Qantas unveils the biggest changes to status in program history

[nerdag]

IMO, a missed opportunity to keep LTG flyers meaningfully engaged. I don't care much for a bonus year of WP for every 7-8 years of WP earned from flying.

I would have much preferred to have a lower qualification threshold for WP, say 700 SCs for a LTG to requal for WP. That would have made choosing QF much easier than looking at alternatives.

 

[ChrisMars]

We clearly have radically different incomes

Woooo you are flying private?

 

[moa999]

Woooo you are flying private?

Funnily enough when you only fly private or First, you don't really need to worry about status either.

 

[DejaBrew]

Funnily enough when you only fly private or First, you don't really need to worry about status either.

Because they already KWYA?

 

[Invisible Monkey]

IMO, a missed opportunity to keep LTG flyers meaningfully engaged. I don't care much for a bonus year of WP for every 7-8 years of WP earned from flying.

I would have much preferred to have a lower qualification threshold for WP, say 700 SCs for a LTG to requal for WP. That would have made choosing QF much easier than looking at alternatives.

I like that idea. It would be a good way to show LTG members are legitimately valued and incentivised to fly Qantas, with the Platinum carrot at a reasonable level.

I'm likely to reach LTG within the next 12 months, once achieved the benefits provided by CX that also service the international routes I fly will outweigh those provided by Qantas. With the change to retaining Platinum that should be in place by then, there's little incentive for me to continue to prioritise Qantas on those routes as I currently do.

Having to earn 11,000 SC on top of the 14,000 already needed for LTG just to get a year of Platinum status banked, would take someone like me eight years of heavy flying, earning 1400 SC each year. I believe my best earning year was around 2100 SC but I average 1200-1400 most years, primarily from DSC.

 

[JohnM]

Does anyone (@Mattg?) have any insight into how the WP Milestone bonii for LTGs would work for timing?

I would expect that a WP Milestone year could be invoked at any time, not fixed to one's membership year.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Having to earn 11,000 SC on top of the 14,000 already needed for LTG just to get a year of Platinum status banked, would take someone like me eight years of heavy flying, earning 1400 SC each year.

It's ridiculous. Earn 1400 SC from 0 having never set foot on a QF flight and here is WP status. However for our loyal customers over many years you need to earn 10,000 SC and we will throw you a bone.

It is no wonder so many hit LTG then start posting 'where should I direct my travel spending now?'

 

[DejaBrew]

I would expect that a WP Milestone year could be invoked at any time, not fixed to one's membership year.

Would also be interesting to see if it works the same as "attaining" WP (i.e. invoke WP on day 1 of your member year and you get it all the way through your current plus subsequent member year)?

Having said that, I'm going to assume it will work much in the same way as the gifted WP status that can be bestowed by P1s at present.

 

[serfty]

Does anyone (@Mattg?) have any insight into how the WP Milestone bonii for LTGs would work for timing?

I would expect that a WP Milestone year could be invoked at any time, not fixed to one's membership year.

I have wonderered about that as well. I guess we'll have a better idea by this time next year.

 

[downgraded]

. I suspect the main aim is to give LTG members pause for thought when it comes to straying across to other programs and alliances

I paused and thought. I've got one WP year banked from previous earn and will not see another in my lifetime ( And I'm only just post mid-life ). The changes offer nothing to me (as an LTG) aside from this one WP year.

 

[kermatu]

I doubt they will drop the LTP level until they stop doing DSCs. Even then may not until they notice a drop-off in LTPs actually travelling. Lounges for WP+ already crowded enough!

 

[serfty]

Agreed. I suspect the main aim is to give LTG members pause for thought when it comes to straying across to other programs and alliances. They don't want to be too generous, but at the same time, they're trying to amend the status quo of "I've hit LTG but have zero chance of ever reaching LTP, so why bother doing anything with more with QF?"

Yes, it has certainly given me pause for thought. Before these changes I had resolved to drop back to LTG at the end of next year.

As indicated earlier, I am 3K SC short of a third banked WP year. If I do nothing I'll have WP until late 2029.

I now have a target, I see 3K as being achievable. I guess that is what Qantas are looking for.

Of course, if that target was much more than that, then, no.

 

[ChrisMars]

If CR seat release for WP is still working, I can see an attractive scenario where banking a WP can be powerfull, for example around retirement time.

1. Accumulate a large amount of QFF points for a while
2. Pull the trigger on that WP year
3. Request seat release for premium cabins on QF metal to see the world (where Qantas fly)
4. Retire / take a sabatical
5. Enjoy a year of luxuary travel.
6. If sc earn on CR is still a thing, might even get an extra WP year out of that, rince and repeat until points are gone.

 

[oz_mark]

Does anyone (@Mattg?) have any insight into how the WP Milestone bonii for LTGs would work for timing?

I would expect that a WP Milestone year could be invoked at any time, not fixed to one's membership year.

Not much to go on at the moment. From the FAQ

How do I use my banked year?​

More details on how to use banked years will be shared later in 2026.

 

[TeaKozy]

From my point of view however, the program is becoming less valuable as the threshold to reach your milestone each year is substantially increasing.
Especially once you reach LTG, the distance to LTP is so vast that for most people it's not worth worrying about.

I feel they’d never have given LTG a 700 SC boost, but they should have (at the least) offset the increased earn requirement for each tier and re-calibrated the LT thresholds.

LTS - 5,000 - 100 SC yearly head start
LTG - 15,000 - 200 SC yearly head start

For those who fly less frequently, even 5000 is still a monumental climb. The value of LTS can be debated, however if you’ve a slightly easier path to Gold then you’re much more likely to stay in the QF ecosystem.

The main perk of WP/P1 (for me) is the F lounges, higher chance of upgrades and releasing seats (although this is becoming more fraught). Given it’s getting more difficult to earn the points to make use of the awards and upgrades in the first place, QF will need to (at least for my self-funded international business) compete more aggressively on either service or price. For a golden triangle flight, I really couldn’t care where I sit, and LTG will at least give me and odds-on chance of getting Y+.

 

[exLXCXFF]

For those who fly less frequently, even 5000 is still a monumental climb.

After all, QFF is Qantas Frequent Flyer program …

For people within Australia, this is now clearly diluting given on ground SC earn possibility.

 

[Rocks]

I assume that because my membership year rolls over on 1 April this means I wont benefit from any status credit roll over this year?

Seriously thinking about trialling Virgin for bulk of my flights

 

[flyguy77]

Forgive me if this has already been covered, but has Qantas actually confirmed an exact end date for the 50SC Loyalty Bonus?

I’m seeing references to “late 2026” in some wording, while other areas seem to suggest 2027, so I’m a bit unclear whether there’s a firm cutoff or if it’s still TBC.

 

[elanshin]

Yes, it has certainly given me pause for thought. Before these changes I had resolved to drop back to LTG at the end of next year.

As indicated earlier, I am 3K SC short of a third banked WP year. If I do nothing I'll have WP until late 2029.

I now have a target, I see 3K as being achievable. I guess that is what Qantas are looking for.

Of course, if that target was much more than that, then, no.

But this is a one off occurrence. Once you get that 3k the next 10k is a much bigger hurdle. One that may disinterest people again.

 

[andye]

I guess everyone’s situation is different. I honestly don’t think any program is perfect but you need to consider your travel/spend patterns and weigh up the pros and cons. I closed my QF account and went to BAEC but their changes hurt big time so I’m currently QRPC and that works but is far from perfect

I have flitted between oneworld programmes in the past and have been OWS in QF BA & IB previously (as well as OWE in QR with VA status match)

Before updates, QF BA and IB have been the easiest to get status with OWS being avhievable with just over 1 J Europe return and OWE with 2. AA CX & QR have generally needed 2+ and 3+ respectively

BA is now much harder though IB remains ok.

DSCs remain very much in QFs favour.

AY is worth a look if. They have an interesting feature of being able to top up ststus with Avios which makes retaining OWE easier. They had a brief DSC mid last year too

AS has the ability to earn status miles on redemptions. AS redemptions are cheap and low taxes but not many routes that are relevant to Australians.