How to Get a Qantas Status Accelerator Challenge

Looking for a shortcut to Qantas Frequent Flyer status? The days of widespread Qantas status matches are over, but there is another way to reach Qantas’ Gold tier for a fraction of the usual amount of flying!

Although it’s not widely publicised, Qantas offers a “Status Accelerator” challenge (previously called “Tier Accelerator”). With this, you could reach Gold status by earning just 200 status credits from Qantas flights. That’s significantly less than the 700 status credits normally required to upgrade to Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold status.

So, how exactly does the Qantas Status Accelerator challenge work, and how can you start one?

What is the Qantas Status Accelerator challenge?

The Status Accelerator challenge is a shortcut to Gold status that Qantas offers to frequent flyers of competing airlines. The airline also offers a similar “Gold Accelerator” challenge through Qantas Business Rewards.

After signing up for this challenge, you can unlock Gold status by earning 200 status credits from Qantas flights within 90 days. After completing the challenge, Qantas will upgrade your status to Gold until the end of your next membership year.

For example, if you completed a challenge in August 2026 and your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership year ends in April, you would get to keep your Gold status benefits until 30 April 2028.

To renew your Gold status for another year beyond that date, you would need to earn the usual amount of status credits (and complete at least 4 Qantas or Jetstar flights) during your next membership year – i.e. between May 2027 and April 2028.

(Note that Qantas will soon increase the annual Gold renewal requirement from 600 to 700 status credits, but hasn’t yet announced when this will come into effect.)

You won’t necessarily receive any status benefits during the 90-day challenge period. But once you’ve earned the required 200 status credits and they have posted to your account, Qantas will usually upgrade your status to Gold within a few days.

If you’d like to access the lounge during your challenge period, you could use Qantas Lounge Invitations or buy a Qantas Club Flexible membership. Also, don’t forget that you automatically receive lounge access when flying Business or First Class.

Many years ago, Qantas also offered a Platinum status match challenge with a requirement to earn 400 status credits within 90 days. The airline no longer offers a Platinum challenge.

What status credits count towards a Tier Accelerator challenge?

Qantas status credits can normally be earned by flying with Qantas or any Oneworld airline, as well as Jetstar flights when purchasing a Flex, Flex Plus or Business Max bundle. Occasionally, it’s also possible to earn status credits on the ground or with Qantas credit cards.

However, for the purposes of a Gold Status Accelerator challenge, status credits must be earned from Qantas operated and marketed flights. Any bonus status credits (like those earned from a “double status credits” offer) also do not count towards this challenge.

Who is eligible for a Qantas Gold status challenge?

There are two ways you might be able to request a Qantas Gold status challenge:

1. As a frequent flyer holding elite status with another airline that competes with Qantas, or
2. Through Qantas Business Rewards.

In both cases, you would need to be an Australian or New Zealand resident to request a Qantas status challenge.

In addition, the terms & conditions for the Qantas Business Rewards offer state that:

Members who have already been activated on previous Qantas Status Fast Track offers in the last 6 months, are not eligible for the Qantas Business Rewards Gold Accelerator offer.

How to request a Status Accelerator challenge

They way to start one of these challenges will depend on your basis for requesting one…

As a frequent flyer with another airline

If you already hold the equivalent of Gold, Platinum or higher status with an airline that competes with Qantas, such as Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, United Airlines or Delta, you may be able to request a Tier Accelerator challenge directly from Qantas.

This offer is not publicly available, so there is no guarantee that your request will be successful. But if you’d like to give it a go, you can contact the Qantas Frequent Flyer Service Centre by calling 13 11 31 (or +61 2 9433 2329 from outside Australia) between 7am-7pm (AEST) Monday to Saturday. Alternatively, you could email [email protected].

When contacting Qantas, be prepared to provide:

• Proof of your existing status with the other airline, and
• A copy of your activity statement to show that you earned your current status by flying (i.e. not through another status match).

If you make it clear that you’re considering flying Qantas more often in the future, and that you’ll direct more business to Qantas if they approve a status challenge, that could also help your case.

Note that Qantas is unlikely to grant your request to start a status challenge if your current elite status is with a Qantas partner airline such as American Airlines, British Airways or Emirates.

Via Qantas Business Rewards

Qantas Business Rewards allows top-tier “Level 3” businesses to nominate one traveller for a Gold Accelerator challenge each year. This traveller must:

• Be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member with Bronze or Silver status, and
• Be a stored traveller within the business’ Qantas Business Rewards account.

To join Qantas Business Rewards, you need a valid Australian Business Number (ABN). There is officially an $89.50 joining fee, but you can easily join Qantas Business Rewards for free using one of the many program partner links available.

To reach Level 3 within the Qantas Business Rewards program, your business would need to earn at least 80,000 points from flying each year.

Depending on your program level, your business would earn between 20-40 points for every 100 points earned by someone flying for your business. So, to reach Level 3, your employees would need to earn 200,000-400,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points from Qantas flights within a year. That’s quite a lot, so this particular offer is tailored more towards businesses with a large number of employees who fly frequently for work.

Once your business has reached Level 3, you can complete a nomination form through the Qantas Business Rewards online portal to activate your nominated traveller’s Gold Accelerator challenge.

To complete a Qantas Business Rewards Gold Accelerator challenge, you’d only need to earn 100 status credits within 90 days (instead of 200).

AFF member experiences with requesting a Qantas status match challenge

Numerous AFF members have requested status matches from Qantas.

One frequent flyer said that while they had to wait months for approval, the status match was fairly seamless after that point:

Mine got approved after literal months of waiting. I emailed QF Loyalty about it as soon as I reached VA Platinum in March, provided 6 months of flying history and a screenshot of my VA digital card, and they finally approved me in August.

Interestingly enough, QF counted my 50SC from green tier and the 70SC loyalty bonus towards my Gold Accelerator.

TY24 on the AFF forum

Another frequent flyer was approved for this challenge within a week. They ultimately decided to stick with Virgin Australia after some bad experiences flying with Qantas during the challenge period.

I got this approved after a week. Ultimately my road test of life back on QF as a mostly domestic flyer led me back into the arms of VA.

ThatMrBlake on the AFF forum

Bizarrely, one AFF member says they got rejected earlier this year on the basis that they hold Platinum Plus status with Virgin Australia. That’s Virgin’s new status tier that sits above Platinum.

Just got rejected for the status accelerator because I’m Platinum Plus at VA. Apparently it’s aimed specifically at Gold and Platinum Velocity members and therefore PP not eligible.

PerPH on the AFF forum

Velocity Frequent Flyer’s Gold status challenge

Virgin Australia has a similar “Pilot Gold” status offer for businesses that join its Virgin Australia Business Flyer program.

Virgin’s offer is more generous for numerous reasons:

• It’s available for up to two travellers,
• They get to enjoy Gold status benefits during the trial period,
• They only need to fly 80 status credits to complete the challenge, and
• A business only needs to spend $2,000 on Virgin Australia flights to unlock the offer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)