Qantas Will Return Status Credit Earning On Reward Flights
Plot twist: the perk Qantas axed is now a paid credit card feature
For years, one of the most coveted perks of Qantas’ Points Club sub-membership was the ability to earn Status Credits on Classic Reward bookings. This allowed members to rack up elite Qantas status on bookings paid for using Qantas Points, rather than cash. It effectively turns a points redemption into a status-earning trip as well as a cheap one.
So when Qantas announced in February that it would scrap Points Club and Green Tier from late 2026, framing the change as a simplification to strip out sub-status complexity, this was the benefit members were most reluctant to lose. The backlash was swift, with many frequent flyers singling it out as one of the few genuinely standout perks in a loyalty program increasingly criticised for devaluation.
Qantas has since acknowledged that disappointment, and is now looking to bring the benefit back in a new form. Not as a frequent flyer perk, but as a benefit of a Qantas co-branded credit card.
Status Credit Earn On Redemptions Shifts To Credit Card Perk
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Qantas Loyalty CEO Andrew Glance confirmed that earning Status Credits on Classic Reward bookings will return as a perk tied to a Qantas credit card.
The benefit will roll out as Points Club is retired, with Qantas indicating a launch in late 2026 or early 2027. Earn rates are currently unknown, but likely to mirror the current table for Points Club members.
It's not yet clear which credit card will carry the benefit, but members might not even need to use that card to pay for the redemption booking. In other words, you can pay the cash component of your redemption with any card and still earn Status Credits, as long as you simply hold the qualifying card.
Given Qantas Frequent Flyer's increased visibility over Qantas Money credit cards, it wouldn't be surprising to see this land on the Qantas Money Platinum ($349 annual fee) or the Qantas Money Titanium ($1,200 annual fee).
Qantas To Retire Points Club & Green Tier
Qantas flyers can continue to earn and retain both Points Club and Green Tier until these sub-programs are retired in late 2026. For now, there's no confirmed retirement date, and it's unclear whether Qantas will give members advance notice.
Members who attain or retain Points Club or Points Club Plus before its retirement date can access the benefits through their current membership year, and until the end of their next membership year.
Green tier benefits will end immediately on the program retirement date. From that date, members who have earned a bonus reward but haven't yet selected it will have 90 days to choose between 10,000 Qantas Points or 50 Status Credits.
