Your guide to Qantas Frequent Flyer Bronze status

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – and the journey to airport lounge access, business class upgrades, a higher checked luggage allowance and plenty of other perks begin at the Bronze tier of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

Bronze is the entry-level tier for Qantas frequent flyers: it’s where all new member start their journey on the Red Roo's loyalty program ladder.

As you take more Qantas flights, you’ll begin to climb that ladder to higher levels of status – first Qantas Silver, then Qantas Gold, on to Platinum and even Platinum One – with each level delivering more benefits when you travel.

As it happens, the largest portion of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program’s near 15 million-strong membership are Bronze – or ‘Bronzies’, as some in the Qantas Loyalty business affectionately call them.

How do I get Qantas Bronze status?

All new members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer rewards program receive Bronze status immediately upon joining. If you haven’t signed up to Qantas Frequent Flyer, this link to the Qantas website provides fast and free membership.

All Qantas Frequent Flyers begin their journey at the Bronze tier, but can work their way up the loyalty ladder.

You’ll receive your unique membership number right away, with a digital membership available to save to your phone after logging into the Qantas app.  

What are the benefits of Qantas Bronze status?

Realistically, there are almost no real benefits of being a Qantas Bronze member – but that’s in keeping with this being a free tier which anybody get can.

That said, here are six things you can do once you have Qantas Bronze status:

• earn Qantas Points on flights, when buying groceries and petrol, through online shopping and any time you use a Qantas-partner credit card
• enjoy free standard seat selection when you book any domestic or international Qantas flight
• earn Status Credits which elevate your membership to Silver and beyond
• use the Qantas Travel Money card that’s built into your Bronze Qantas Frequent Flyer card to shop online and overseas using foreign currency
• tap your Qantas Bronze card at airport terminals for faster check-in
• book Classic Flight Reward seats using your Qantas Points instead of cash, or with a combination of points and cash

How do I get from Qantas Bronze to Qantas Silver?

If you want to start enjoying some actual perks when you travel, set your sights on Silver status in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

Key benefits include earning 50% bonus Qantas Points when you fly, an additional checked baggage allowance plus one complimentary Qantas lounge invitation per year.

To get from Qantas Bronze to Qantas Silver, you’ll need to earn 300 Status Credits within your Qantas Frequent Flyer program membership year.

Status Credits are different to Qantas Points – for the large part, you can only earn Status Credits when flying (although you can pocket an easy 50 Status Credits through the Qantas Green tier promotion). You’ll earn the most Status Credits on Qantas flights, along with some Jetstar flights and flights on Oneworld members airlines (such as British Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways).

You’ll also need to take at least four eligible Qantas or Jetstar flights in your membership year.

A few flights in Qantas business class will quickly boost you from Bronze to Silver.

The online Qantas Calculator is an easy way to see how many Status Credits you’ll earn on any given flight. The number of Status Credits varies according to how far you’re flying, which airline you’re flying with and the type of fare you’ve purchased.

For example, a one-way Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane flight with Qantas under the cheapest Discount Economy fare earns 10 Status Credits, while in business class, it’s 40 Status Credits for the same journey.

A Sydney-Perth return trip on a Discount Economy fare is also worth 40 Status Credits.

For Sydney-Singapore return on Discount Economy, it’s 60 Status Credits, but 120 Status Credits on a Discount Business ticket.

Once you’ve earned Qantas Silver status, you need only earn 250 Status Credits each membership year (and take those obligatory four eligible Qantas or Jetstar flights) to keep that status. From there, Gold status awaits. 

Is Qantas Bronze the same as British Airways Bronze?

Airlines have different ways of labelling their frequent flyer tiers, and they don’t always line up.

While the entry-level tier of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program is Bronze, the equivalent starting point for British Airways Executive Club is Blue.

BA Bronze is the next step up, and it’s equal to Qantas Silver rather than Qantas Bronze.