Qantas has a programme called Parental Pause which lets new parents maintain their silver, gold, or platinum status for up to 18 months, regardless of how much they actually travel during this time.
One benefit of the programme is that while on hold you can still continue to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits as you usually would during this time – as well as access any of the other benefits your status allows
The programme launched way back in 2016, along with Family Transfers as a package of family-friendly policies for its frequent flyer.
If your travel plans are on hiatus during your parental leave, and you fully embrace your new static existence, the policy offers to place your Qantas Frequent Flyer status on hold for a year, granting a pseudo-extension until you can fly again.
While Qantas has long looked for innovative ways to cater to families— stocking infant meals on its planes and building kid zones into its airport lounges, for instance, in the parental pause space it is not alone. Airline parental breaks and pause policies have sprung up over the years and are fairly commonplace now.
Australian Competitor Virgin Australia and Oneworld partners, Cathay Pacific and British Airways have their own policies to varying degrees of freedom. In North America, both large and small carriers have their own too, think Air Canada, Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines.
What Is On Offer
Status Hold is a family-friendly benefit that allows eligible Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members to put their status on hold.
Qantas will extend your current status (and anniversary date) for 18 months from the first day of the following month after your application was approved. Your status credit balance will carry over to this 18-month extension period.
The amount of time you have to apply for a status hold varies depending on the type of parent you are.
- Biological parents can apply for a Status Hold up until the child reaches the age of six months;
- Adoptive parents can apply for a Status Hold up until the child reaches the age of 3 years old;
- Foster parents can apply for a Status Hold up until the child reaches the age of 16.
One benefit of the programme is that while on hold you can still continue to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits as you usually would during this time – as well as access any of the other benefits your status allows.
It is important to remember that the status freeze is just a hold and not an extension – To maintain your status beyond the 18th month, you will need to have met the status threshold requirement within that 18-month period, both in status credits and eligible flight sectors (such as 600 Status Credits and 4 eligible Qantas/Jetstar segments to retain Gold).
A maximum of two parents can be on a Status Hold at any one time for the same child.
It’s also worth noting that under this program, you are limited to two Status Holds within a five-year period. So parents looking at three or more kids in succession can only take advantage of a Status Hold twice.
Furthermore, you can only apply for a Status Hold when they are not already on a Status Hold. This means if you have kids in succession you cannot re-apply and roll on your Parental Pause.
On a final note – a Parental pause cannot be retracted or changed once it is applied.
Qantas Parental Pause Eligibility Requirements
Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme who are expecting a baby in the next three months, or had a baby in the last six months, are considered eligible for Status Hold.
Parental Requirements
Status Hold is available for parents who are taking at least six consecutive months’ leave from paid employment to spend time with their family.
Rules vary for members who live outside Australia and New Zealand – if you fall into this category – contact Qantas Frequent Flyer Service Centre to discuss eligibility and options.
You may be eligible if you are:
- a parent of a baby or babies that are due to be born within the next three months or were born in the last six months
- a foster parent who will be caring for a child within the next three months or who has started caring for a child within the last six months
- a parent who will be adopting a child within the next three months or who has adopted a child within the last six months
The Parental Pause Terms and Conditions clearly exclude parents who are not in paid employment (i.e. volunteers). However, it is unclear how Qantas will treat self-employed workers who are looking at taking Status Hold at this time
Status Requirements
Eligible members need to hold an Elite Status tier, there are
If you have received complimentary Gold or Platinum status from a Platinum member, you are not eligible to apply for Status Hold.
Lifetime status-holders are clearly exempt from the Parental Pause policy as lifetime members retain their status each year regardless.
How To Apply For Parental Status Hold
The easiest way to apply for Qantas Status Hold is online through the application form on your frequent flyer account.
If you need to contact the Frequent Flyer Service Centre to discuss Status Hold requirements from overseas, call them on +61 2 9433 2329.
You’ll need to provide two pieces of documentation:
Parent of own child:
- Date of confinement letter from their doctor confirming pregnancy and due date or
- Their child’s birth certificate plus
- Documentation from their employer confirming parental leave is for a period of six consecutive months or more from paid employment
Foster parent:
- Foster registration/certificate or
- A Foster Carer Placement Plan plus
- Documentation from their employer confirming parental leave is for a period of six consecutive months or more from paid employment
Adoptive parent:
- Adoption Registration or
- A letter from a doctor confirming the adoption date and
- Documentation from their employer confirming parental leave is for a period of six consecutive months or more from paid employment
Common Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I upgrade my status during Status Hold?
If you move up a tier or receive complimentary Gold or Platinum status from someone else during this time, your Status Hold benefits will cease, and you will revert back to the standard 12-months membership cycle.
Your previously-approved Status Hold will still count as one of the two allowable applications in a five-year period.
Time Required For Status Hold Review
The Frequent Flyer Service Centre will review all applications and will be in contact with applicants within 10 business days.
Conclusions
In many regards, Qantas has a fairly formalised structure when it comes to asking for a parental break, especially when it comes to other airlines that offer similar programmes.
British Airways has a fairly loose arrangement when it comes to parental breaks – so long as you can prove you are a new parent, then email the carrier and they will apply the break for a year.
What’s more, Cathay Pacific allows you to ask for a status break for whatever reason, not just for parental breaks, opening the possibility for changing work habits and long term illnesses.
Qantas on the other hand requires you to meet fixed criteria before applying the parental pause – leading some Flyertalk members unable to make heads or tails of the process. Some argue that, while it does take a bit of work to sort out, it is to stop the system from being abused.
