Will a Family Booking Earn Status Credits for All Passengers?

Yes, under one condition, every passenger needs their own frequent flyer membership, with their own number attached to the booking before departure.

Status Credits are earned per person, per seat, per fare, and they land in each traveller’s individual account. This is where the two programs differ. One program lets families pool their Status Credits, while the other does not.

The basic rule: per passenger, per fare

Status Credits attach to the person who flies, not the person who pays. On a family booking of four, each traveller earns based on their own ticket. If everyone is on the same flight in the same fare class then everyone will earn the same Status Credits. The Status Credits are transferred into each individuals account.

Any traveller without a Frequent Flyer membership won’t earn Status Credits. You also cannot redirect the child’s Status Credits to a parent. Under the Qantas Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions, Status Credits are not transferable.

The first step is to make sure every family member has their own Frequent Flyer account, and each member’s number is attached to the booking before you fly. Children can join Qantas Frequent Flyer free of charge, and Velocity membership is free for anyone, regardless of age. If you forget to add a membership number, you may still be able to claim the points and Status Credits later.

What earns and what does not

A few fare types break the per-passenger rule, and they’re especially relevant to families.

One of the biggest is Infant fares. Under the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms, infants don’t earn Qantas Points or Status Credits. The exception is when an infant travels in their own purchased seat on an eligible fare. If thats the case, they’ll earn Qantas Points and Status Credits like everyone else. This means a lap infant travelling on a discounted fare won’t earn anything.

Reward tickets are another exception. In most cases, Reward bookings earn nothing for most members. The main exception is for Points Club members, who can earn Status Credits on Qantas-marketed rewards while that program lasts. This is a reason some families mix paid and reward bookings. A parent chasing status might travel on a paid fare to earn Status Credits, while the rest of the family will travel on a reward flight.

Not every passenger will earn the same number of Status Credits. If your booking includes different fare types, each traveller will earn according to their fare. This is especially important with Velocity’s spend-based earning on Virgin Australia flights. Choice, Flex and Business fares earn 1 Status Credit for every $12 while Lite earns 1 Status Credit for every $24. This means a family with one Business seat and three Lite seats will earn differently, even if everyone is on the same flight.

One more thing to keep in mind. Tier bonuses in both programs apply to points, not Status Credits. This means a Platinum parent and a Red-tier child on the same fare will earn identical Status Credits. The difference is the parent will earn more points on top.

Velocity families can pool. Qantas families cannot.

Here is the difference that should shape which program a travelling family leans on.

Velocity’s Family Pooling, covered on the Velocity family benefits page, lets family members living at the same address pool their Points. Their Points and Status Credits can also be nominated into one member’s account, with up to two adults and four children in a pool. For a family that flies together, this can make a big difference. The Status Credits earned by a spouse and children can all contribute towards one member’s progress to Gold or Platinum status.

There are two limits to keep in mind. First, any Status Credits that are pooled are transferred out of the contributors membership. This means the family member contributing those Status Credits is not building their own status. Second, pooled Status Credits do not count towards the minimum that must be earned on Virgin Australia marketed or operated flights. For Silver, Gold and Platinum at least 50 per cent of the Status Credits must be earned from the member’s own flying. For more information our Velocity guide and Velocity status guide cover it.

Qantas doesn’t offer anything that compares for Status Credits. While Qantas Family Transfers move Qantas Points between eligible family members, Status Credits stay where they were earned. For families, this means travellers build status individually. If some family members don’t travel enough to reach the next status tier, their points will expire at the end of their membership year. It’s an important difference to consider when deciding where your families paid flying goes. The Qantas Frequent Flyer guide covers what each member’s individual earn can still achieve.

Promotions, register everyone separately

Promotional offers can catch families out. Qantas Double Status Credits offers require that every passenger in the booking be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member with their membership number attached. Each member must also register for the offer individually. Registering one family member does not cover everyone else.

If your family is flying during a promotional period, take a few minutes to register every member, including children. Otherwise, anyone who isn’t registered won’t receive the bonus Status Credits.

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