Thanks to the current Double Qantas Status Credits promotion, there has been a flurry of questions and discussion on the AFF forum about Qantas status runs. Many people are booking flights to take advantage of the reduced amount of flying needed to earn Gold (or Platinum) status. But is Gold status worth it?
Well, it depends.
For many frequent flyers, Gold status is the “sweet spot”. It comes with some extremely useful and worthwhile benefits if you fly often. For example, you’ll receive lounge access and the ability to skip most airport queues. Gold status doesn’t come with some of the nice extras afforded to Platinum members, such as First Class lounge access. But Gold is much easier to earn – requiring only half the amount of status credits of Platinum status – and still makes flying a much more enjoyable experience.
So if you’re only a little bit short of Qantas Gold status, taking a status run can be worth it. You might spend a few hundred dollars on flights. But the benefits you’ll receive over the following year will usually make up for this.
If you’re quite a long way off, however, the value is questionable. In one recent AFF example, AFF member inline64 was 210 status credits short of Qantas Gold…
My wife has done most of the travelling for work this year and is now on her way from Silver to Gold but the work travel may have dried up for the remainder of the year. She currently has 490 Qantas SC and needs 210SC more for Gold she still has till the end of the year to do it. Can anyone recommend any tip or tricks on the best and cheapest way to get to the pot of Gold?
While it is certainly possible to earn the extra 210 status credits with a status run, this would require a not insignificant spend on flights. With Double Status Credits on offer, our member would only need to earn 105 status credits on Qantas flights. One of the cheapest ways to earn these status credits would be a return trip from Brisbane to Christchurch flying Business outbound and Economy Saver on the way home. These flights would cost $796 in total.
In this case, the cost is comparable to paying for a new Qantas Club membership. This costs $939 for the first year and $540/year to renew. Alternatively, AFF Gold members can access Qantas Club discounts and pay only $690.18 in the first year or $442.80 to renew.
Qantas Gold status does come with additional benefits over Qantas Club, such as priority boarding and Oneworld Sapphire status for lounge access when flying with other Oneworld airlines. But Qantas Club members still receive lounge access when flying Qantas and some additional baggage allowances. So for many frequent flyers, Qantas Club membership will be a better value option than spending hundreds or even thousands on a status run.
If you are considering booking a Qantas status run, don’t forget that the current Double Status Credits promo ends tomorrow! See our guide to the current promotion or our Qantas Status Run Discussion Thread for more information or to ask a question.
When do you think it’s worth chasing Gold status? Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas Silver to Gold Help
