KrisFlyer vs Qantas Frequent Flyer: which suits you

What each programme is

KrisFlyer. Singapore Airlines runs KrisFlyer as its rewards programme and presents the PPS Club alongside it [1]. The airline promotes a co-branded card, The Amex SIA Business Credit Card, as a way to fast track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold and earn up to 38,000 HighFlyer points, subject to terms and conditions [1]. KrisFlyer Elite Gold is therefore one named tier within the programme [1].

Qantas Frequent Flyer. You must be a member to earn and use Qantas Points, and a joining fee may apply [2]. Qantas says points can be earned with more than 500 partners [2], and members progress through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One [4].

How do you earn status in each programme?

Qantas uses Status Credits as its tier currency. They are earned on eligible Qantas, Jetstar, oneworld member and oneworld connect airline flights only, and may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes [4]. A member can earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on the same flight, but only the points balance carries over: Status Credits reset at the start of each new Membership Year [4].

Every tier also requires at least four eligible flights with a Qantas (QF) or Jetstar (JQ and GK) flight number on the ticket [4]. Platinum One adds a second condition, with at least 2,700 of the 3,600 Status Credits taken on flights carrying a QF flight number [4].

Those thresholds are changing. Qantas says it will move to a single Status Credit target for attaining and retaining each tier, citing Gold at 700 Status Credits a year where it previously took 700 to attain and 600 to retain, with the new retain targets arriving later in 2027 for Silver, Gold and Platinum and no change to the Platinum One retain target [3]. From 8 December 2026 members can also earn up to 140 Status Credits each Membership Year from Qantas Points collected across ten everyday-spend categories, credited within eight weeks of completing a category [5], and eligible members can roll over part of their excess Status Credits: 25% above 300 for Silver up to 100, and 50% above the tier target for Gold, Platinum and Platinum One, capped at 350 for Gold and 500 for the two higher tiers [3]. The same date retires the Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier programmes [3].

Qantas keeps a record of all Status Credits earned since joining, and 7,000 Status Credits bring Lifetime Silver, 14,000 Lifetime Gold and 75,000 Lifetime Platinum, held for life regardless of later flying [6]. If a member's current flying status is higher than their lifetime tier, the lifetime benefits activate only once the higher status lapses [6].

On the Singapore Airlines side, KrisFlyer Elite Gold is the tier the airline promotes a card-based fast track into, alongside the PPS Club that appears next to KrisFlyer in its loyalty line-up [1]. The KrisFlyer status guide and the KrisFlyer programme profile set out the tier ladder, qualification rules and benefits in full.

How do you use points in each programme?

Qantas Points can be spent on flights, accommodation, car hire and entertainment [2]. For flights, members search Classic Flight Rewards across Qantas, Jetstar and partner airlines, narrowing results by region and cabin and comparing several travel periods at once [3], and Qantas publishes points calculators for estimating the points needed for a Classic Flight Reward or an upgrade [2]. A Qantas Points balance stays active as long as the member earns or uses Qantas Points within 18 months [3].

KrisFlyer is where Singapore Airlines delivers the rewards and privileges attached to its programme [1], and the KrisFlyer programme profile covers the redemption side of that programme.

Which programme suits which travel pattern?

If your flying is concentrated on Qantas, Jetstar and oneworld carriers, Qantas Frequent Flyer is the programme whose rules govern your progress: Status Credits from those flights, the four-flight QF or JQ requirement, and a reset each Membership Year [4]. From 8 December 2026 the same account can also collect up to 140 Status Credits a year from everyday spending across ten categories [3] [5], which matters if you want tier progress without adding flights.

If your flying is on Singapore Airlines and KrisFlyer Elite Gold is the goal, KrisFlyer is where that status sits, and the airline's promoted co-branded card is one advertised route to it [1].

For members who credit to Qantas while living outside Australia, ground Status Credits remain available, but Qantas notes that location may limit some of the ways to earn Qantas Points and so the full 140 Status Credits may not be reachable [5]. The Qantas Frequent Flyer status guide walks through the flying requirements in more detail.

Exceptions and limits

• Who can roll over Status Credits. Members who attain or retain Silver, Gold, Platinum or Platinum One, plus Lifetime Silver, Lifetime Gold and Lifetime Platinum holders and members holding complimentary Gold or Platinum, are eligible; members on Status Hold are not [3].
• What rolled-over Status Credits count towards. They do not count towards the Loyalty Bonus, the Platinum or Platinum One bonus rewards, Lifetime Status or Status Accelerators, and for Platinum One members they count towards the 3,600 retention total but not the 2,700 required on QF flight numbers [3].
• What does not earn ground Status Credits. Qantas excludes card reward points transferred into Qantas Points, bonus points from Qantas points-earning cards, points from hotel loyalty programmes outside Qantas Frequent Flyer, points from the Qantas Wellbeing app, family transfers, QBR points transfers, top-up points, and bonus and milestone rewards including Points Club, Green Tier and Platinum and Platinum One bonuses [3] [5].
• Earning limits on flights. Status Credits may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes, even on eligible airlines [4].
• Time away from flying. Qantas offers Status Hold for families, aimed at members who are flying less after a new addition to the family [4].
• Joining. A joining fee may apply to Qantas Frequent Flyer membership [2].

Frequently asked questions

Do Qantas Points expire?

Qantas says a points balance stays active when the member earns or uses Qantas Points within 18 months, in line with the programme terms and conditions [3]. Status Credits follow a different clock and reset at the start of each Membership Year [4].

How many Status Credits do you need for Qantas Gold?

As of 18 October 2026, Gold takes 700 Status Credits to reach and 600 to keep, including four flights with a Qantas or Jetstar flight number on the ticket [4]. From 2027 Qantas plans a single target of 700 Status Credits a year for Gold [3].

Can you earn Qantas status without flying?

From 8 December 2026, all Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn up to 140 Status Credits each Membership Year by collecting Qantas Points across ten everyday-spend categories [5]. Those Status Credits also count towards Lifetime Status [5].

What is the difference between Status Credits and Qantas Points?

Status Credits measure progress towards Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One and reset each Membership Year, while Qantas Points are the currency spent on flights, accommodation, car hire and entertainment [4] [2]. A single flight can earn both at once [4].

Related pages

Programmes: KrisFlyer, Qantas Frequent Flyer. Status guides: KrisFlyer status guide, Qantas Frequent Flyer status guide. Comparison: Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer vs Cathay Asia Miles. Terms: Frequent Flyer Encyclopedia glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including Cathay's Asia Miles, are not covered here; see the KrisFlyer vs Asia Miles comparison for that pairing.

1. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, checked 18 October 2026
2. Qantas Frequent Flyer, checked 18 October 2026
3. Qantas Frequent Flyer program changes, checked 18 October 2026
4. Status from flying: Qantas Frequent Flyer, checked 18 October 2026
5. Earn Status Credits on the ground, checked 18 October 2026
6. Qantas Frequent Flyer Lifetime status, checked 18 October 2026