QANTAS: Lounge pass rules change from 1 July 2026

From Wednesday 1 July, Qantas will tighten the rules governing Complimentary Lounge Invitations, ending the long-standing ability to transfer a pass to any other Frequent Flyer member, regardless of whether they are travelling with you. If you have a stash of passes, you only have days to give them away!

The passes, often referred to simply as lounge invitations, are a familiar and treasured perk for Qantas Silver members and holders of some Qantas-branded credit cards. They give a one-off entry to participating Qantas domestic or international lounge before an eligible flight.

Until now, they have also been easy to share. A member could transfer an invitation to a friend, family member, or colleague via the Qantas website. The recipient could then link the invitation to their eligible flight.

From 1 July, that flexibility disappears.

Lounge passes only for fellow travellers

Under the new rules, a Complimentary Lounge Invitation can only be transferred to a passenger travelling on the same flight as the person who holds the pass.

Qantas is making the invitations only for a travelling companion to enter the lounge.

That will be disappointing for members who pass unused invitations to relatives or friends. There is a bit of a revolt on social media frequent flyer forums. It also puts paid (pardon the pun) to the informal secondary market where invitations are traded or, despite the terms and conditions, sold online.

Anyone holding spare invitations can still transfer them under the existing rules until 11.59 pm on Tuesday, 30 June. They can still be used once transferred before that deadline, under the old rules. They will still be subject to the usual expiry date, eligible lounge and flight-linking requirements.

Platinum One members retain their Lounge Invitations unencumbered by these new rules. Those invitations remain transferable without the same-flight restriction.

International Jetstar flight invitations nixed

Also from 1 July, Complimentary Lounge Invitations cannot be used before an international Jetstar flight. Jetstar passengers departing internationally from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Auckland cannot use a pass to enter the Qantas lounge.

There are some exceptions. Lounge access remains available when a traveller is booked on a Qantas codeshare flight operated by Jetstar. It also continues for Jetstar services operating under a domestic flight number, where a lounge is available.

Passengers travelling on a Jetstar Business Max fare can still receive lounge access as part of that fare bundle. But that is access to the Qantas Business Lounge, not a licence to wander into the Qantas First Lounge just because you hold Qantas Platinum status.

The broader Jetstar changes are even tougher for status holders. From 1 July, Qantas Gold and Platinum members, as well as Qantas Club members, lose their usual Qantas lounge access when flying on an international Jetstar JQ flight. Platinum One members are exempt.

Check before you fly

A lounge invitation is not an automatic entitlement. You must link it to an eligible booking at least 24 hours before departure. Access remains subject to lounge capacity. If the lounge is full, Qantas says entry can be refused. If that happens, you can ask Qantas to reinstate the invitation for use on another flight.

The invitation is also for ONE person only. It does not include another guest or children.

2PAXfly Takeout

Qantas customers with lounge access through their status have been complaining about crowded lounges. With the generous status support offered to frequent flyers during the height of the pandemic, lounges have had many more customers to handle. This change to eligibility is seen by some as a sensible change from Qantas’ perspective, even if it is another small tightening of a loyalty benefit. Complimentary invitations have always been marketed as a personal travel perk, not for trading or selling as a form of frequent-flyer currency.

If you currently have invitations you will not use, transfer them before the end of Tuesday, 30 June. After that, their value will be largely limited to the person seated next to you, or at least travelling on the same flight.