Have you ever wondered about the difference between Qantas Points and Status Credits? Both are crucial for anyone keen on making the most of their Qantas Frequent Flyer membership. Let’s break down the difference!
1. Qantas Points:
What are they?
- Qantas Points are the rewards you earn by flying with Qantas, their partners, or using their services.
How do you earn them?
- Flying with Qantas or partner airlines.
- Shopping with Qantas’s retail partners.
- Using Qantas-linked credit cards.
- Booking hotels or renting cars through Qantas partners.
- Companies sometimes offer bonus points during promos for using their services
What can you do with them?
- Redeem them for flights or upgrades.
- Shop for items in the Qantas Store.
- Book hotels or car rentals.
- Purchase gift cards or experiences.
Should you bother with them?
- Qantas Points can be redeemed for classic reward flights which can offer huge discounts off regular flights. For example, business class Sydney to Los Angeles can turn a $10K seat into 108K points + taxes. If you have any intent of flying regularly, it’s worth considering if earning points could fit into your lifestyle.
2. Status Credits:
What are they?
- Status Credits are different from Qantas Points. They determine your membership tier (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) within the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.
How do you earn them?
- Primarily by flying. The further and more premium the class, the more Status Credits you’ll earn. Status credits are much harder to accumulate as you really need to be flying often in order to improve your status. Very few products outside of flights offer status credits as a bonus.
What can you do with them?
- You can’t spend Status Credits like you do with Qantas Points. Instead, they accumulate to elevate your membership tier.
- Higher tiers mean more benefits: priority boarding, extra baggage, lounge access, and more.
- Higher status is especially useful for the priority service & access to earlier reward seat availability.
Should you bother with them?
- Unless you intend on flying often, you don’t really need a higher membership tier. Bronze (the default status everyone starts with) is fine. If you intend on flying frequently, you’ll automatically earn status credits. If you are interested in priority service & earlier reward seat availability then considering fares that earn more credits may be worthwhile.
Summary Qantas Points vs Status Credits:
Think of Qantas Points as currency you earn and spend. Status Credits, on the other hand, are like milestones that upgrade your travel experience. So, while Qantas Points get you rewards, Status Credits enhance your flying experience. You don’t need any status credits to still take advantage of Qantas points but you’ll earn status credits automatically when you fly.
For more info on status credits, check out our deep dive into the different tiers here
For methods on earning points, check out the Qantas site here
