Do you regularly earn Status Credits from Qantas or Jetstar flights? If so, you may qualify for the Qantas Loyalty Bonus. This gives you a choice between extra Status Credits or a serve of bonus Qantas Points. But which option should you choose?

While there’s merit in both options, you should consider your travel habits and frequent flyer goals. Being savvy with your choice can then pay dividends later. Here’s how you can earn a Loyalty Bonus for yourself, and the thought process behind making that all-important choice.

How to earn a Qantas Loyalty Bonus

Travellers who earn at least 500 Status Credits per membership year from Qantas and Jetstar flights can unlock a Qantas Loyalty Bonus. In fact, the same is true for every 500 Status Credits earned from those same flights, up to four times each membership year.

Eligible Qantas flights include all journeys taken under a QF flight number. This covers not only Qantas and QantasLink flights, but also codeshare routes flown by other airlines when booked on a QF code.

For Points Club and Points Club Plus members, this also includes Status Credits earned via Classic Reward flights taken on a QF flight number.

On the Jetstar front, Status Credits earned from JQ, 3K and GK flight numbers are counted too. This includes Australia’s Jetstar, as well as Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Japan. Of course, not all Jetstar fares earn Status Credits (or Qantas Points). Only those that do deliver Status Credits are useful here.

Status Credits earned via all other paths aren’t counted: only from Qantas and Jetstar flights as above.

The option to select a Loyalty Bonus will appear after passing each milestone of 500 Status Credits from Qantas and Jetstar flights. This tally will likely be different from your total balance of Status Credits.

You can check your Loyalty Bonus tally via the status activity page of the Qantas website, when logged into your Qantas Frequent Flyer account.

This tally resets back to zero at the start of each new membership year.

How to choose your preferred Qantas Loyalty Bonus

Once you’ve amassed 500 of those eligible Status Credits, the option to choose your preferred Qantas Loyalty Bonus is instantly available via that same status activity page.

You’ll have two options to choose from, and have three months to make that decision. Those choices are:

• 50 Status Credits
• 8,000 Qantas Points

Once you’ve made your selection, your bonus Qantas Points or Status Credits will appear in your account straight away. Just confirm you’ve made the right choice before clicking the big red ‘select’ button. That’s because there’s no secondary confirmation: once you’ve clicked, that preference is locked in and can’t be changed.

You can make a different choice every time you unlock a new Loyalty Bonus, even if that’s within the same membership year.

When you should select 50 Status Credits

Given the Qantas Loyalty Bonus can only be earned by those who regularly fly, 50 Status Credits will likely be the most useful reward for most members. And based on my own travels, it’s always my preferred choice.

By choosing to pocket the Status Credits, you can get closer to retaining your existing Qantas status level. Or perhaps, can get even closer to unlocking the next tier. Status Credits earned via the Loyalty Bonus also count towards your lifetime Status Credits figure.

Unless you’ve already reached your desired lifetime level in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, Status Credits really are the best way to go.

The boost to your balance from this bounty is equivalent to taking five flights from Sydney to Melbourne on Red eDeal fares. That’s five fewer flights you need to take to reach that lifetime goal: or to gain or retain status on an annual basis.

Just note, Status Credits earned via the Loyalty Bonus don’t normally contribute to the ‘Qantas’ status earning requirement for Platinum One status. But as a short-term reprieve, these 50 Status Credits do count towards Platinum One, when chosen as a reward by 30 June 2023.

Speaking of yearly status, it can also pay to be strategic in when you select this reward. That’s because you have three months to make your choice after unlocking each Loyalty Bonus.

If your membership year is about to finish and you’ve already retained your tier this year, hold off on making your selection. By waiting until your new membership year begins, those 50 Status Credits will count towards your tally in that new membership year. That’s true even though you unlocked that Loyalty Bonus choice in your last membership year. It’s a smart way to get a head start.

When 8,000 Qantas Points can be a better choice

For travellers who simply don’t need any more Status Credits, 8,000 Qantas Points are the alternative Loyalty Bonus.

This might suit a frequent flyer who already has Lifetime Gold, and knows that they’ll never reach the 75,000 Status Credits needed for Lifetime Platinum. It can also be the best choice for those who’ll easily earn or retain their desired Qantas Frequent Flyer tier without the extra help.

Rather than earning more Status Credits that wouldn’t deliver a practical benefit, 8,000 Qantas Points can prove more useful in this case. Those points are enough for a short one-way domestic flight in Qantas Economy, such as from Sydney to Melbourne. (Taxes, fees and charges remain payable on the side, as with any other Classic Reward booking).

That said, Qantas Points earned via the Loyalty Bonus aren’t counted towards Points Club or Points Club Plus membership. So you can’t use this bonus to get closer to the Points Club ‘Milestone Reward’ at 250,000 Qantas Points.

But, if you just don’t need more Status Credits right now, 8,000 Qantas Points is a worthy alternative. Whatever you choose, your reward will land in your account straight away.

Summing up

Most regular travellers would get the biggest overall benefit by choosing 50 Status Credits as their Loyalty Bonus. It certainly makes it easier to gain or retain status on a yearly basis. And for those chasing benefits for a lifetime, an extra 50 Status Credits in the kitty brings that goal closer, too.

But some travellers may fly enough to earn or retain Gold, but know they won’t get close enough to Platinum for a bonus to be worth it. That’s where choosing 8,000 Qantas Points can make good sense. Especially so if lifetime status isn’t likely to be on the cards.

When it comes to selecting your freebie, there is no ‘wrong’ choice. But by applying a little strategy to your decision-making, you can get closer to your own travel goals. Whether that’s more Qantas Points to spend on an adventure or an easier path to status is up to you.