Qantas unveils the biggest changes to status in program history

[mbe1510]

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-frequent-flyer-unveils-the-biggest-changes-to-status-in-program-history

Qantas Frequent Flyer is introducing the most significant changes to earning and retaining status since the program's inception, giving members the ability to roll over unused Status Credits and earn them through everyday spending for the first time.

• Earning Status Credits on the ground – a permanent way for members to earn in addition to flying, from Qantas credit cards to hundreds of program partners.
• Status Credit roll over – the ability for tiered members to roll over up to 50 per cent of their excess Status Credits[1], which currently reset, from one membership year to the next.
• More lifetime milestones – greater recognition for Lifetime Gold members, including the ability to earn and ‘bank’ up to five complimentary years of Platinum Status.
• Enhanced tier benefits – an additional lounge invitation each membership year for Silver members, alongside new on-the-ground vouchers and discounts for all higher tiers[2].
• Removing program complexity – the retirement of overlapping sub-programs including Points Club and Green Tier in favour of one core recognition pathway.
• Single Status Credit targets – the removal of separate attain and retain requirements, in favour of a single target for each tier level.
• An improved digital experience – a new search tool on qantas.com to help members find international Classic Reward seats on Qantas and partner airlines in seconds
  
  
  Status Credits on the Ground
  All members will be able to earn up to 140 additional Status Credits each year from ten everyday categories. This follows a record-breaking trial in 2025, where members embraced earning Status Credits via credit cards, retail partners, and utility providers. Status Credits earned on the ground will also count towards Lifetime tier balances, helping members to reach Lifetime status sooner. This expansion launches later in 2026 and will coincide with more major partners joining the program.
  
  Status Credit roll over
  
  For the first time, members will have the flexibility to roll over up to 50 per cent of their unused Status Credits into their next membership year. Roll overs will be capped at 100 Status Credits for Silver members, 350 for Gold, and 500 for Platinum. This permanent benefit will replace the previous loyalty bonus offered to some members. This new roll-over benefit will launch later in 2026.
  
  Single Status Credit targets
  With Status Credit roll over and expanded earning opportunities on the ground, the program will also move to a single Status Credit target for each tier. For example, Gold status will require 700 Status Credits annually (previously 700 to attain and 600 to retain). The removal of these separate attain and retain requirements will be introduced in 2027.

 

[levelnine]

Lots to digest.

Removal of lower retain tier is a deval.

Moving one step closer to a spend-based program with more emphasis on on-the-ground earn.

QF have recognised the problem of losing members after they reach SC thresholds & LTG.

Unclear if you can still earn SC on reward flights??

 

[Mattg]

Interesting changes indeed!

I've written this piece for AFF which explains in detail what's changing, as well as my thoughts on the program changes:

Major Qantas Status Changes Coming in 2026

Qantas is changing the way you earn status in 2026 and beyond, with new options to earn and roll over status credits. But it's not all good news...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[moa999]

More on LTG benefits in the assets page.

Activated every 10,000 SC, so not exactly easy, per the AFF article, first banked year granted at 25,000 SC. Definitely more a steps to LTP path. Also will be retrospective for those at those levels.

 

[levelnine]

On second read, removal of 50SC loyalty bonus and 200SC increase in WP retain requirement, means it is a 20% increase in status threshold to retain WP.

An extra $1875 in cost to retain WP at $7.5/SC.

 

[moa999]

Plus no more points club which might also impact SC earn for some.

Will rollover work differently for those with LTS or LTG, given you essentially have a 0 SC retain target?

 

[offshore171]

Removal of lower retain tier is a deval.

If you factor in the rollover scheme, it's roughly neutral, or even an upval. Your excess credits now have value.

 

[Mattg]

Plus no more points club which might also impact SC earn for some.

While this is formally being removed with the retirement of Points Club, I understand that Qantas is considering bringing back the ability to earn status credits on Classic Rewards through a different mechanism. This isn't yet decided or confirmed yet.

 

[mbe1510]

Looking at my current situation - Currently have 850 status credits - membership expires this week. My understanding is of the new regime is I would roll over 75 status credits but would be less than what a silver member with 500 status credits would roll over. Definitely gives an incentive to make more bookings for a silver to achieve gold.

 

[levelnine]

If you factor in the rollover scheme, it's roughly neutral, or even an upval. Your excess credits now have value.

You have to earn 250SC more per year to even begin to have any excess SCs. There will be lots of people who don't fall into that category.

 

[chrispy3276]

Here's hoping they do something with SC earn for reward flights with the ending of Points Club - that's probably the biggest thing that incentivises me to keep earning points through different partners. At least we'll still have PC benefits for a while as they gradually roll things out, but I became a little less excited about QFF with these announcements today.

 

[blackcat20]

Some definite wins, and some losses. I guess we will see how it plays out over time.

 

[Volando]

Looking at my current situation - Currently have 850 status credits - membership expires this week. My understanding is of the new regime is I would roll over 75 status credits but would be less than what a silver member with 500 status credits would roll over. Definitely gives an incentive to make more bookings for a silver to achieve gold.

Yeah..this change isn't Qantas being charitable - despite the good optics. This does however potentially incentivise more spend from people falling a couple of hundred SCs short of going up a tier rather than helping those who barely flop over the line each year.

 

[Brettmcg]

Absolutely zilch in this for P1s who are QF's most loyal FFs.

 

[TedE]

Membership year ends in March. PCP 2 years running. Going to be a hard slog to hit that before the end of the year, but going to have to give it a red hot go. After that, don't think I see enough value in QC membership to pay for that. Very happy to have it as a perk of amassing a pile of points, but not worth it otherwise.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Yeah..this change isn't Qantas being charitable

Name one profit motivated business that ever gives anything away at their expense? The whole QFF program is not about offering customers benefits but improving the business' profitability.

My initial thoughts

1. Anyone else noticed the new retention will apply just after the current DSC promo flights?
2. I suspect that Rollover Credits will eventually become the basis for removal of the "soft landing"
3. I 'd suggest this is a reaction from Qantas recognising people are aware that SC's are more valuable for flying than merely collecting points.
4. I'm currently sitting on 23k Lifetime SC's so the 25k milestone reward should kick in for me in the next year or two.

 

[Dmac59]

Since I retired I can only achieve Silver each year. This means I will need 300 to Retain, but I suppose Status Credits on the Ground will assist in this regard.
If PC goes, will also lose Hotel / Wine vouchers.

 

[MELso]

So many questions and thoughts. A few random ones that spring to mind, which I'm sure will be answered in due course:

1. Will there still be a way of getting discounts on Qantas Wines for points buyers (replacing the 10% PCP benefit)?
2. Will there be a mechanism to earn SCs on classic reward flights (replacing PC benefits)?
3. When will PC be phased out? If you've requalified before the end of your current membership year, will the benefits still transfer in the new membership year? (What's meant by 'benefits will be available until the end of the next membership year' in the image linked to above?) I ask as I'll probably requalify for PCP well before my new membership year but this starts in November.
4. Phasing out Green Tier loses a cheap way of obtaining SCs. Having said that, the IT is janky so won't miss that. (Need to chase up my 50SCs as the option to choose has not shown up.)
5. I wonder what the new 'on the ground' SC categories and earn will be? Will existing credit cards be eligible?
6. I like being able to roll over 50% of excess status credits - I've been stuck in 'no man's land' a few times.
7. The prospect of a new search engine for awards is both exciting and terrifying. Let's hope it works properly.
8. Single qualification thresholds (with the higher amount) effectively removes a bonus for loyalty, meaning I don't have quite the incentive to keep status up in quieter years.

 

[Foreigner]

This new roll-over benefit will launch later in 2026.

 

[moa999]

Absolutely zilch in this for P1s who are QF's most loyal FFs.

Doesn't always have to be something for everyone.

But id think most P1s would benefit from rollover SCs, and the new banked platinum reward levels.