Qantas Frequent Flyer status proves hard to keep for overseas flyers

Certainly something I think I will be affected by. As I'm based outside Australia 95% of my Qantas travel is back to Australia and other international, with a few domestic connections. I don't think I'll be travelling back to Australia for maybe 12 months at this rate, let alone anywhere else!

It's not just those overseas affected. With the current lockdown Victorians can't travel interstate and if not eligible for a travel exemption can't fly overseas either. If these bans aren't lifted soon all flyers whether local or overseas may need another blanket 12 month extension.

Why doesn't Qantas just freeze or snapshot the current statuses of Frequent flyers then enable status anniversary again when international travel resumes?

I live in Singapore and bought some flights to take advantage of the double status credits. Now I won't be able to use these at all, as in certain flights will not resume untill the new year and then due to my membership year it would be a year wasted... My December flight to the UK has also been cancelled although not officially so I cannot even get this stays credit. Whilst the 140 credits given to me are appreciated, they won't help one bit.

I am in the weird position that I am more likely to be able to achieve Lifetime Gold, rather than retain Gold in the next 18 months. I am now based in Singapore and 'only' need 1500 status credits for Lifetime Gold. I think that will be easier than four flights with Qantas

As a UK based Qantas member this is one step forward two steps back! I have been looking forward to using Qantas again with the news that I could convert my American Express membership reward points to Qantas points. Then this news. Come on Qantas get your act together.

WA frequent flyers can't even leave the state without permission. No chance of any status credits with flights till sometime next year.

Pathetic that Q has not addressed this. They really dont deserve our loyalty or business. There are plenty of other airlines to choose from and thats what i and suspect many others will be doing.

In fact it will be all QFFs who will be affected, Local folk as well as OS flyers, given current state and national border restrictions. I am lucky in a way that to meet with son in Memphis, USA, I will meet the critical 4 crucial Qflights by a brief family reunion ex Melb/ Sydney to Memphis and return. The catch for all is the timing; we can speculate all we like, but we will only be able to fly when restrictions are lifted and by the looks of things in Melbourne(mid July 2020) it will not be soon. Would strongly urge Q to consider awarding all status holders an additional year in their current level, if not all will likely loose what ever they have attained.

Not only this disaster. But the rediculous unattainable lifetime platinum target they set leaves me (as a lifetime gold for 10 years and a platinum ff for at least 15 consecutive years) with no incentive to fly with Q again. Whoever is running the FF department and strategy is doing an appauling job. Q wake up! and the great AJ do you have any idea what is going on?

Hi all, a quick update here: we've established that Qantas Frequent Flyer's 'four eligible sector' rule is actually a requirement set out in Oneworld alliance internal policy.

Qantas cannot change this without permission from the alliance itself, for any frequent flyer tiers that also align with the Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald levels (which, for Qantas Frequent Flyer, is all of them). We've updated our article to include more information on this.

Chris

I'm glad you wrote this article as this is the circumstance I now find myself in. My membership year is about to reset and so I am planning my various flights this year but the 4 flight QF minimum is presently escaping me. In the absence of a change of internal policy with Oneworld - does anyone know if Qantas is selling flights from the call centre that I might be able to purchase essentially as a QF flight minimum status run.

For example, I can get a relatively easy flight from any of the London airports to another UK city, but rather than buy the ticket directly from BA, is Qantas selling marketed flights from its centre under the appropriate QF flight number so as to qualify for the marketed flight policy under the frequent flyer program? I may make enquiries directly in any event with the call centre and see if this is a possibility in the UK.

Thank goodness I live in New Zealand and can do a couple of return flights with Jetstar to WLG from AKL.

What happens to the membership of those Aus locals who are not able to take any QF nor other flights during the current membership year:

a) I was demoted to Bronze (having taken multiple points flights in 2019)

b) a family member with lifetime Silver status?

Are we expelled FF? Do we lose all past points? current staus credits?

This is my situation as currently being UK based. Though not a business traveller my one trip back a year (or 18 months when well planned) allowed me to get the 4 legs easily and leisure travel the other status points to retain silver. Silver isn't really a big deal but it has advantages that i felt were worth keeping. Lucky for me i am not going to worry about keeping this tier as it is easy to retain again but I'm sure i would be more frustrated if i was on a higher tier.

There is the temptation to jump ship to another carrier at this time, I could get a refund for my cancelled March flight and I'm sure my December flight will also be cancelled. I could see what other carriers are offering and i may get the chance to jump on a great opportunity!

I've gone from platinum QFF and under the changes with giving points etc have told QANTAS that there is no physical way for me to be able to maintain my status. I'm an aussie expat and have been for 5 years, flying between where I live and Australia. I'm afraid that without QANTAS stepping up to hold the status it will force me to simply pick the cheapest flight again. I've sent an email to QANTAS outlining the challenges for aussie expats and how it simply won't be possible to maintain status without some incentives. As soon as I can fly back home I want to but right now QANTAS doesn't give me that option and the SA government have just put a $3,000 'quarantine fee'. I fear it will be a while before I'm in a position to fly back home. It's also going to be difficult for AU based FF as I'm sure there is going to be 2nd, 3rd waves of this. Domestic travel will be affected. Good luck to any QFF that can maintain platinum on domestic flights only.

Yes, it is going to be difficult to maintain my Platinum status with the 4 QF flights. I am based in UK but work is HQ'd out of HK and Sing. I would normally fly QF to Sing, then around the region with Cathay, back to London with QF. So I would easily pick up at least 10-12 plus QF flights per year. As the London to Singapore flights are not flying, and I'm not flying at all, then all the credit support won't get me back my Platinum status, unless the QF drop the 4 flight rule. I know it is a one world issue, but would be good to see if this can be lifted. Fingers crossed

I tried to appeal to Qantas on the point that British Airways, a member of the Oneworld group, had waived the minimum flight requirement for their covid flexibility status policy, whereas Qantas had chosen not to ... sent them the link and everything. Just got the generic response pointing to their policy. I had over 1000 SC and my flights from the UK back to Australia cancelled, so didn't get my gold tier, SC expired in April and now can't maintain anything at all for this year. Interesting they are now pointing the finger back at Oneworld when clearly that is not the case based on the BA precedent.

Im surprised Qantas never launched a card for Singapore customers

I have tried several times to be waived the 4 eligible flights and no always.

Uk based but have tried to stay loyal. I reached lifetime gold a few years ago and as someone pointed out to get lifetime platinum is very difficult.

No Oneworld airline will status match so just been awarded TURKISH AIRLINES star alliance gold with 1 economy flight, furthermore only 25,000 points to retain it for 2 years.

I'll always have sapphire on oneworld now for use of lounges/priority check-in etc, it drives me crazy other Oneworld airlines don't require the  eligible flights on their metal whilst QF and a couple of others do. In fact I am so fed up I am defecting to star alliance for a spell.

I do most my travel on RTW tickets -DONE4, can book one in a jiffy so the downside of this is learning the rules ao the star alliance RTW's

I stumbled across this thread and am heartened to know I am not alone in my annoyance with QF- surely if based in Europe or another continent there should be different rules as we don't have the luxury of jumping on a couple of quick domestic return flights a year within Australia.

S