the privilages and loyalty from QF management. The lower levels (Bronze and Silver )are nothing but a cost and a nuisance to QF management - why do you think you need to pay to be a member.
We must all remember airline FF schemes are no longer for the customer's loyalty as they were when first introduced, they are now a marketing business for the building or profits. We would be nieve if we were to think any other way.
05 May 2016
Total posts 621
There's more to Platinum than the chance of getting to Partner Gold, but benefits for Platinum certainly are being taken away over time.
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