Bonus Status Credits For Qantas Frequent Flyers + More

Last week we learned Qantas would be cancelling most international flights right up until early 2021. This clearly shows Qantas has no confidence in having international travel open up any time soon.

However, there’s some good news for domestic travellers (and hopefully the long-awaited trans-Tasman travel bubble!) with Qantas announcing a raft of initiatives to engage domestic travellers.

50% Increase In Reward Seat

Qantas promises a 50% increase in reward seats on domestic routes, using points to book a flight can offer outstanding value, especially when flights are expensive (points pricing is fixed!). For example, Perth to Exmouth might cost you $275 one way or just 12,000 Qantas points.

More Perks For Frequent Flyers — 50% Status Credits

Qantas already rolled out a very generous status extension for all its top tier frequent flyers a few months ago. Today they announced some extra perks which should go a long way to help out members who have had their flights limited this year. Eligible Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members will automatically receive 50 per cent of the Status Credits they need annually to keep their tier. Members most impacted, such as those whose membership year started at the peak of travel restrictions, will also be eligible for additional monthly Status Credits support.

Those who have Platinum One (the highest publicly available Qantas tier) will now also be able to use these bonus credits to retain their status up until December 31, 2021.

Earn Status Credits On Selected Staycations

Qantas is also reducing the points required to book accommodation through their Qantas Hotels platform. However, we don’t recommend using points to pay for hotel stays as this is generally very poor value. On a positive note, though, you can now earn bonus status credits on selected luxury hotel packages; great news for those who got their wings clipped!

No Cancellation Fees

This isn’t new, but it’s a good reminder that Qantas points bookings do not incur any cancellation or change fees until October 31, 2020.

Qantas Points Planes Are Coming Back

Last year Qantas ran some very popular campaigns for its frequent flyers, where the entire flight was bookable with points only. A few days ago, Qantas launched a similar initiative to farewell the Queen of the skies B747 with a joy flight around Sydney. No doubt we can expect more of these unique experiences aimed at aviation enthusiasts in Australia.

Award Seat Notifications

Qantas is also announcing “digital improvements” to its app. It is promising award seat notifications for users to plan future travel with the Qantas “Dream Planner” which is launching at the end of this month.

It’s great to see Qantas proactively engaging and encouraging domestic and interstate travel at a time the industry desperately needs it. Most Australians are eager to get our there and explorer their own backyard with record numbers visiting local tourist attractions within their state.