Guide to Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver Status

Everyone starts out as a Bronze member when joining the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. However, you can upgrade to Silver, Gold, Platinum or Platinum One by earning status credits and flying eligible sectors. This allows you to enjoy the many extra benefits afforded to those who hold higher status tiers with Qantas.

Silver is the tier above Bronze with Qantas Frequent Flyer. Silver members receive various additional benefits when flying with Qantas and many of its partners.

Qantas Silver status benefits

Here is an overview of the benefits you receive after obtaining Qantas Frequent Flyer’s Silver status…

Silver tier benefits when flying Qantas

Below is an overview of the main benefits of Qantas Silver status when flying with Qantas:

• 50% bonus Qantas Points
• One single-entry lounge invitation per year
• Increased baggage allowance
• Access to preferential seats closer to the front of the plane
• Priority check-in on all international and select domestic flights
• Complimentary Q bag tag
• Preferential access to Classic Reward seats

You can use the single-entry lounge pass at any domestic Qantas Club, or at Qantas-operated international Business Lounges. You must link the invitation to your booking through the Qantas website or the Qantas app at least 24 hours prior to departure. Lounge invitations can also be linked to a Jetstar booking or transferred to another Qantas Frequent Flyer member.

When travelling on domestic Economy flights, except QantasLink Dash 8 services, Silver members receive an extra 9kg of checked baggage allowance (taking the total baggage weight limit from 23kg to 32kg). On international flights, except to/from the Americas, Silver members get an extra 12kg of total baggage allowance. On Qantas flights to/from the Americas, Silver members can check in up to three bags (regardless of the class of travel).

Qantas Silver members also receive higher priority when waitlisting for Classic Upgrade Rewards over Bronze members, and get higher priority when calling Qantas.

Qantas Silver tier benefits on Oneworld partner airlines

As a Qantas Silver member, you are automatically eligible for Oneworld Ruby status due to Qantas’ Oneworld membership. This Ruby status is recognised when flying with all other Oneworld member airlines.

With every Oneworld airline, Oneworld Ruby members receive priority check-in, waitlisting and standby. (This also applies on Fiji Airways, a Oneworld Connect airline.)

Additionally, you will receive some extra benefits on the following Oneworld airlines:

• Alaska Airlines: Preferred seating
• American Airlines: Preferred seating and 50% bonus Qantas points
• British Airways: Free seat selection 7 days from departure
• Cathay Pacific: Preferred seating
• Royal Air Maroc: Preferred seating

Qantas Silver tier benefits on non-Oneworld partner airlines

Qantas Silver members can also access extra perks when travelling on some of Qantas’ non-Oneworld partners. The list is as follows:

• Emirates: Priority check-in, waitlist and standby, 12kg extra checked baggage allowance (excluding North and South America)
• Air France: One additional checked bag
• KLM: One additional checked bag
• Jetstar: 50% bonus Qantas points

The Qantas website has a full list and details of the Silver tier benefits.

How to earn Qantas Silver status

To achieve Qantas Silver status, you must fly at least four Qantas or Jetstar flight sectors each membership year. You also need to reach 300 status credits within the same membership year.

Your Silver status will last for the remainder of your membership year, plus an extra 12 months. This means that if you time it right, you could hold Qantas Silver status for almost two years!

Earning status credits

Flying Qantas, Jetstar or a Oneworld partner airline allows you to earn status credits. The route length and your ticket type determine the number of status credits you earn per flight. Longer flights and more premium cabin class bookings result in higher status credit accumulation.

The table below from the Qantas website shows the earn rates on Qantas domestic flights. For example, a longer Business Class flight such as Melbourne-Perth would earn eight times more status credits than a short Melbourne-Sydney Red e-Deal flight:

You can also earn status credits when flying Qantas’ partners, although only on certain fare classes. You may earn less status credits when flying on a Oneworld airline booked under a non-Qantas flight number than if you were flying Qantas on the same route. And if the airline is not a Oneworld member, the only way to earn status credits is to book it as a Qantas codeshare with a “QF” flight number.

For example, booking Sydney-Dubai on Emirates would earn 60 status credits if booking Economy Class via Qantas, on a Qantas codeshare. However, if you book the same flight through Emirates on an Emirates flight number, you would get zero status credits.

You can also receive a boost to your status credit earn with Qantas if you have the Qantas Premier Titanium credit card. This card provides a 20% bonus to status credit earned on Qantas flights, when booked using a Qantas Premier Titanium card.

Also, Qantas Points Club and Points Club Plus members can earn status credits on Classic Flight Rewards for flights with Qantas. While not earning as many status credits as paying cash, the ability to earn status credits while using Qantas points may help retain your status. The tables for status credit earn on Classic Rewards are shown on the Qantas website.

If you need inspiration on the most effective ways for collecting Qantas status credits, check out Australian Frequent Flyer‘s guide to Qantas Frequent Flyer status runs.

Earning eligible sectors

To qualify or maintain Qantas Silver status, you must also fly at least four eligible sectors on Qantas or Jetstar each membership year.

An eligible flight is any flight with a “QF” flight number. Jetstar flights only count towards this total if you buy a Plus or Max bundle alongside your base fare.

Retaining Qantas Silver status

Maintaining Silver status becomes slightly easier, as you only need to earn 250 status credits, compared to the initial requirement of 300 status credits. You must accomplish this and the completion of four eligible flight sectors, within the membership year following your initial achievement of status.

You can read more about the requirements in our guide to earning Qantas Frequent Flyer status.

Is Qantas Silver status worth it?

This is a very subjective question, and of course will depend on your travel habits and requirements.

For example, if you’re already going to achieve Silver without any extra spending, then it makes perfect sense to get the extra perks. Also, if you’re very close to Silver status, it might be worth buying an Economy Flex or Business Class ticket rather than an Economy Saver ticket on one or two flights.

Nevertheless, Silver status offers rather limited benefits. A marginal increase in baggage allowance and a single lounge pass may not justify spending hundreds of additional dollars. The benefits of Silver status are probably not worth spending more money if you’re 50 or more status credits away.

If you’re flying enough to get close to Qantas Silver status, consider purchasing a Qantas Club membership instead. This membership gives many of the benefits of Silver status, such as extra baggage allowances and priority over Bronze members for Classic Upgrade rewards. Of course, Qantas club membership also comes with lounge access, a benefit otherwise only seen when you reach Gold or Platinum status.

Upgrading to Qantas Gold status

If you reach 700 status credits and four eligible sectors within your membership year, you will receive Qantas Gold status. As Qantas Gold status gives considerably more benefits, it’s worth chasing a lot more than Silver is.

Wilson McTaggart

Wilson's love of travel started from a young age, but his love for points developed after figuring out ways to travel on a gap year for less - leading naturally towards Australian Frequent Flyer! Wilson's hobbies include skiing, cricket and planning trips, both with and without points.

Wilson posts on the AFF forum as @WilsonM.