• expired

Qantas Frequent Flyer 12 Month Status Extension

2220

Sorry more of a PSA.

Dear,

The impacts of Coronavirus are unprecedented and continue to evolve on a daily basis.

Among the many impacts, we know your travel plans have been affected. We appreciate the need for flexibility during this time and the importance of preserving the travel benefits that you’ve earned through your loyalty to us.

To give you one less thing to worry about right now, your Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold status will automatically be extended for 12 months. The extension will be actioned in two phases - if your membership year ends:
between March and June 2020, it will be automatically extended by 27 March 2020; and
between July 2020 and February 2021, it will be automatically extended by 9 April 2020.
Your Membership Year end date is located in My Account or the Qantas App. If you have more questions visit qantas.com/statusextension. There is no need to register or call the contact centre, we will take care of everything.

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  • Looks like Qantas have also added a Points Club banner which is visible when logged into QFF under "My points activity", guessing this is how SC's can be earned in future without flying.

  • +15

    Hopefully Velocity to follow suit.

    • Doubt it will matter, i suspect Virgin will not survive this crisis

      • +2

        Will be about as useful as flashing your Ansett Golden Wings card around

        • yep - imo Virgin will need some type of bailout

      • Yeah virgin were having major problems before this, I don't them making it out unless the government helps them out

  • Ah this is great.. I traveled every month for a year and availed 5 of those flights on double status credit to barely scrape in with 800 SC. I gave up travelling in July last year and they just gave me a year more. Thanks u CV

    • +1

      do all your flying in first class and you'll get there in no time

  • +1

    Note this doesn't apply if you've already earned a status extension for next year :(

    • Not yet.

    • This is not useful for me.

    • Actually Its irelevant. I am gold and points plus. Either give me lounge… so its not that you dont get it.. you already have it

      • Not quite - for anyone with a 1 Apr to 31 Mar membership year who has already requalified this year, they get nothing. From next week, we can't fly and get no status credit relief, and we miss out on the "extension for a year" by one week. They should make anyone with a year end during the crisis get the extension for a year.

  • +17

    Yeah baby, it wasn't mentioned but my nothing Bronze status has been renewed for a further 12 months. Thank you Qantas.

    /sarcasm

  • +3

    Great. My gold was due to expire soon and I had to cancel a recent business fare o/s that would have requalified me.

    • I was in the same boat. Gold until July 2021 now!

  • +4

    anyone with lots of virgin points worried that they will become obsolete? since there's lots of talk about them becoming insolvent?

    • +1

      That's silly un-researched nonsense, probably brought on by the hysteria and panic we are witnessing day by day.

      They have plenty of liquidity. Look it up.

      • +1

        Virgin actually don't they have made a profit one year out of the last 10
        are heavily in debt and are constantly re-inventing themselves to try and claw market share.
        its not "un-researched" Virgin is in a ship load of trouble if this crisis lasts too long

        • +3

          I reckon wizzlesticks has seen their claim of $1b in cash and thought ZOMG WUTS ERRYONE ON BOUT??? …and completely missed VA’s $5b debt stack…

          • -1

            @dwarves: It's public knowledge that VA is underpinned by 90% private equity (other airlines and Chinese investment), so what I've partly conveyed is much more complicated than the bubble you seem to live in. All airlines are in trouble, but the cash that QF and VA are sitting on will keep them afloat for a few months. Beyond that it's not just Virgin that would be in trouble.

            • +3

              @wizzlesticks: “Private equity” does not mean what you think it means.

              HNA is so busted it’s just been taken over by China Inc.

              Etihad and SQ are not ATMs.

              Interesting that you’ve walked back from “plenty of liquidity” to now saying they have cash for “a few months” and then said oh and btw everyone’s in the same boat…effectively admitting your initial claim was BS.

      • Still not worried?

    • +2

      The talk is all airlines are heading to becoming insolvent…… Decades of wasting cash and not saving.

      The real question, is why do we need to bail them out? This is good article based on the USA ones crying poor, after making BILLIONS in profit year on year.

      https://slate.com/business/2020/03/airlines-bailout-coronavi…

      • Qantas will be fine (including Jetstar)
        Virgin i reckon will go bust (including Tiger)

        • The dithering Deputy PM and Aviation Minister will do little to help

      • Yeah the US airlines have a lot to answer for. They even used cheap borrowing rates to buy back their own shares, thereby driving up the value. They've been doing this for 10 years with all their spare cash. I would say most US airlines don't deserve to be bailed out.

      • I think Qantas will be fine. The Qantas Group has over $2B in cash

        • +1

          The majority of cash Qantas has is revenue from fare sales, so basically you pay for a fare up to a year in advance and they don't actually incur the costs until you fly. A bit like how insurance companies. Qantas and Virgin are both being smart and extending cancellations out as far as they can so many people take credits and they don't have to return the cash. Once they cancel flights they have to return your cash. If you don't think Virgin will survive, I think the government will not allow one company to effectively dictate pricing and bailout Virgin to the level required, you should not take credit for cancelled flights and use your points now. Any restructure could see points possibly lost.

    • +1

      you can convert your velocity points to Krisflyer.

      • Would that be a safe decision though?

        • Singapore Airlines is backed by the Singaporean government. It won't go bust unlike Virgin which could do so without government assistance.

      • This is what I'm thinking of doing.

    • Move points to krisflyer

  • +2

    I'm confused. So my status was due to reset on 31 March and have gold until 31 March 2021. Does that mean I'll get it until 31 March 2022 or nothing really changes?

    • Same boat here. It was going to tick over anyway so it would be better to extend a whole nother year

    • Looks like nothing changes for you. But you don’t know what they’ll do in the future, not much flying is going to be possible for a very long time, especially international. So few people will be flying enough to retain status. I suspect they’ll do something more once there is a clear idea how long the virus impacts will last

      • -1

        As of April I also start losing months to be able to earn status for the following year, if anything this policy disadvantages me. I've cancelled 3 business trips and a personal trip for April alone. I travel domestically in economy so it's a hell of a lot of travel to get gold and as some trips require 3 flights each way, lounge access is a godsend.

        So while I have status until next March, I have less and less months to qualify again if that makes sense.

        • So while I have status until next March, I have less and less months to qualify again if that makes sense.

          Don't see how it disadvantages you - but yeah you just get nothing from it.

          People in the best boat, I mean plane, would be the ones with those with Jan or Feb anniversaries, with the longest time to sit out the virus.

          • @dufflover: Because I can't fly and I dont get an extension of status. This means rather than 1 year to requalify I'll have somewhere between 6-9 months.

            • @SirFlibbled: They have said they will revisit this based on how long it lasts. There are people whose status will get renewed until April 2020, but they may not be able to fly for another 3-6 months either. So I suspect they will put statuses on hold with extensions until at least a reasonable level of flying can occur. The frequent flyer program is a very profitable part of Qantas and they can't afford for it to lose members.

    • -1

      Sort of a empty gesture if nobody is able to take advantage of the status.

      Status Credits won't be kept, and will still expire at anniversary according to the FAQ

      When Qantas extends my status as part of this change, will my Status Credits reset to zero?
      No. Your annual Status Credit total will only reset to zero at the end of your current Membership Year. The 12 month status extension will not change this.

      • -1

        Exactly!! People don't understand this part.

        • +1

          Or they do, but they're not bothered about it.

      • -1

        Logged in to upvote, not sure why you are being negged as this is true.

    • I'm in the same situation, looks like they are thinking of us though:

      My membership anniversary date is in March 2020, so while the extension will take my membership year to March 2021, I still may not be able to fly for much of this year. Will Qantas consider additional support to help me retain next year?

      The situation is constantly evolving, as is our response. We will review whether additional support is required closer to the time.

  • +6

    That’s quite nice. I hit P1 in July and since then I’ve only taken one trip due to a baby and now covid.

    Still. It’s only worth something if you’re flying, which I can’t see happening anytime soon. But I will be flying a lot once the virus situation is resolved.

    • +1

      Still. It’s only worth something if you’re flying.

      Agreed and only if the lounge is open ;)

      Both things that are not really happening at this point in time.

      • +2

        Hopefully things will resolve quickly, but I can’t see things returning to anything like normal for at least 12 months. I’ve customers who need face to face otherwise very little happens. To win work you need to be in front of them.

        We say that in Australia the first person often gets the sale, but in Asia it’s the last person left in the room who gets the customer. You need to be there, and be there often.

        • I find it interesting that you feel you need to be in front of customer to sell work. I feel exactly the same - mind if I ask what industry?

        • -1

          Hopefully things will resolve quickly, but I can’t see things returning to anything like normal for at least 12 months

          Agreed, they are saying 12-18 months at least and most likely 'normal' won't return until we get a vaccine or everyone has basically gotten it and gotten over it. Building up immunity against the virus.

          That is assuming you only get it 'once' and it doesn't mutate like the flu does every year.

          • @JimmyF:

            mutate like the flu does every year.

            That would be a nightmare scenario. Qantas status would be the least of my concerns.

            • @ChickenTalon: Agreed….. Life on earth just got a lot shorter for everyone if that happens!

      • is that all you get for Plat?

        With Thai, at gold level you get one upgrade from Eco to Business, or Business to First. And 50% off a booking on your birthday.

        And their membership status lasts 2 years, not 1.

        • +1

          No. You get quite a bit more than lounge access. But really, all the benefits only apply if you’re actually flying.

          Here is my summary of the benefits by tier Bronze to Platinum.
          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/6455334/redir

          Note that P1 has further benefits beyond plat. E.g. Access to the MCA lounge in Circular Quay, Sydney. Next level of flight attendants asking how you’re going and knowing creepy things about you. And they bring you a cake with your name on it in the lounge….

        • With Thai, at gold level you get one upgrade from Eco to Business, or Business to First. And 50% off a booking on your birthday.

          All those benefits you list only if you're flying… With all international flights being cancelled, those Thai airways benefits just all disappeared……

          • @JimmyF:

            All those benefits you list only if you're flying…

            well, I presume a lounge only benefits you if you're flying also?

            With all international flights being cancelled, those Thai airways benefits just all disappeared……

            Only if you were planning to travel during that time. Not everyone flies every week. Use it later. Unless you expect the flying ban to be permanent?

            • @lostn: Thanks for coming. Have a good day!

    • You could have applied for STATUS HOLD

      • Not for P1, they do unofficially give you a further year of plat if you don't re-qualify for P1.

  • -6

    They are gonna go broke.

    • +2

      Probably not. They are mainly a domestic airline, so at least they are a bit sheltered from the international problems.

      With just how large Australia is, airlines are vital even within a partial shutdown of travel, flights will still need to be operated in Australia.

      Even if the financials did turn dire (which I don't think they will), As Qantas is the flag carrier and subject to the conditions of the Qantas Sales Act, which is a bit of a guarantee that the government would bail it out (Ansett wasn't bailed out due to not being the flag carrier and also Virgin also starting to operate at the same time).

      • I think Qantas might even survive without a government bailout. Joyce has been saving quite a bit

        • $5 billion in debt

        • Funny money. Didn’t QF inherit debt from Hellstar’s fleet upgrade?

  • +11

    Good to know my bronze status is safe for a bit longer…

  • unfortunately mine expired last Nov….

    • +1

      Only if China told the world that there was a new coronavirus instead of locking up the people who discovered it…. Then we'd avoid this entire mess.

      • Unlikely people would have panicked and still spread the virus, it just would have been sooner.

  • Hopefully VA follow suit. Have Platinum status and need requalification by October. I only managed to get 420 out of 800 credits before the virus hit, I've cancelled 2 China trips this month and 1 China trip next month so far.

    • +1

      You will get bonus status credits instead. Word on the street is that Platinums will get 70 status credits a month for the next three months for a total of 210.

      Still doesn't get you to maintaining Platinum, but at least you'll be a lot closer.

      • I am Platinum with both Qantas and Virgin however I can't see Virgin not being forced to follow.

      • Yeah, looks like I'll get 210. Up to 630 credits. Just need 270 credits by late October. If flights are back to normal around June/July I'll easily get them. If not, I'm hoping they give us some more credits but more importantly a waiver on the 8 VA flights, I think I'm only on 5 or 6 so far! Last year I remember it showing something like '23 out of 8 required' haha

    • you were going to go there twice in one month? Why not just stay there longer? Were you trying to get more miles?

      • +1

        No, just multiple work trips to Shanghai. Had a factory meeting planned for around the 16th and then a trade show around the 30th. No way I'd stay the ~2 weeks in between, need to be back in the office in Melbourne.

  • Great news.
    My gold was due to expire on 31st March.
    Thank OP!

  • -1

    Do a status match to acquire VA customers.

    • +1

      This.

      • +2

        They already do status challenges. What would be the benefit of doing status matches in today’s climate?

  • I really hope Etihad Emirates would follow suit!

  • +1

    Bummer. Close to silver but probably won’t get there now
    So my ~250 SC points will disappear

    • Same plane boat here, bronze right now, expiry 31 May, currently 265 points, only 35 to go to get Silver right now, have had to cancel 2 trips, one with double status, I was set to get Gold before 31 May, shrug.

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