One member is extremely lucky not to have lost 350,000 Qantas points after they expired due to account inactivity.
After trying to use their points to book a redemption flight, this member discovered they had expired just five days earlier. These types of situations often end in disappointment, with the expired points lost forever.
Qantas, to their credit, has offered to reinstate the lost points in this instance. They have proposed an expired Qantas points challenge as a gesture of goodwill. This challenge requires the member to earn an additional 2,500 points within the next six months, through at least two different point-earning partners. Once the challenge has been completed, all points will be returned to the member’s account.
If you’re in a similar situation, it could be worth enquiring about a Qantas points reinstatement challenge. But our members strongly warn against relying on one being offered. Qantas is not obliged to reinstate expired points and in many instances, expired points are never recovered.
It is believed our member’s case was helped by the fact they contacted Qantas shortly after the points expired. If the enquiry was made months later, it may have been rejected.
Some members are critical of the way in which Qantas notifies members of the impending expiry of their points. A warning is sent by email one month before the points are due to expire. But this warning is buried in a generic email newsletter sent to Qantas Frequent Flyer members every month. Some believe that more should be done to warn members their points are about to disappear.
This case serves as a timely reminder to ensure that your points are not at risk. Qantas points will expire if your account is inactive for 18 months, but earning or redeeming just one point at least every 18 months is enough to keep your points alive.
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