Earning Qantas status credits on Emirates flights

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster, hoping the brains trust can help.

Given that you booked with the Emirates site, I presume that all of your flights would have an EK prefix - e.g. EKXX. Because of this, I don't think any flight will qualify for QANTAS status credits. I can understand your thinking - with most alliances, such as One World, you would earn some status credits when you fly with carriers other than QANTAS. The QANTAS Emirates alliance, however, is unusual in that regard. I'm not sure you can do anything to change this now.

it might be an alliance but isnt a true one like one world etc - you can only earn QF status credits if you book EK metal through QF website on QFF - otherwise doesnt count - i might also point out to do this you pay more for the same flight each time i have checked - and hence i book EK directly but am not worried re QFF - so to earn QF you have to book through QF essentially

Correct - Emirates is not part of OneWorld however is a code share partner of Qantas, as such you would have earnt points, however to earn status credits you would have needed to book a the Emirates flight with a QF (OneWorld) flight number (e.g. QF8435 is EK 435 BNE to DXB), which can be done by travel agents and also through the Qantas Website.

I'm sorry to say that while you get Qantas status privileges on an Emirates flight, you don't get Qantas status credits unless the flight is booked under the QF code. You will earn some Qantas frequent flyer points but at a greatly reduced rate. But if you want those status credits the flight has to be booked and ticketed as QF8xxx instead of the normal EKxxx flight number, for example the Emirates A380 Sydney-Dubai flight EK415 can also be booked as QF8415. If you book it as QF8415 then you will earn the same number of status credits and points as if this was actually a Qantas flight on a Qantas A380. As regards to the alliance, the rules of Qantas-Emirates alliance are different to the OneWorld alliance, where you can earn some Qantas status credits on fellow OneWorld members such as BA, Cathay etc.

Here's an AusBT article that covers this:
https://www.ausbt.com.au/earn-maximum-qantas-frequent-flyers-points-on-emirates-flights

@_sdizzle - all is not entirely lost if you are 'mid-trip', which is indicated by your post. You could consider joining the Emirates Skywards program for the return sector of your journey.

Use your QF Gold card to enter the EK lounge(s) and then ask the attendant to change your QF FF nbr on the booking to your new Emirates Skywards membership number. Although you won't be able to retroactively claim status credits / points for the already flown outwards sector (no status credits and the points already credited to QF FF), you will at least be able to claim the return sector(s) on EK into Skywards.

As a direct EK booking, you'll get more mileage points in Skywards than with QF (under an EK flight number) and will also attract EK status credits. It might not be an ideal solution, but is better than getting no status credits at all on this trip.

As has been stated correctly by others above,
- to gain status credits in QF FF when flying EK, always book the QF codeshare flight number. You will then attract maximum mileage points and status credits in QF FF. Booking an EK flight number (via QF) sees no status credits awarded by QF and a reduced level of points.

- if booking via EK's website using an EK flight number, maximum status credits and mileage accrue when you are assigning your Skywards membership number. Using your QF FF membership number on a direct EK booking will not accrue status credits into the QF FF program either.

If you are regularly travelling to Europe via DXB on EK metal for business, you may well be able to slectively amass status credits in both programs, which can be handy for short Skywards reward redemptions within Europe on EK. You still are able to use your QF Gold card for lounge access and may eventually reach Skywards Gold as well.

The other alternative to consider for future bookings if you are flying to Europe via the Middle East regularly, is to book Qatar instead of EK. As a oneworld member, largely all of the issues you have experienced with EK are removed when travelling with a oneworld carrier. You will gain QF FF status credits and mileage points with QF for all oneworld members pretty much automatically..

Note that QR flights earn points & status at a reduced rate.

Some/there are a few EK flight routes will not have a QF code share at all meaning no QF flight number at all.

This partnership is bs for the traveller and seems anti competitive and restrictive for travellers forcing them to purchase dearer tickets with QF flight numbers to accrue status points for the same flight. I was once a loyal QF traveller , no longer. Try Qatar. They sometimes offer double and triple status credits.

I'm not sure what makes this "anti competitive". You still have choices, it's just that they might not be so palatable. Life is all about trade-offs.

Wow thanks everyone for the quick and informative responses. Looks like I’ve been caught out by the hidden shortfalls of the EK/QF ‘alliance’. Really disappointing as I had been pushing for Qantas Platinum this year and now I don’t think it’s going to happen as I’ve lost >300 SCs worth of flying now.

My advice is, book through Qantas with a QF flight number. If they don’t have a Qantas flight number, you don’t qualify for Qantas status credits.