Status Credits determine your level of status in the Qantas and Velocity Frequent Flyer programs. As you move up the ranks, you’ll unlock more benefits when you fly.

In this guide, we’ll look at how to earn Status Credits and how many Status Credits you’ll need to reach the next tier of status for Qantas and Velocity’s frequent flyer programs.

Watch our short video or continue reading below to learn more:

What are Status Credits?

Status Credits (SCs) determine which level of frequent flyer status you hold, and is mostly tied to the amount of paid flying you do with an airline and its partners The amount of SCs earned from a flight is determined by the:

  • Airline you fly: some partners earn more, some less
  • Distance you fly: longer flights earn more SCs than shorter flights
  • Fare you purchase: premium cabin fares earn more SCs

Generally, the more expensive the ticket you buy, the more SCs you’ll earn. For example, you will earn more SCs on a Business Class ticket from Sydney to Auckland than if you flew in Economy.

Similarly, taking a trip from Australia to Europe will net you more SCs than if you flew to Asia.

Status Credits earn map example
You’ll get significantly more Status Credits flying Sydney-London compared to Auckland.

How are Status Credits different from frequent flyer points?

Frequent flyer points are earned not only through flying but also by signing up to and spending on a credit card, shopping online and making purchases with retail partners. Points can be redeemed for reward flights as well as flight upgrades, gift cards and merchandise.

Status Credits (SCs), on the other hand, are designed to reward loyalty to an airline and its partners. Whilst you cannot ‘redeem’ SCs, the more you have, the better benefits you will receive from the frequent flyer program. These benefits include lounge access, complimentary upgrades and priority security screening.

Earn enough Status Credits to get Platinum, then First Class lounge entry is all yours.
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How do I earn Status Credits?

The main way to earn Status Credits (SCs) is by flying with an airline and its partners on a paid fare. See how many Status Credits you can earn on your next Qantas or Virgin Australia flight.

Reward seat bookings typically don’t earn Status Credits for both airlines. The only exception is members of the Qantas Points Club tiers, who earn a small amount of SCs on Qantas-operated reward seat bookings.


COVID-19 Update: As of September 2020, both airlines have extended most frequent flyer’s status levels by 1 year and also provided bonus Status Credits to help maintain your current tier. See the respective frequent flyer website for more information.


During normal travel times, keep an eye out for double SCs offers from Qantas and Velocity. These tend to run 2-3 times a year. Taking advantage of these promotions, these are the best routes to do a ‘status run’ on with Qantas and Velocity.

If you hold the ANZ Frequent Flyer Black or American Express Velocity Platinum Card, you can pick up bonus SCs with Qantas and Velocity, respectively. These may be earned as a sign-up bonus or with ongoing spend.

Velocity members can also boost their SCs by shopping at Coles and pooling their SCs with family members. Qantas periodically offer limited-time ways to earn SCs on the ground, such as through BP or Qantas Hotels.

Although pretty much non-existent during 2020, double Status Credit deals are usually offered at least once a year.

How many Status Credits do I need?

When you join Qantas or Velocity Frequent Flyer, you’ll be a Bronze or Red member at the start, respectively. As you earn more Status Credits (SCs), you will move up the ranks, with each level granting you better privileges such as priority check-in and boarding.

The next tier is Silver, but the third one — Gold — is where you start to get meaningful benefits like lounge access and upgrades. Platinum status and higher are for road warriors who travel a lot and have access to a greater range of perks.

Gold is the ‘sweet spot’ for many frequent flyer programs.

Here is a quick reference guide to how many Status Credits you would need to earn for Qantas or Velocity elite status:

Qantas Frequent FlyerVelocity Frequent Flyer
Bronze/RedQantas Frequent Flyer Bronze Card
Entry-level (Bronze)
Velocity Red Card
Entry-level (Red)
SilverQantas Frequent Flyer Silver Card
Earn: 300 SCs
Maintain: 250 SCs
Lifetime: 7,000 SCs
Velocity SilverCard
Earn: 250 SCs
Maintain: 200 SCs
Lifetime: N/A
GoldQantas Frequent Flyer Gold Card
Earn: 700 SCs
Maintain: 600 SCs
Lifetime: 14,000 SCs
Velocity Gold Card
Earn: 500 SCs
Maintain: 400 SCs
Lifetime: N/A
PlatinumQantas Frequent Flyer Platinum Card
Earn: 1,400 SCs
Maintain: 1,200 SCs
Lifetime: 75,000 SCs
Velocity Platinum Card
Earn: 1,00 SCs
Maintain: 800 SCs
Lifetime: N/A
Platinum OneQantas Frequent Flyer Platinum One card
Earn: 3,600 SCs with 75% earned
on QF-marketed flights
N/A

This table doesn’t take into account eligible sectors that you will also need to fly to earn a status level. Qantas requires four eligible sectors for all its tiers up to Platinum, whereas Velocity requires two for Silver, four for Gold and eight for Platinum.

Eligible sectors are essentially paid flights with a QF flight code (for Qantas Frequent Flyer) or a VA flight code (for Velocity Frequent Flyer). Click those links to learn more about the status requirements of each program.

Read about how to earn more Status Credits with indirect flights

Here’s a short video on how to get Qantas Silver status:

Summing up

Status Credits determine the level of status you hold in a frequent flyer program. For Australia-based travellers, the most common programs are Qantas and Velocity Frequent Flyer.

You’ll earn Status Credits mainly through flying, but you can also boost your balance by holding specific credit cards, pooling your points and doing grocery shopping.

Note that your status level resets every 12 months, but the requirement for maintaining status is lower than reaching it in the first place. This makes it easier to hold onto status once you have it.

Speaking of, if you are a new parent, you can pause your status with both Qantas and Velocity. Finally, once you reach Gold or Platinum status, it is worth looking into status matching to a similar level in other programs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate how many Status Credits I will earn on my flight?

With Qantas, you can use this calculator. With Velocity, consult this earn table.

Do Status Credits expire?

Yes, they do. For Qantas, Status Credits will reset every membership year, regardless of when it was earned. For Velocity, Status Credits will expire 12 months after they were earned.

Can you buy Status Credits?

No, you cannot. Whilst you can buy frequent flyer points with Qantas and Velocity, Status Credits cannot be bought.

What are Status Credits and how do I earn them? was last modified: September 19th, 2023 by Brandon Loo