Kiwis get on the ‘fast track’ to Qantas Gold

Qantas is putting frequent flyers in New Zealand onto the Qantas Status Fast Track as part of a push into the NZ market.

The airline is also extending its Australian points partnership with Woolworths across the Tasman, with Woolworths Everyday Rewards points earned at NZ supermarkets, BP petrol stations and Petstock stores able to be converted to Qantas Points from December 2.

Noting that New Zealand already has the most Qantas Frequent Flyer members outside of Australia, Qantas Loyalty CEO Andrew Glance says “It’s important that we continue to grow the program and expand the ways that members can earn points and redeem them on great travel experiences.”

Qantas will also ditch the long-standing NZ$60 joining fee for signing up to its rewards program.

And to bait the hook, there’s the Qantas Status Fast Track, which offers instant perks such as Qantas lounge access along with a super shortcut to lock in Qantas Gold status for at least 12 months.

The Qantas Status Fast Track is open to Qantas Frequent Flyer members at the Bronze (entry-level) or Silver tier who have a New Zealand home postal address listed against their QFF profile and hold eligible status with one of eight qualifying airlines:

• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air New Zealand
• Delta Air Lines
• Korean Air
• Singapore Airlines
• United Airlines
• Virgin Australia

Keen Kiwis need to register an expression of interest at the Qantas Status Fast Track website by 14 January 2025; once approved, they’ll need to earn 100 Status Credits (down from the usual 700 Status Credits) between 15 January 2025 and 15 April 2025.

During that time they’ll enjoy complimentary access to Qantas Club lounges when flying with Qantas or Jetstar, plus a more generous checked baggage allowance.

And what does 100 Status Credits look like, from an NZ perspective? Qantas notes that’s doable with one return trip from Auckland to New York or two return trips from Christchurch to Sydney, for example.

You can use the Qantas Points and Status Credits Calculator to check how many status credits you stand to earn across various routes on different types of tickets.

Of course, once you’ve racked up those 100 Status Credits within the 90-day period you’ll be automatically upgraded to proper Qantas Gold status for at least 12 months – which also provides similar perks when flying on all Oneworld member airlines.

For more details, click through to the Qantas Status Fast Track website.