Qantas now lets you retain Gold, Platinum status with points
By David Flynn, October 6 2017
Didn't earn quite enough status credits to requalify for your Qantas Gold or Platinum frequent flyer membership?
Qantas is now letting some of its frequent flyers 'buy' another year of status with their points, under the trial of what it calls a 'paid retention' plan.
The offer is made to selected members who fall short of having enough status credits to retain Gold or Platinum status (600 and 1200 status credits, respectively).
Australian Business Traveller reader Matthew Nolan tells us that he was barely a third of the way to retaining his Gold status, with 235 status credits to his name, and received an email from the Qantas Frequent Flyer program inviting him to contact the QFF call centre to "discuss options available to retain your current tier."
Matthew was offered another year of Gold status for 80,000 Qantas points – an offer he tells us he was quick to accept.
Reader Danny McGowan reports that he received a similar offer before his Platinum status expired, having flown enough to only get halfway to the 1200 status credit mark, with the cost of enjoying another year of Platinum perks pegged at 100,000 points.
Other readers note the asking price for Platinum being as high as 120,000 points.
Australian Business Traveller understands that the paid retention offer is extended to members according to their long-term loyalty and activity, with the number of points required also based on their activity – which explains why it can vary from one frequent flyer to the next.
“We know how much our tiered members value their benefits and how keen they are to retain their status," a Qantas spokesperson told Australian Business Traveller.
"While they may have been loyal frequent flyers for years, occasionally members’ circumstances change which means they’ve flown less than usual during the past year and therefore fall short of reaching the number of status credits required to keep their tier."
"To provide flexibility and recognise their long-term loyalty, we therefore offer some members the opportunity to use Qantas Points to retain their current tier for another 12 months.”
Is Qantas status worth buying?
Qantas' paid retention scheme appears to take the place of the complimentary status retention which has previously been extended to frequent flyers who fall just short of keeping Gold or Platinum, with their eligibility typically based on their average status credit tally over the past three years.
The more you appreciate the perks of Qantas Gold or Platinum status, the less likely you'll be to risk losing that shiny card – even if it costs you a fistful of points.
For example, keeping Gold status for 80,000 points turns out to be a pretty good deal.
We asked Australian Business Traveller's resident points guru Chris Chamberlin to crunch the numbers, and here is his take:
80,000 points for Qantas Gold status is a pretty good deal considering that Qantas ‘sells’ Qantas Club membership for 78,000 points for one year, plus a 70,000-point joining fee (which they don’t waive when you drop from Gold to Silver)… not that using 78,000 points to buy a $540 membership is remotely good value, as it equates to less than 0.7 cents per point in value.
But Qantas Gold is significantly better as it also qualifies as Oneworld Sapphire across all Oneworld airlines, so you get access to all Oneworld and Qantas partner lounges, along with priority security and priority boarding, which isn't available to Qantas Club members.
The same maths could make 100,000 points a decent deal for keeping Platinum status if you place a high value on the use of first class lounges and being further up the pecking order when it comes to upgrades – things you may miss if you fail to requalify for Platinum and are given a 'soft landing' to Gold.
Pocketing those extra points
Don't forget that many credit cards include a sign-up bonus of around 100,000 Qantas points, which makes them a smart form of 'insurance' if you're currently tracking short of your Gold or Platinum goal:
- the American Express Platinum Business Card offers 120,000 bonus Qantas Points
- the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card offers 100,000 bonus Qantas Points
- the Westpac Altitude Black American Express + Mastercard combo pairs 80,000 bonus Qantas Points with a further 20,000 Qantas Points if you apply via Australian Business Traveller
- the St. George Amplify Signature Visa card offers 90,000 bonus Qantas Points (this deal is also available via the near-identical Bank of Melbourne Amplify Signature Visa and the BankSA Amplify Signature Visa credit cards)
- the ANZ Qantas Frequent Flyer Black card offers 75,000 bonus Qantas Points plus 75 bonus status credits (which could be all you need to keep your status for another year)
- the HSBC Platinum Qantas Visa card offers 60,000 bonus Qantas Points
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 167
A long term Platinum member of my family was offered this in May for 100,000 points but declined as they're happy with Lifetime Gold. Not sure how many takers they'll get.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
Does the 'price' in points change depending on how close you are. Say I have Platinum and get 1000 status credits next year. What will they charge in points for that extra 200 SCs.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
We will have to wait for QF to respond to AusBT's request for comment or use the comments of readers here as a set of 'data points' but I think it would make sense for QF to have a sliding scale so the closer you are to re-qualifying the fewer points you have to pay. Then again maybe the closer you are the more desperate you will be and so they can squeeze you for the maximum number of points!
12 Nov 2015
Total posts 2
I think other things such as how long have your been a Gold or Platinum member should be regarded as well as how short you are on Status Points for any particular year.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
Very interesting and great work on the 'maths' behind this offer, Chris! Yes, if I was not even half way to Gold and was offered Gold for 80,000 points I would snap it up!
27 Apr 2017
Total posts 39
And so the already overcrowded lounges will get even more crowded.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
They’re not going to give points comps to the same people every year and not everyone that falls short will necessarily get an offer. Getting points off people for comps is better for QF than giving them out for free and may actually reduce the number of comps as some people reject the offer who wouldn’t have if it was free.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
This is an interesting development and one I'll likely need next year as a change of job has reduced my travel but its likely to ramp back up again next year but possibly not enough to re-qualify for Platinum...
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
I wonder what they consider the dollar value to be worth?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Mar 2014
Total posts 219
Everything has a price these days...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2015
Total posts 219
Just fly. Easiest way. I'm 60 short of Platinum so have a quick trip to Singapore which tips me across the line
04 May 2015
Total posts 261
I guess this isn't much different to what used to happen, where you could book "any seat award" flights using points in a way that actually earned points and status credits like a normal flight, but only cost you the same number of points to book as a regular award flight.
If you pushed it with connections, you could basically earn 200 status credits when spending about 36,000 points, or 400 SCs for 72,000 points, which is pretty much on par with 80,000 points to jump from 235 SCs to the 600SCs needed for gold as in the article, but Qantas doesn't have to feed you and fly you around the country to get there (filling up a business class seat), and spending the points today doesn't add to your lifetime status tally (as it doesn't seem like you're really earning extra SCs with this new path, just having your tier retained).
I guess that's better than having to waste a day or three just to earn extra status credits... these days I don't think I'd have time for that!
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
I really like your analysis. Before reading it I was thinking "rip off" but now contextualised against the points cost of doing a status run to get there, i can actually see the value!
24 May 2017
Total posts 4
All well and good if you actually want to (and are able to) go to somewhere that will earn the required SCs before your anniversary date.
04 May 2016
Total posts 34
Is this a favour to loyal customers or does it suggest desperation on the part of QF - to keep you shackled to the flying kangaroo when you might have been broadening your flying horizons ?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
Both!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 May 2017
Total posts 13
With Virgins Economy X you only need to pay as little as $29.00 to gain Platinum benifits which is unfair on genuine members.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
LOL That's not correct, atleast Virgin you can book your forward seat/s while Qantas you need to wait a couple of days before the flight (even platinum members).
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum
07 Feb 2013
Total posts 548
And so how does that makes Bob's statement incorrect? LOL!
04 Nov 2016
Total posts 3
Qantas needs to get the points you hold off their books because they are a liability: they also want to retain your loyalty, so this seems like a pretty sensible initiative.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 320
This is great news for people who may be between jobs or a change in circumstances that means they have a lean year in regards to flying, is there anything in the T & C about whether the purchased SC count towards lifetime status?
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
You're not purchasing SCs, you're getting comped. So even though you earn say 500 SC in the year they *may* give you an offer to keep Gold status for X points. This purchase has no direct effect on your SC tally.
They may/may not give the offer so you can't count on getting one.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Arguably this is just letting them make some money (internal coat of points) for what they often did for free anyway
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2014
Total posts 11
Does this possibly mean that they are thinking of scrapping comp gold/platinum based on your average three year status credit balance instead requiring you to pay with points in place of that?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 May 2017
Total posts 14
I'd say QF will definitely dump the three year averaging to determine comps with instead the three year average to determine if you are eligible to be offered a points purchase retain. That's assuming it hasn't already been dumped For this approach.
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
I think so too, but don't mind that so much. I know people who have been comped that have permanently reduced their travel. I like a freebie as much as the next person, but I think it makes more sense to put a value on these things.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 687
"Qantas now lets you buy Gold, Platinum status with points"
Unintentionally, a little misleading, I would think. Perhaps, a more accurate description would be:
"Qantas now lets you RETAIN Gold, Platinum status with points"
Sorry to be pedantic - but there might be a few misguided souls out there drawn to the article thinking they can now move from Bronze / Silver to Gold or Platinum by simply 'buying' status with excess points. As we know, Silvers are not mentioned in this piece at all - and Bronze? Do QFF know that they exist?
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
This is a very good point.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
Good point, Kimshep, we had 'keep' at first but swapped out for 'buy' as it was more active and had more punch, but 'retain' works well, so have modified title accordingly. And haven't heard any reports of Silvers being approached under this.
26 Sep 2017
Total posts 2
How would I do this?
26 Sep 2017
Total posts 2
Do I need to wait fro Qantas to offer me the option?
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Have you read the article?
01 Jan 1970
Total posts 0
Last month I received 3 successive emails from Qantas with the same offer - 120,000 points to retain Platinum. The thing was, I actually have enough Status Credits to retain Platinum.
21 Jul 2011
Total posts 89
I don’t like it. I earn my status the hardcore way and those lounges are full enough as it is.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Oct 2017
Total posts 3
I got offered the option to pay 120k points to retain Platinum with 2 weeks to go. I’m 160 points short of the 1200.
17 Oct 2017
Total posts 1
I've been gold and platinum for the last 3 years. I was shy of 20 points to get my bonus 50 status points. I called them and they said no. Couldn't even provide the reasons.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Jul 2015
Total posts 7
Pity they are not retaining longterm QC members by waiving the absurd $390 joining fee if you don't renew in it time.
01 Feb 2018
Total posts 1
Great string everyone, I've always found the information helpful so thought I should join up now I have something to share.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Apr 2018
Total posts 4
I wonder if the 80,000 points to be granted gold status or 120,000 for platinum are a fixed amount. I was 15 SC short of moving back to gold after a year on silver, after I missed the chance to earn 20 points on a JQ flight due to misinformation fro the QFF helpline. When I raised this as an issue with the helpline they took almost 2 months to come back to me (10 days before my membership year expired) and offered the upgrade to gold for 80,000 points.
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
120k to retain offer received (and declined) today. Declined as I will retain Gold. Will miss lounge though!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Apr 2018
Total posts 4
I found the points fee of 100K when I was only 15 SC's short of gold to be rather insulting. It should definitely be pro-rata, based on how many SC's you need to buy. Even 100,000points = 500 SCs (just to make the maths easier) & go from there. I note that a loyalty bonus is 50SC's or 8000 points, so on that basis 500 SC's should be 80,000 points, & a full 600 could be 100K
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Aug 2018
Total posts 112
That is an angle worth exploring. I am due to contact QFF services at the end of this month to explore means to obtain an additional 10 Status credits to secure Platinum. I wonder what 10 SC are worth in terms of points. Has any one actually put that proposition to QFF services for 10 SCs? Would love to hear from them via this forum
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