Qantas unveils the biggest changes to status in program history

[mviy]

Hopefully they clarify sometime in the next few months or so the actual dates for what is happening in 2026.

 

[SYD]

Hopefully they clarify sometime in the next few months or so the actual dates for what is happening in 2026.

My prediction is they’ll announce whatever changes (the Devil in the details stuff) on date X and there’ll be a rolling changeover based on FF year end date.

There’s going to be winners and losers, clutching of pearls, wailing and gnashing of teeth etc.

SYD+1 and I have over achieved on SCs this year with just short of ~2k ea for easy retention of WP, but with a 31 July anniversary, we won’t get to rollover any (other than 100 via PC+). But hopefully we’ll stay on the old requal threshold to July 2027.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we get the higher threshold starting Aug 2027 but rollover (if any) from July/August 2028…?

 

[Aeryn]

Also a 31 July FF year end, and because im in rare situation for me of being 500SCs over my WP re-qualification, you can just guarantee the roll-over wont start Aug 1st.

I tend to agree late 2026 means not before Q4 so i reckon no change until 1 Oct.

 

[RooFlyer]

Wonder when they will increase the enhanced thresholds and removal of loyalty bonus @SYD ?
It puzzles me as to how this is all going to gel without it being "give with one hand, take with the other" - methinks they are still trying to work it out!

I postulated at the time of announcement that this announcement was brought forward, with details incomplete, because their DSC announcement which was planned to be the usual 'distraction' announcement when Qantas announced a record H1 profit (26 Feb), was itself brought forward to 24 Feb, to counter VA's bonus SC promo or 23 Feb.

With a big FF announcement to keep the chooks fed, you know there's always going to be something else going on with Qantas that might be less appealing to their customers:

Qantas posts record H1 profit

I wouldn’t be surprised if we get the higher threshold starting Aug 2027 but rollover (if any) from July/August 2028…?

What's your thinking re so late for rollovers? If they announce the full new program by the end of this year, I'm counting on the rollovers being possible for membership years ending 31 Dec or 31 Jan onwards. For the first time I'm curating my SC earn ATM. Since I can't get to QR PC Plat now, I'm crediting all ongoing OW earn to QFF to have abt 1,000 surplus SCs by end of February '27, allowing the max rollover. of 500.

 

[TheCollecter]

There’s going to be winners and losers, clutching of pearls, wailing and gnashing of teeth etc

Oh there sure will be… with a year end of June 30, the “late 2026” start won’t benefit me at all. But then last year, the trial of SC on the ground’s timing really benefitted me, but I do recall many saying the timing did nothing for them at all. You take the good with the bad. And I guess keep the pearls handy

 

[SYD]

What's your thinking re so late for rollovers? If they announce the full new program by the end of this year, I'm counting on the rollovers being possible for membership years ending 31 Dec or 31 Jan onwards. For the first time I'm curating my SC earn ATM. Since I can't get to QR PC Plat now, I'm crediting all ongoing OW earn to QFF to have abt 1,000 surplus SCs by end of February '27, allowing the max rollover. of 500.

Late in so much as I expect that they won’t rollover until the end of a year of higher thresholds.

 

[RooFlyer]

Late in so much as I expect that they won’t rollover until the end of a year of higher thresholds.

Hmmm ... can't argue with that logic. Hope not

 

[SYD]

Hmmm ... can't argue with that logic. Hope not

Of course, we can only hope that we get the rollover (as applicable) at the start of the first year under the new scheme but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Townsend]

Also a 31 July FF year end, and because im in rare situation for me of being 500SCs over my WP re-qualification, you can just guarantee the roll-over wont start Aug 1st.

I tend to agree late 2026 means not before Q4 so i reckon no change until 1 Oct.

THat would be rights as I am 800 SCs over and my year ends 30/9/26!

 

[turffy]

Apologies if this has been discussed previously in this thread - an email arrived today with an update so here is my contributions.
In the beginning there were Frequent Flyer points which were earned ONLY by flying and served as a good measure of loyalty.
Then they monetised the FFQ scheme to include non flying ways to earn points.
This got so out of whack that they introduced status points as the measure of loyalty as FF points were being mass produced by credit cards schemes etc.
And now you can theoretically probably achieve gold status without every boarding a plane.
WHAT A STUFFED UP LOYALTY SCHEME.
FFP are now a currency, a bitcoin like token.
Status points are becoming the same.
The greatest INSULT in the whole dumb system is the refusal to grant status credits for redeemed flights.
Wasn't the 'loyalty' scheme meant to measure and reward the number of times you flew on their planes!!
You can use the currency of points (almost always paid for with surcharges) to buy a flight and not get any recognition.
I think it is crazy.

 

[muppet]

….
And now you can theoretically probably achieve gold status without every boarding a plane.
….

With respect, this statement is factually untrue for QFF.

…
The greatest INSULT in the whole dumb system is the refusal to grant status credits for redeemed flights.
Wasn't the 'loyalty' scheme meant to measure and reward the number of times you flew on their planes!!
You can use the currency of points (almost always paid for with surcharges) to buy a flight and not get any recognition.
I think it is crazy.

Also factually untrue for QFF. Earn Points Club and you earn status credits on reward flights.

 

[SYD]

Ll

Apologies if this has been discussed previously in this thread - an email arrived today with an update so here is my contributions.
In the beginning there were Frequent Flyer points which were earned ONLY by flying and served as a good measure of loyalty.
Then they monetised the FFQ scheme to include non flying ways to earn points.

Earning reward points from hotel stays were in QFF for as long as I can recall (decades) - but those and other non-flying earn - including CCs never counted towards status - as we currently know it now nor in the past.

This got so out of whack that they introduced status points as the measure of loyalty as FF points were being mass produced by credit cards schemes etc.

We’ve only been able to earn status from flying and some modest non-flying from GT, PC+ and the very recent earn on the ground.

And now you can theoretically probably achieve gold status without every boarding a plane.

Nope.

You can in theory earn QF LTS and LTG without stepping for on a QF plane, but you still need to fly (a lot).

WHAT A STUFFED UP LOYALTY SCHEME.
FFP are now a currency, a bitcoin like token.
Status points are becoming the same.
The greatest INSULT in the whole dumb system is the refusal to grant status credits for redeemed flights.

It’s VERY rare for airline FF programs to award status credits / status points from award flying. As above, QF does it via PC/PC+ but that’s going and we don’t know what’s coming as replacement.

Wasn't the 'loyalty' scheme meant to measure and reward the number of times you flew on their planes!!

Yes, it does. You earn the best SCs flying QF codes. Less SCs on partner codes - it’s been like that for over a decade.

 

[madrooster]

incidentally so do CL members who have default WP status.

AFAIK CL is alongside the standard status tiers, not a 'default WP'

No, they’re a default P1 AFAIK.

Outside QF they’re a OWE.

You’re correct on the OWE outside of QF

On QF, the CL sits alongside the tiers. So you can be a CL P1, WP, SG, PS and NB. QF typically don’t differentiate between the tiers except I was told CL P1 does get specifically flagged for the CSM on their iPads and has an upgrade priority above other CLs

A regular CL (otherwise known as the CLQF tier) is basically a regular WP but with access to the HBA/AKL VIP team and the domestic CLs. They follow the WP rules for things like seat releases and cannot ask for a seat release manual review.

A CL P1 (otherwise known as the CLP1 tier) is basically a P1 for all intents and purposes, plus higher upgrade priority than a regular P1 and access to the domestic CLs.

 

[jakeseven7]

and so rollovers probably a year later.

Hopefully not, hopefully straight up (selfishly!) as I’m doing a tonne of travel this year!