What are Status Credits and how do I earn them?

Status Credits determine your level of status in the Qantas and Velocity Frequent Flyer programs. As you move up the ranks, you’ll unlock more benefits when you fly.

In this guide, we’ll look at how to earn Status Credits and how many Status Credits you’ll need to reach the next tier of status for Qantas and Velocity’s frequent flyer programs.

Watch our short video or continue reading below to learn more:

What are Status Credits?

Status Credits (SCs) determine which level of frequent flyer status you hold, and is mostly tied to the amount of paid flying you do with an airline and its partners The amount of SCs earned from a flight is determined by the:

• Airline you fly: some partners earn more, some less
• Distance you fly: longer flights earn more SCs than shorter flights
• Fare you purchase: premium cabin fares earn more SCs

Generally, the more expensive the ticket you buy, the more SCs you’ll earn. For example, you will earn more SCs on a Business Class ticket from Sydney to Auckland than if you flew in Economy.

Similarly, taking a trip from Australia to Europe will net you more SCs than if you flew to Asia.

How are Status Credits different from frequent flyer points?

Frequent flyer points are earned not only through flying but also by signing up to and spending on a credit card, shopping online and making purchases with retail partners. Points can be redeemed for reward flights as well as flight upgrades, gift cards and merchandise.

Status Credits (SCs), on the other hand, are designed to reward loyalty to an airline and its partners. Whilst you cannot ‘redeem’ SCs, the more you have, the better benefits you will receive from the frequent flyer program. These benefits include lounge access, complimentary upgrades and priority security screening.

How do I earn Status Credits?

The main way to earn Status Credits (SCs) is by flying with an airline and its partners on a paid fare. See how many Status Credits you can earn on your next Qantas or Virgin Australia flight.

Reward seat bookings typically don’t earn Status Credits for both airlines. The only exception is members of the Qantas Points Club tiers, who earn a small amount of SCs on Qantas-operated reward seat bookings.

COVID-19 Update: As of September 2020, both airlines have extended most frequent flyer’s status levels by 1 year and also provided bonus Status Credits to help maintain your current tier. See the respective frequent flyer website for more information.

During normal travel times, keep an eye out for double SCs offers from Qantas and Velocity. These tend to run 2-3 times a year. Taking advantage of these promotions, these are the best routes to do a ‘status run’ on with Qantas and Velocity.

If you hold the ANZ Frequent Flyer Black or American Express Velocity Platinum Card, you can pick up bonus SCs with Qantas and Velocity, respectively. These may be earned as a sign-up bonus or with ongoing spend.

Velocity members can also boost their SCs by shopping at Coles and pooling their SCs with family members. Qantas periodically offer limited-time ways to earn SCs on the ground, such as through BP or Qantas Hotels.

How many Status Credits do I need?

When you join Qantas or Velocity Frequent Flyer, you’ll be a Bronze or Red member at the start, respectively. As you earn more Status Credits (SCs), you will move up the ranks, with each level granting you better privileges such as priority check-in and boarding.

The next tier is Silver, but the third one — Gold — is where you start to get meaningful benefits like lounge access and upgrades. Platinum status and higher are for road warriors who travel a lot and have access to a greater range of perks.

Here is a quick reference guide to how many Status Credits you would need to earn for Qantas or Velocity elite status:

	Qantas Frequent Flyer	Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bronze/Red	Entry-level (Bronze)	Entry-level (Red)
Silver	Earn: 300 SCs Maintain: 250 SCs Lifetime: 7,000 SCs	Earn: 250 SCs Maintain: 200 SCs Lifetime: N/A
Gold	Earn: 700 SCs Maintain: 600 SCs Lifetime: 14,000 SCs	Earn: 500 SCs Maintain: 400 SCs Lifetime: N/A
Platinum	Earn: 1,400 SCs Maintain: 1,200 SCs Lifetime: 75,000 SCs	Earn: 1,00 SCs Maintain: 800 SCs Lifetime: N/A
Platinum One	Earn: 3,600 SCs with 75% earned on QF-marketed flights	N/A

This table doesn’t take into account eligible sectors that you will also need to fly to earn a status level. Qantas requires four eligible sectors for all its tiers up to Platinum, whereas Velocity requires two for Silver, four for Gold and eight for Platinum.

Eligible sectors are essentially paid flights with a QF flight code (for Qantas Frequent Flyer) or a VA flight code (for Velocity Frequent Flyer). Click those links to learn more about the status requirements of each program.

Read about how to earn more Status Credits with indirect flights →

Here’s a short video on how to get Qantas Silver status:

Summing up

Status Credits determine the level of status you hold in a frequent flyer program. For Australia-based travellers, the most common programs are Qantas and Velocity Frequent Flyer.

You’ll earn Status Credits mainly through flying, but you can also boost your balance by holding specific credit cards, pooling your points and doing grocery shopping.

Note that your status level resets every 12 months, but the requirement for maintaining status is lower than reaching it in the first place. This makes it easier to hold onto status once you have it.

Speaking of, if you are a new parent, you can pause your status with both Qantas and Velocity. Finally, once you reach Gold or Platinum status, it is worth looking into status matching to a similar level in other programs.

Frequently asked questions