Just short of the next status tier with Qantas Frequent Flyer? If you haven’t quite flown enough yet in your membership year to qualify for your desired status level, you might consider undertaking a Qantas status run.

To earn or renew Qantas status, you’ll need to fly at least 4 eligible Qantas or Jetstar flights and earn a minimum amount of status credits during your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership year.

Without flying, you can earn 50 status credits as a reward for reaching the Qantas Green Tier or as a Loyalty Bonus. You can get up to 4 Loyalty Bonuses per membership year, each time you earn 500 status credits from Qantas or Jetstar flights. Other than that, status credits can generally only be earned by flying with Qantas, Jetstar (with a bundle) or Oneworld airlines.

You can check the number of status credits you’ll earn for any given flight using the calculator and charts on the Qantas website.

What is a status run?

The concept of a “status run” is to book a trip that maximises the number of status credits earned while minimising the cost of the flights. Status runners typically aim to keep the “cost per status credit” below $5.

When booking a status run, the destination of the flight is rarely important… although a nice destination can make it more fun if you’re planning a weekend away!

Flying Malaysia Airlines Business Class within Asia used to be one of the cheapest ways to acquire status credits cheaply. Unfortunately, Qantas Frequent Flyer now only awards status credits for most Malaysia Airlines Business Class fares at the lower “Flexible Economy” rate. Malaysia Airlines has also increased its Business Class airfares substantially in recent times, effectively killing this off as a lucrative status run option.

But you can still get some good value on certain Qantas routes – as well as with some other partner airlines.

If you are planning to book a status run on Qantas, keep an eye out for a Double Status Credit offer! Qantas typically runs these promotions 1-2 times per year, with Qantas operated and marketed flights booked during specific periods eligible to earn 100% more status credits.

Our top Qantas status run picks

Do you need to earn a few more status credits before the end of your membership year? To help you on your quest for Qantas status, here is a selection of some of the best Qantas Frequent Flyer status runs available in 2024…

1. Qantas Business Class to New Zealand

You can often find reasonably-priced Qantas Business Class fares on trans-Tasman routes, earning 80 status credits one-way (or 160 if there is a Double Status Credits promotion running).

Often, you can also add on a domestic connection for very little extra cost to earn even more status credits. For example, if you flew Brisbane-Melbourne-Christchurch or Gold Coast-Melbourne-Auckland, you would earn 140 status credits one-way.

For a better Business Class experience across the Tasman, try to book an Airbus A330 flight rather than a Boeing 737 flight! Qantas uses A330s on selected Brisbane-Auckland and Sydney-Auckland services.

2. Jetstar Business Max fares to Asia

Although Qantas’ Business Class fares to Asia have been expensive lately, Jetstar Business Class can be a lot more affordable.

The actual product is closer to Premium Economy with other airlines. You don’t get a lie-flat bed in Jetstar Business Class! But if you pay around an extra $220 each way over the Business Starter price for a Business Max fare, you’ll earn Qantas status credits at the Qantas “Discount Business” rate.

This equates to 120 status credits one-way on most Jetstar routes from Australia to Asia including Melbourne-Singapore, Brisbane-Seoul and Cairns-Osaka.

Please note that you won’t earn any Qantas Frequent Flyer status credits for Jetstar flights unless you purchase an Economy Flex, Economy Flex Plus or Business Max ticket!

Jetstar Economy Max fares also used to offer good value, but Jetstar removed these from sale in June 2024. Now, only Jetstar Economy Flex and Flex Plus fares earn any Qantas status credits, and only at the standard Economy rate (not Flexible Economy).

3. Qantas Business Class on selected domestic routes

Qantas domestic Business Class are often very expensive, but you can get some decent value on selected routes when booking at least 28 days in advance.

For example, you can sometimes get Business tickets between Melbourne and Brisbane for $499 one-way. This earns 60 status credits. You can also find Adelaide-Darwin for $699 one-way in Business, earning 80 status credits.

4. Multi-stop Qantas domestic value

In most cases, Qantas domestic flights are not a particularly lucrative way to earn status credits. Domestic flights can be quite expensive, while the number of status credits earned is generally not that high relative to the airfare price. But you can get some reasonable value when booking domestic flights during sales.

As you’ll earn status credits for each individual flight flown, booking a multi-stop itinerary can help. For example, you could fly Launceston-Melbourne-Sydney-Gold Coast and earn 30 status credits for around $261 each way with an Economy red e-Deal ticket.

Routes like Brisbane-Rockhampton-Mackay and Sydney-Melbourne-Cairns can also be good earners.

You can also sometimes find reasonable value booking Economy Flex fares on connecting itineraries such as Melbourne-Sydney-Gold Coast or Sydney-Brisbane-Cairns. Economy Flex fares earn status credits at twice the rate of Red e-Deals.

5. Domestic First Class on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines

The United States was once the home of status runs. Admittedly, the domestic First Class service on US airlines is nothing to write home about. But First Class tickets on Oneworld members American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are not that expensive, and you’ll earn Qantas points and status credits at Business Class rates.

The trick is to book multi-stop itineraries with American Airlines or Alaska Airlines on routes that are served non-stop by competitors. For example, you could fly from Los Angeles to Seattle via Dallas/Fort Worth in American Airlines “First Class” (earning at the “Business” rate) and receive 200 status credits.

Note that American Airlines typically only allows a maximum of two transfers on a one-way domestic ticket within the United States.

Flights on routes between Dallas or “East Coast USA/Canada” and “West Coast USA/Canada” earn 100 status credits one-way in First Class. On routes between Dallas and the US/Canadian east coast, you can expect to earn 80 status credits for First Class.

On other American Airlines or Alaska Airlines flights within the USA, Qantas Frequent Flyer earn rates for “Business” are as follows:

• Up to 400 miles: 40 status credits
• 401 – 750 miles: 40 status credits
• 751 – 1,500 miles: 60 status credits
• 1,501 – 2,500 miles: 80 status credits
• 2,501 – 3,500 miles: 100 status credits

6. Qantas Business Class to Bali

Although Qantas Business Class airfares to Bali are now a bit more expensive than they were prior to COVID-19, you can still earn 240 status credits for a return trip from Sydney or Melbourne.

Add on some domestic connections (for very little extra cost) and you can earn even more status credits. For example, during a recent sale, you could have earned 320 status credits by flying Brisbane-Sydney-Bali return in Business Class for $2,449:

As another example, the below itinerary from Gold Coast-Sydney-Melbourne-Denpasar and back in Business would earn you 400 status credits:

If possible, try to book the international leg between Sydney-Bali rather than Melbourne-Bali, so that you get a lie-flat bed on the Airbus A330. Qantas uses A330s on QF43/44 between Sydney-Bali but Boeing 737s on QF45/46 between Melbourne-Bali.

7. Cathay Pacific Business Class within Asia

Cathay Pacific Business Class itineraries originating in cities like Seoul, Taipei or Manila, to other destinations in Asia (via Hong Kong), can be considerably cheaper than booking non-stop flights out of Hong Kong. As an added bonus, you’ll earn extra status credits for the connecting flights to/from Hong Kong.

We’ve seen some good deals lately, such as Seoul-Hong Kong-Singapore for around $1,156 return, which would earn 280 status credits.

Another example is Manila-Hong Kong Dubai for $1,472 return in Business Class, earning 320 status credits.

8. British Airways Club Europe

British Airways offers a fairly basic Business Class service within Europe, which it sells as “Club Europe”. You effectively just get an Economy seat at the front of the plane, with the middle seat kept empty, and a meal on board. But as Club Europe is sold as a Business Class product, you’ll earn status credits at the Business rate.

British Airways Club Europe can be quite reasonably priced at times, especially when you book a sale fare on a multi-stop itinerary that requires a connection in London. For example, during a sale you could book a round-trip ticket from Vienna to Glasgow (via London) for under $700 and earn 200 status credits.

9. Finnair short-haul Business Class

You can also sometimes find some good value Finnair flights to/from the Baltics, via Helsinki.

Although the legs between Helsinki and Tallinn, Riga or Vilnius are on ATR-72 planes without Business Class, these legs earn at the Flexible Economy rate – and reduce the cost of the ticket significantly, compared to just flying to/from Helsinki. We’d suggest flying to/from Vilnius because Helsinki-Tallinn and Helsinki-Riga earn 10 status credits for Flexible Economy, while Helsinki-Vilnius earns 20 status credits.

For example, you could fly from Amsterdam or Manchester to Vilnius (via Helsinki) for around $800 round-trip on a Business Light fare and earn 160 Qantas status credits.

10. Oneworld Business Class specials from Asia to Europe

Although Business Class tickets from Australia to Europe can be expensive, flights from Asia to Europe can be much better value.

For example, Oneworld airlines like Qatar Airways, Finnair and Royal Jordanian regularly offer Business Class sale fares from cities in Asia to Europe for between around $2,500 and $3,000 return. You can credit these flights to Qantas Frequent Flyer and earn lots of status credits, but beware that some Oneworld partner airline flights earn at reduced levels.

11. Sri Lankan Airlines Business sales from the Middle East to Asia

From time to time, there are some great SriLankan Airlines Business Class specials on return flights from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. These earn a decent stash of status credits, with 320 earned on a round-trip from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta via Colombo (as an example).

While this itinerary has been available during special sales for as low as $952 return in the past, it’s currently priced at just under $1,500 return.

12. Royal Jordanian Business Class from Cairo to Kuala Lumpur

Oneworld’s Royal Jordanian Airlines has some excellent Business Class fares available from Cairo to Kuala Lumpur, via Amman and Bangkok. (There are six flights in total when booking this as a return ticket.) The Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur flight would be on a Malaysia Airlines aircraft but on an “RJ” flight number.

With this itinerary, you could earn 400 status credits on a round-trip booking for around $1,300.

Earning status credits on Qantas Classic Flight Rewards (only for Points Club members)

Generally, status credits are not earned on Classic Flight Reward bookings made using points. But if you’re a Qantas Points Club or Points Club Plus member, as an exception, you can earn status credits on reward flights with a “QF” flight number!

This can be very lucrative when booking multi-city reward tickets. And yes, if there’s a Double Status Credits offer on, you can also earn the bonus on Qantas reward bookings as a Points Club member.

See our guide to Qantas Points Club for more on this.

Comfort seats

Another option to maximise your status credits is to book an “Extra Seat (EXST) for Personal Comfort”, commonly known as a comfort seat. When booking a spare seat next to you, you’ll still need to pay the airfare for the second seat. But you don’t have to pay the airport and government taxes twice, and you do earn status credits for the additional seat.

Note that booking a comfort seat is not the same as being invited to purchase a “Neighbour Free” seat. Neighbour Free seats are not 100% guaranteed and do not earn extra points or status credits.

See our guide to booking comfort seats for more on this.

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum

For more Qantas status run ideas, or to ask a question and discuss Qantas status runs, check out AFF’s Qantas Status Run Master Thread!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.