Qantas has just announced some of its biggest changes to its Qantas Frequent Flyer Program. After taking feedback from their members and leading loyal experts, they have decided to shake up the system and introduce newer status earning opportunities, simplified programs, the ability to rollover status credits and more.
However, not all of the changes are positive, and customers might need to ‘read between the lines’ to notice that some changes will make retaining your status harder.
These changes are due to start rolling out from late 2026, with the final elements taking effect in 2027. Keep reading to find out all of the latest updates to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program and how they might affect you.
All members will be able to earn up to 140 additional Status Credits each year from ten everyday categories. This follows a record-breaking trial in 2025, where members embraced earning Status Credits via credit cards, retail partners, and utility providers. Status Credits earned on the ground will also count towards Lifetime tier balances, helping members to reach Lifetime status sooner. This expansion launches later in 2026 and will coincide with more major partners joining the program.
Launching later in 2026, members will now have the flexibility to roll over up to 50 per cent of their excess/unused Status Credits into their next membership year. Roll-overs will be capped at 100 Status Credits for Silver members, 350 for Gold, and 500 for Platinum. But be cautious, as this will replace the previous loyalty bonus offered to some members, meaning you will no longer receive 50 loyalty status credits for every 500 earned, which allowed you to earn 50 bonus points up to 4 times a year, totalling 200 bonus status credits.
Lifetime Gold members will now enjoy greater recognition on their journey towards Lifetime Platinum. For every 10,000 Status Credits earned beyond the Lifetime Gold threshold, members will receive a complimentary year of Platinum status. These years can be ‘banked’ and activated at a time of the member’s choosing (with a limit of five banked years). This feature will launch in 2027.
Silver members will enjoy an additional lounge invitation each membership year, alongside new on-the-ground vouchers and discounts for all tiered members Silver and above. Additional benefits will be announced before the new-look tiers launch in 2027.
Points Club and Green Tier will be removed later this year. This change will remove the ability for points club members to earn status credits on Classic Rewards Flights and for their annual rollover of up to 100 status credits. Qantas has said that this will remove program complexity and the overlapping eligibility requirements of these sub-programs, but that the benefits most valued will be integrated into the core frequent flyer program. With the retirement of Green Tier, the airline will consider new ways to reward members who make sustainable choices when they fly. Points Club and Green Tier will be phased out gradually from late 2026.
With Status Credit rollover and expanded earning opportunities on the ground, the program will also move to a single Status Credit target for each tier, which will be introduced in 2027. For example, Gold status will require 700 Status Credits annually (previously 700 to attain and 600 to retain). The removal of the lower retention rate has moved the goalpost and made it more difficult to keep your status level year on year. For example, to previously retain platinum, members needed 1200 status credits, and they could get 100 of those status credits from loyalty bonuses (50 for every 500). Meaning members only needed to achieve 1,100 status credits to retain the 1,200 required.
With the new update and the removal of these bonus loyalty status credits, Members will now need the full 1400 status credits to retain platinum.
Launching next month, a new search tool on qantas.com will display Classic Reward seat inventory on Qantas and 30 partner airlines in seconds. Members will be able to search millions of seats by destination and cabin type over a 12-month booking period.
“With more than 18 million members and nearly 40 years of rewarding loyalty, this represents a new era for the Frequent Flyer program in the face of a changing loyalty landscape”, said Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson, assuring customers that these changes will deliver greater flexibility, faster recognition and more pathways to status.
“These changes are about creating more opportunities for members to unlock status, while ensuring the program remains as relevant and rewarding in the future as it has been for the past four decades,” said Ms Hudson.
Managing Director of The Well Connected Traveller, Mark Trim, warns customers that “whilst these changes might sound great, they are really only benefitial for Frequent Flyers who can exceed their targets. Removing the loyalty bonus is going to penalise those who only just ‘scrape in’ to their tier”.
“If anything, the program has gotten harder and more difficult. It’s going to take more flying and more money spent with Qantas and its partners,” says Trim.
While some positives have definitely been included with the updated program changes, like the (up to) 50% rollover of excess status credits and the addition of earning status credits on the ground, it’s important to understand that retaining your status tier is about to become more difficult with the removal of the lower ratain level and the bonus loyalty status that you could accrue each year. Some of the additional benefits, like vouchers, Green Tier benefits and the updated Reward Seat Search Tool, are yet to be seen or clarified.
If you’re looking to maximise your Qantas Frequent Flyer tier status, get in touch with our Rewards Travel Specialists today to book your next Qantas flight.
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