Given the extended border closures, such an offer was bound to come and today it has landed. Qantas will roll out a further 12-month status extension for elite Frequent Flyers with Silver-tier status, or higher. For someone with a 2022 membership end date, you’ll now enjoy your status through to 2023!
For many members, this will be the second round of extensions, after the first was launched in November 2020. If the dates line up, you may be able to combine both extensions to take advantage of 24 months worth of free status perks, such as lounge access, priority perks and more.
As before, you just need to book a single eligible Qantas flight before your membership end date to automatically qualify. Your earned Status Credits will rollover as well. Here are the latest details.
2022-23 Status Extension and Status Credits Rollover details
Australian and New Zealand Qantas Frequent Flyers again have the opportunity to earn a 12-month extension before the end of their current membership year, plus rollover Status Credits into the new year. We’ve summarised the key points here:
- eligible members must already hold Platinum One, Platinum, Gold, or Silver Qantas Frequent Flyer status
- members must also have a status end date up to or before 30 June 2022 (inclusive)
- to qualify, you must make a new booking for at least one eligible flight. Bookings must be made between now and the member’s current status end date
- It’s not yet clear whether members on Status Hold or with complimentary Gold or Platinum status are eligible for this extension. Based on the previous offer, they should be. But we will verify this with Qantas
This offer is great for anyone who has missed out on the previous rounds of status extensions due to technicalities with membership end dates. Now, as long as your current status is set to expire on or before June 2022, you’ll be eligible.
Unfortunately, anyone who has a July or August 2022 status end date will miss out for now. But depending on how travel restrictions go in the next year, you could be eligible for a new offer down the track.
What flights are eligible for the status extension?
To be eligible for the 2022-23 status extension and Status Credits Rollover, you will need to first book an eligible flight. These are:
- any Qantas-operated flight with a QF flight number
- any Qantas Points-earning Jetstar international booking including within New Zealand (JQ), Japan (GK) and Asia (3K). Jetstar domestic flights within Australia are not eligible.
Flights must be booked in the name of the frequent flyer member travelling and have the membership number recorded in the itinerary. Acceptable forms of payment include:
- Cash, Qantas TravelPass, Qantas Flight Credit and Qantas Points (both Points Plus Pay and Classic Reward flights)
Although it’s not explicitly mentioned on the website, Point Hacks has confirmed with a Qantas spokesperson that third-party bookings, such as through American Express Travel and flybuys travel, are still eligible.
This is good news for those with American Express Travel Credits who wish to use it for Qantas flights. Note that additional service fees may apply if you need to change or cancel your flight, though.
How does the 2022-23 status extension work?
Do you fit all the criteria above? Great news, you just need to book the eligible flight and not cancel it to receive the status extension. However, if Qantas cancels your flight for operational reasons, then you’ll still be eligible for the extension without further action.
Travel needs to be booked before your status end date. Your flights need to be flown by the end of June 2022, based on current messaging. Existing bookings made before this announcement (11 August 2021) won’t qualify, unfortunately.
If eligible, your status will be extended between a further 12 months once you’ve reached your membership end date. Qantas will update your account automatically so there’s nothing more you need to do?
How does the 2022-23 Status Credit Rollover work?
Once again, you’ll need to first book an eligible Qantas flight to be eligible for the Status Credit Rollover offer. The same flight and date rules as above still apply. But essentially, if you meet the criteria for the 2022-23 Status Extension, you’ll also automatically get the Status Credit Rollover.
At this stage, we don’t have firm details of what the rollover entails. Previously, you could only rollover 40% of the Status Credits needed for retaining your tier. However, this time, Qantas is hinting that all earned Status Credits in the 2021-22 membership year may be carried over to 2022-23. We’ll keep you updated on this removal of the cap.
Summing up
With the coronavirus pandemic truly clipping the wings of Qantas previously-Frequent Flyers, not a lot of points or Status Credits are being earned in the air or on the ground right now.
The 2022-23 status extension and Status Credits Rollover offers are fairly generous, as you just need to book a single flight within the eligible time period to qualify. It could be a simple trip within the same state or an adventure to somewhere more far-flung.
We know how important tier status is to our members and many of them have built it up over many years of flying with us. The offer to retain their current status by booking just one eligible flight is a great way for them to secure the additional 12 months of the benefits that come with being Silver or Gold, Platinum or Platinum One members, which will come into its own when everyone is back flying.
– Olivia Wirth, Qantas Loyalty CEO, 11 August 2021
As you can imagine, there are a lot of terms and conditions attached to these offers, so be sure to also visit the Qantas website and check all the details, particularly around flight eligibility and cancellations.
Note: At the time of publication, Qantas’ status support web page was not up to date, so check back later for the full T&Cs.
Frequently Asked Questions: 2022-23 status extensions and Status Credits Rollover
No, if your status end date is not on or before June 2022 (inclusive), you are not currently eligible for any further offers at this stage.
If you’ve already retained your status, then you won’t get a further status extension. That offer is support for members who are not able to retain in their own right.
No. Only members with a status end date on or before June 2022 (inclusive) are eligible for the Status Credit rollover.
No. Only one eligible flight needs to be booked.
The Status Credits rolled over will contribute towards attaining and retaining status for Platinum One, Platinum, Gold and Silver. It will not contribute towards any bonus Rewards, Lifetime Status or Status Accelerators.
A further bonus Status Credits offer from BP continues below:
Earn 50 bonus Status Credits with BP Rewards
Need to top up your Qantas Status Credits (SCs) balance for 2021? Fuel partner BP Rewards is offering all frequent flyers 50 bonus Status Credits if you shop and spend five times by 30 September 2021.
Both existing and new BP Rewards members can take part in this promotion – if you haven’t already, sign up here.
You just need to fill up or shop at BP five times by 30 September 2021, spending at least A$50 per visit. This can include fuel and in-store goods. Not all BP outlets are participating – you will need to find one that participates in the BP Rewards program. Most outlets in South Australia don’t participate (the ones branded as OTR).
- Be a BP Rewards member
- Visit participating BP Rewards outlets and spend at least A$50 on fuel and/or in-store goods
- Make at least five qualifying visits by 30 September 2021
- You will get 50 bonus Status Credits up to 6-8 weeks after the offer ends
Should you take advantage of this offer?
Bonus Status Credit promotions are a great way to reach a higher status tier cost-effectively. Therefore, it’s worth taking advantage of this offer if you have some travel planning to do.
Spending a minimum $250 for 50 Status Credits is not a bad return at all. Consider that a basic Sydney-Melbourne flight in Discount Economy only nets 10 Status Credits, and might cost at least $80 on sale.
On its own, 50 Status Credits is not a lot. But if you’ve enrolled in the Qantas ‘Fast Track’ challenge, then that’s already halfway to reaching Gold status for a full year! Otherwise, Silver status normally starts from 300 SCs.
You may also be interested in other promotions to boost your Qantas Points balance.
Why are Qantas bonus Status Credit offers useful?
Booking a flight with Qantas during a bonus Status Credit promotion (or with on-the-ground partners such as BP) means that you can get to elite status more quickly. That unlocks benefits such as priority check-in and boarding, lounge access and upgrades!
Bonus Status Credits offer history
Qantas has offered bonus Status Credits for limited periods during these months:
- July 2021 (50 bonus Status Credits with BP)
- May 2021 (Points Club and Points Club Plus members only)
- May 2021 (between Australia and NZ only)
- March 2021
- February 2020
- April-May 2019 (Qantas Business Rewards members only)
- February 2019
- October 2018
- August 2018
- February 2018
I queried this with Qantas last week and received this response:
“However, the Bonus Status Credits that you will earn from the Double Status Credits promotion are to be identified as BONUS and will NOT be counted towards the rollover. As advised from the terms of the Status Credits Rollover, “Status Credits provided by Qantas as a bonus, support or gift will not count towards the rollover.” It would only be the regular / original Status Credits earned will be counted towards the rollover. “
anyone else affected?
This is useless.
This shut down will finally cut me free of Qantas. No status, move to a more generous and less expensive airline.
QF may think they have done well at Virgin’s expense, but their sheer greed will undermine the hold.
What are QF today are than a points factory, promoting marketing offers?
what am I meant to do? take 33 trips to sydney in a calendar year? Leaves 19 to remain in my own state – if the boarders stay open.
Just pathetic on Qantas’s behalf. At least extend everyone until 2022!
Is there anyone I could reach out to in Qantas to ensure I’m targeted for a future promotion? Also is there a way I can get on their mailing list to receive notification when it starts?
Thanks
Universal double status credit promotions such as the one last week are offered to all members, so there is no targeting in that sense. However, there are times throughout the year where you may receive targeted status offers, but eligibility for these is based on your oast travel and search behaviour, which is generally determined by IT algorithms rather than human intervention.
That’s vague. American Express Travel is essentially an online travel agent, so should be included. To err on the side of caution, though, book through Qantas if you can.
If the status credits arrive after a new membership year, generally they are rolled over into the new year. However, if the delay has cost you an upgrade in status level, I would call Qantas and make sure they get retrospectively applied.
Be helpful if Qantas could cover this in the T&Cs as it seems a bit hit and miss as to which way the bonus SCs could fall…
This information in your post is contradicting the Qantas website:
“Travel needs to be booked before your status end date. Your flights need to be flown by the end of June 2022, based on current messaging. Existing bookings made before this announcement (11 August 2021) won’t qualify, unfortunately.”
Now it seems people with a status end date up to Dec 2021 will still follow the rule you linked (i.e. booked before 23 Nov 2020 and up to end of membership year). This is based off the Nov 2020 extension.
For those under the newly announced rules, with a status end date from Jan to June 2022, then our current information is correct:
“The booking creation date must be between 11 August 2021 and before the member’s current status end date of between 31 January and 30 June 2022. The flight must be booked to travel before 30 June 2022. “
Does the current DSC QF Promo extend to JQ flights (bundle packs etc) ?
No it doesn’t. It must be a Qantas marketed and operated flight. Therefore, having a QF flight number on your boarding pass, and then getting on a Jetstar plane will not qualify.
Any ideas when the next Velocity double status credits offer is likely to be? I will need to book during this promotion in order to stand any chance of retaining my Gold level with them. I only have one trip coming up in early November.
Any suggestions are most welcome :-).
Thanks
If I book a flight Flex and it’s on a partner airline with a QF flight code and change it prior to the trip to be a QF operated flight, will I get double status credits? Or does it go off original booking?
The change would have to be made during the offer period for a flight that falls within the travel period. Unfortunately if you were to make the change today, it would fall outside of the offer period, so therefore you would not receive the double status credits.
I have a glimmer of hope. 5 days after lodging an online customer service query Qantas emailed me and included in it was this: “ Please be advised that so long as the booking, registration and travel period was within the time frame, you are eligible for the offer. “
So I might get my status credits. It takes 6 weeks to find out.
That does sound promising. Could you please let us know how you go with this, as your experience will be relevant for future Double Status Credit deals? It has been my understanding that if you book prior to registering, the bookings may not be tagged for the offer, however this may not be the case.
It took 4 days to get through to QFF customer service to ask if the booking counted and QFF says the flights won’t count for the promo (and it would be a huge pain to cancel and rebook and explain to my manager).
I pointed out that the terms actually say “register and book” not “register then book”. I also queried that the email was sent in the pm of the 18th yet you could book an eligible flight from 12:01am of the 18th to the 22nd Feb. So clearly it contemplated a booking made any time on the 18th.
I also pointed out the promo booking terms are ambiguous and to be fair to anyone who had made a booking before registering they should make the booking window start the next day.
I’ve made a complaint by asking for it to be escalated. Not hopeful I’ll hear anything back.
Would appreciate thoughts from others.
Sorry to hear the situation you’re in.
While technically register and book doesn’t imply an order, it has always been the case that to qualify for Qantas Double Status Credits, you need to register, make sure you wait until you receive an email acknowledging your registration, then make the bookings. It appears in your case your Travel Manager made the bookings prior to registering and receiving the email, which is why Qantas is advising that those bookings would not be eligible.
Normally around 11+ months. This makes this less attractive for those who have been planning well ahead. Probably why they extended the offer time – didn’t get the uptake they were expecting.
Indicates they will do more frequent double SC promos with shorter flight windows?? NOT as convenient. Qantas need to be careful that they don’t become too clever and alienate their best and most loyal customers.
Yes, the 6 month window is definitely less convenient, especially given that a return leg falling outside of the travel period doesn’t earn you double status.
So by my reading and calculations with my upcoming flights before June 30 (my reset date) I’ll end up with 580 SC which with with the loyalty bonus would take me to over 600 SC and I would retain gold but because the bonus SC don’t count towards a loyalty bonus and when you subtract the bonus SC I would actually only be on 460 status credits and the loyalty bonus won’t activate – I quick weekend trip to Sydney should solve the problem but it might catch people out.
Yes, this is part of the T&Cs and thanks for highlighting.
Make the most of your weekend trip to Sydney and enjoy another year of Qantas Gold!
You status credits would be doubled on your original Economy fare only.