Qantas is Introducing its Biggest Ever Frequent Flyer Overhaul. Here’s What it Means

• From late 2026, members can earn up to 140 Status Credits annually through everyday spending with retail, credit card, and utility partners.
• Tiered members can now carry forward up to 50% of their surplus Status Credits to get a head start on the following year.
• Qantas is removing lower “retain” requirements, meaning members must hit the full “attain” threshold every year to keep their status.

Frequent flyer programs have been around since 1981, when American Airlines launched the first modern loyalty scheme. Qantas followed in 1987, building what has become one of Australia’s most powerful rewards ecosystems.

Now Qantas says it’s introducing the “biggest overhaul” to status since launching Frequent Flyer in 1987. You’ll soon be able to earn Status Credits without flying. You’ll be able to roll unused credits into the next year. And the gap between earning and retaining status is disappearing.

If you’ve ever pushed for one more trip to lock in Gold before your year resets, this changes the maths.

You Can Now Earn Status Credits Without Flying

From late 2026, members will be able to earn up to 140 Status Credits per year through everyday spending across ten partner categories. That includes Qantas-linked credit cards, retail partners and utilities.

Until now, Status Credits were flight-only. Points could be earned almost anywhere. Status had to be flown.

For everyday members who fly once or twice a year but put serious spend through a credit card, this is a genuine lift. Those extra credits could be the difference between missing Silver and holding it.

For frequent flyers, it shifts what status represents. It’s no longer just about how often you fly. It’s about how much of your spending runs through Qantas and its partners.

The more of your spending you route through Qantas, the easier status becomes. And in a market where international competition is fierce, keeping you inside the program matters more than ever.

Roll Over Changes the Reset

Currently, your Status Credits reset to zero at the end of your membership year.

Under the new system, tiered members will be able to roll over up to 50 per cent of unused credits into the following year. Caps apply:

• Silver: up to 100
• Gold: up to 350
• Platinum and Platinum One: up to 500

Qantas says around half of all Status Credits earned each year go unused. Until now, those simply disappeared.

If you need 700 credits for Gold and finish on 1,000, you could carry 300 into the next year. That gives you a head start next year.

The trade-off is that the existing loyalty bonus system is being removed. Previously, members earned bonus Status Credits after hitting certain milestones. Now, the reward only comes if you overshoot your tier. If you just scrape in, there’s nothing extra to carry.

Retaining Status Now Requires Full Effort

Qantas is also removing separate “attain” and “retain” thresholds. Gold currently requires 700 Status Credits to attain, but only 600 to retain. Soon, it will require 700 every year.

For Platinum, the shift is more noticeable. It currently takes 1,400 credits to attain and 1,200 to retain. Under the new system, it will be 1,400 annually. Yes, roll over helps. Yes, ground earnings help.

But if you’ve relied on that lower retain number after a lighter year of travel, that safety net tied to actual flying is gone. You now have to clear the full runway every year.

The timing is also telling. Virgin Australia recently tightened how Velocity members earn status, particularly on cheaper fares. Qantas is moving the other way, adding flexibility and new earning pathways as the two airlines compete hard for high-value travellers.

Lifetime Flyers Get a Clearer Reward

For Lifetime Gold members, Qantas is adding a new incentive. For every 10,000 Status Credits earned beyond the Lifetime Gold threshold, members will receive a complimentary year of Platinum status. Up to five of those years can be banked and activated when needed.

For most everyday flyers, this won’t change your travel plans. For long-haul corporate travellers who’ve been clocking up miles for decades, it’s a meaningful upgrade along the journey.

Points Club and Green Tier Are Being Retired

Qantas will phase out sub-programs like Points Club and Green Tier and fold selected benefits into the core program.

That simplifies the structure. Fewer side programs. One main route to status. If you’ve relied on Points Club perks, Qantas says transitional arrangements will apply. Status is clearly the focus again.

And There’s a New Way to Qantas Frequent Flyer Status

At the same time Qantas is reshaping status, it’s expanding where you can actually fly.

From 29 December 2026, Qantas will launch a seasonal non-stop Sydney–Las Vegas service, becoming the first airline to operate the route direct from Australia. Running three times a week on a Boeing 787 through to 12 March 2027, it bypasses the usual US stopover and shaves up to five hours off the journey. Economy return fares start from AUD$1,099.

Las Vegas becomes the 101st destination on the Qantas network and its eighth city across North and South America, joining Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Dallas, New York, Vancouver and Santiago.

Frequent Flyers booking Qantas Hotels or holiday packages to Las Vegas before 2 March 2026 can also earn double points.

More ways to earn. More routes to use it on.

So What Should You Do?

If you’re an everyday flyer with strong credit card spend, this is mostly positive. You can now edge toward status without booking unnecessary flights.

If you’re a mid-tier flyer who typically relied on the lower retain threshold, plan for the full annual requirement and use roll over strategically.

If you regularly overshoot your tier, roll over gives you breathing room in a lighter year.

From late 2026, your flying strategy and your point-earning strategy matter more than they used to.

How you split your spend, which card you use and when you book will now directly shape whether you hold your tier. The destination is the same. The flight path just changed.