QANTAS: Status support for Platinum Frequent Flyers – 20% fewer credits required to requalify

Qantas has offered various forms of Status support since the pandemic started which reduced their loyal flyers ability to take to the air. The previous support announcement extended many members with status anniversary dates up to 30 June, 2023 for another year. Unfortunately for me, my re-qualification date was after that. So Instead of having my status extended into 2024, like some of my mates it would still end in 2023.

Good News!

For me and many others who have Platinum or Platinum One status, Qantas brought good news today. If your membership anniversary falls in July, August or September 2023. That is, your membership year started between July and September 2022, Qantas is reducing the amount of Status Credits required to retain your Platinum and Platinum One status by 20%. So the number of points required alters as outlined below:

• Platinum Status requalification points down by 20% from 1,200 to 960 (have to complete four sectors on Qantas)
• Platinum One Status requalification points are down by 20% from 3,600 to 2,880 (2,160 must be on Qantas flights – normally 2,700)

Why?

Qantas has finally recognised that their higher-status Frequent Flyer members were negatively impacted by the reduced domestic and international networks during the past 12 months, making it quite a challenge to achieve the high threshold of Status Credits required for Platinum and Platinum One members.

For full details, and a list of frequently asked questions head over to the Qantas Status Support page.

When will you know if your status has been extended?

Check your email, and you should have a personalised email outlining the details specific to you for re-qualification.

If you have already flown or will fly enough to requalify for your current status before your Status anniversary, expect to be notified by the end of that month – so late in July, August and September 2023.

That’s it!

Don’t expect any further status support. Qantas is indicating that is it, and for any other frequent flyers, whatever status whose Frequent Flyer anniversary is after September, expect to have to requalify in the normal way, with the standard number of Status Credits applicable to your Status level.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is good news. But it puts me in a dilemma. I had booked a Status run to ensure my requalification at the old rates to retain my Platinum status. Now that is redundant. Do I pay the rebooking penalty, and change the dates to fall into the next qualification period, or just eat it, and value the contribution it will make to my lifetime Gold Status quest?

Qantas should be congratulated for this and the four other status extensions for frequent flyers during the pandemic, which affected customers’ ability to requalify at their status tier. However, let us not forget, that Qantas was almost shamed into the action, with its customer base severely pissed off about cancelled and delayed flights and lost or delayed luggage.