Qantas is offering to status match New Zealand residents with competitor airline status to their Gold elite tier. Emirates elites are excluded.
Status matches are common for US airlines though increasingly airlines will only give you status for a limited period of time, if at all, until you first fly a certain amount with them.
Qantas Gold is oneworld Sapphire status, which means lounge access — including when flying American Airlines on wholly domestic itineraries (and indeed they’ll give you a drink chit good for a premium cocktail, or how I use them – a bottle of water).
Gold also confers preferred seating, upgrade list priority, priority check-in and baggage (with extra baggage allowance) with Qantas. Check-in, boarding, and baggage benefits accrue on other oneworld carriers as well.
First step is to join – with no joining fee – if you aren’t already a member of the program.
Then submit details of competitor status.
Key offer details:
- Offer is valid through March 9
- Status will be valid for at least 12 months
- Account address has to list New Zealand, and of course that address is where Qantas will mail the matched Gold membership card
Does anyone have a New Zealand friend or family member they can move in with?
(HT: Jeff B.)
Does my competitor airline status also have to show a New Zealand address?
Gary, any thoughts on QF being added is a Citi TYP partner? How are they for partner award bookings/availability?
@brian l – their award chart is awful…
@AI though you could certainly change account addresses, i do not recall too many account statements that would show your country of residence to begin with
Remember if you have a NZ address its not free to join, $50NZ
@xcalx – this offer waives the joining fee as i note above
Thanks for the tip! I “updated” my address, attached a copy of my competitor elite status and submitted it yesterday. Got an email today confirming my Qantas Gold status. I don’t really need the physical credentials, and boy will it be a surprise when a pub in Auckland that just happens to bear my name receives my welcome packet!
Would we not need the physical card to access lounges?
And if I obtain Quantas gold would I need to use their FF number on say an AA flight to get the oneworld benefits?
Are American Gold able to access Admirals lounges?
@james – no
I did this and got the status match – thank you!
However, when I look at the oneworld status benefits page, I find this:
“The following exceptions apply:
American Airlines, US Airways and Qantas offer programmes enabling customers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.”
Here’s the link http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access#tier
Does AA just not follow those rules when allowing Qantas Gold into their lounges?
@ramalama8 – American does not let their OWN elites use lounge for free. American lets Qantas elites use their lounges.
I asked this question before but have not found an answer or a reply. I have been granted Qantas Gold. So now how do I prove it since my card was sent to NZ???!!!!