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Back in February, Qantas announced updates to its Frequent Flyer program. These updates included changes to how to earn and retain status, benefits once you reach status, and new ways to book award redemptions. Qantas gave plenty of heads-up, as these changes weren't slated to take effect until late 2026 or early 2027.
Well, now it's late 2026, and Qantas has provided more information on the timeline and what members can expect from these changes. Overall, the updates are kind of a mixed bag. It's harder to retain status, but the perks once you do might make up for it.
Here's everything you should know about the changes coming to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, along with the timeline to expect.
What’s Changing in the Qantas Frequent Flyer Program
Qantas launched a brand-new digital experience earlier this year, making it much easier to find international Classic Flight
Other Qantas program changes include new upgrade awards, changes to Status Credits, and additional benefits for elite members.
Imminent changes
Jetstar Classic Upgrades will launch in early September. Qantas members will be able to upgrade to business class on select Jetstar flights for a fixed number of points. Here's an idea of how many points you'll need to upgrade:
- Melbourne to Singapore: 37,000 Qantas Points
- Sydney to Osaka: 45,300 Qantas Points
Jetstar is primarily a low-cost carrier, so you won't find a ton of business class seats on its routes. However, Jetstar announced a complete Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet retrofit in April. The retrofit will double the available business class seats from 21 to 44, which opens up a significant number of seats between Australia and Asia.
The upgrades will also include 30 kg of checked baggage, in-flight meals, and priority boarding. Qantas members will be able to request an upgrade on flights booked through Jetstar when it launches in September, but will soon be able to request directly through Qantas.
Changes launching December 8, 2026
We finally know when some of the biggest changes will launch. Starting December 8, there will be changes to how you earn Status Credits and how they transition into a new year.
- Status Credit rollover: You can carry a portion of your excess Status Credits into the following membership year to get a head start on retaining your status or reaching the next tier. If you are a Gold, Platinum, or Platinum One member, you can roll over 50% of your excess Status Credits, up to a maximum of 350 for Gold members and 500 for Platinum and Platinum One members. Silver members can roll over 25% of their excess credits, up to a maximum of 100.
- Earn Status Credits on everyday spend: You can collect Qantas Points and Status Credits on everyday spending across 10 different categories, from shopping to utilities. These credits will count toward lifetime balances, which get you one step closer to earning Lifetime elite status. You can earn up to 140 Status Credits each year from this spending.
Changes coming in 2027
The bulk of the changes will take place in 2027. Here's what to expect:
- More lifetime milestones: For every 10,000 Status Credits you earn beyond the Lifetime Gold threshold, you will receive a complimentary year of Platinum status. You can bank up to five years of Platinum status for activation whenever you wish.
- New tier benefits: There will be a variety of new tier benefits available to members, including extra lounge invitations for Silver members, and new vouchers and discounts across Hotels and Holidays, Qantas Marketplace, and Qantas Wine for all elite members.
- Streamlined path to status: Qantas will retire overlapping sub-programs like Points Club and Green Tier on December 8. In 2027, Qantas will launch a streamlined path to status to retain and attain each tier. Previously, the number of Status Credits required to earn status for the first time was different than the number required for elite members to retain status. Now, there will be one target to earn status, regardless of whether you earned it the prior year.
Related: Do Qantas Frequent Flyer Points Expire?
Top Off Your Qantas Points Balance
As mentioned, one of the new features coming to Qantas Frequent Flyer is a revamped award flight finder. Once it launches, it should make it much easier to spot award availability on Qantas, Jetstar, Oneworld airlines, and even non-alliance partners like Emirates. In other words, it’s about to get a lot easier to put your Qantas points to use. And if you need a reminder, there are plenty of ways to top off your balance.
The easiest option is transferring from one of the following programs:
This expansive list means you can earn
$95Rates & Fees
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
$325Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on cruises booked and paid through amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
$395
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Bottom Line
These changes are a mixed bag. If you're a loyal Qantas flyer, you likely appreciate the ability to re-qualify for status at a lower threshold. That's going away, but you can now roll over some of your excess credits to the following year, which may prove more lucrative. However, you used to earn bonus Status Credits for every 500 you earned on Qantas and Jetstar flights, but this is now being removed.
Overall, we can be thankful that Qantas didn't join many other airlines in moving to a revenue-based elite status program. That said, it's unclear just how much these changes will affect
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
