This week, Qantas made a much-requested change to its frequent flyer points: you’ll now be able to pass them on after you die, as per news.com.au. Up until now, when someone passed away, their frequent flyer account would be cancelled and all points would be forfeited unless they were transferred before their death.
New Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson announced that policy has changed and that an eligible family member can now make an application to have a deceased frequent flyer’s unexpired points transferred into their own account.
The application must be made in writing within 12 months of the person’s death by an executor or administrator of their estate, and submitted to the Frequent Flyer Service Centre. Proof of death must be supplied. The transferred points will have the same expiry date as the other points in the recipient’s account.
Status credits, which count towards reaching and keeping your Qantas frequent flyer status, won’t be transferrable. Qantas will define an “eligible family member” as someone who can “demonstrate to reasonable satisfaction” that they are any of the following:
- Husband or wife
- Parent or step-parent
- Domestic or de facto partner
- Child, including foster or stepchild
- Brother or sister
- Half-brother or half-sister
- Grandparent
- Grandchild
- Daughter-in-law or son-in-law
- Brother-in-law or sister-in-law
- Father-in-law or mother-in-law
- Aunt or uncle
- Nephew or niece
- First cousin
Virgin Australia had already allowed the deceased passenger’s frequent flyer points to be transferred. However, its policy is that the transfer must be stipulated in a person’s will.
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