Goodbye to the Status Fairy?

When Qantas made changes to its frequent flyer program recently, it was obvious for many that status could be harder to achieve in the future. First the “marginal” Any Seat awards were disposed of, a source of cheap status credits to many members and the topic of much discussion on the forum. Then the reduction in earnings for the cheaper flights was put in place. Finally, those earning points with status credits flying partner airlines also saw their earnings reduced.

Suddenly retaining status for many customers became an exercise requiring considerably more flying than has been required in the past. But all is not lost.

For some time now, Qantas has been known to also grant status renewals for those that don’t quite hit the levels required to retain a certain level. In what is perhaps recognition that life is not always predictable and that flying patterns can change, it was thought that your last three years of activity was averaged. If that average was above the annual retain level, you would receive a complimentary granting of status for another year at the level you had achieved. But nothing was guaranteed, and as their status year comes to a close, some members ponder the possibilities of what the future may hold, and how to avoid the dreaded status drop.

Comped due to the “three year average” rule, for not reaching the retain Status Credit threshold..When do you get notified? Is it prior to the last day of your membership year? If so, how many days (roughly)?

Any member with a status credit balance close to the retaining requirement for that level, will often find it worth an extra trip or two to help lock in that status. Commonly these trips are often known as status runs, and our members are always happy to give some input on what possibilities are on offer. But they can be expensive. And relying on history and what Qantas may have done in the past could turn out to be problematic.

You might want to check this out…, but the “three-year rule” will be gone soon, albeit supposedly with room for discretion if the computers happen to send the right signal to the person with said discretion. Soft landings to go next.

It seems that not only the complimentary status retentions may be gone, but also another popular unwritten benefit of the program. At the time of writing, as long as Qantas Frequent Flyer does at least four qualifying flights with Qantas or Jetstar, they will only drop one level of status should the status credits not be enough to retain their status. A Platinum member could have a year off and just drop to Gold. If the rumour is correct, soon it will be back to the starting level for that same member, unless they hold lifetime membership in either Silver or Gold. For some of our members, this news is not surprising.

Makes sense – only a matter of time.

It seems things are going to get much harder in the future when it comes to keeping your status level. Are you going to struggle, do you think the proposed changes for some unwritten benefits were due, join the conversation HERE.

Staff Writers