Qantas has just launched an exclusive new club pretty much none of us will ever get into

Qantas has announced an ultra-elite new membership club that even it admits will be very difficult to get access to.

There’s a new super-elite Qantas club most of us will never get into — a club so exclusive it may rival the eminent Chairman’s Lounge.

As part of a major shake-up of its Frequent Flyer program, Qantas has unveiled a fancy new status, Lifetime Platinum, which will launch in September.

Sitting above the Lifetime Silver and Lifetime Gold frequent flyer tiers, Lifetime Platinum will the first of its kind offered by an Australian loyalty program.

But only a tiny proportion of Qantas’ 12.7 million rewards members will be granted entry — a member needs to accrue a whopping 75,000 status credits to get in.

To put that into perspective, a passenger would typically earn 190 status credits on a business class flight from Sydney to Los Angeles — so you’d have to do that 395 times, according to Qantas’ status credit calculator.

Or, you could fly from Sydney to Melbourne in economy 7500 times — that’s every day for 20 years.

Qantas Loyalty chief executive Olivia Wirth admitted it set a “very, very high bar”.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce and Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth announced a raft of changes to the airline’s Frequent Flyer scheme. Picture: AAP/Dan Himbrechts

But she said the number one issue for Platinum and Platinum One flyers was many felt they’d reached the limits of the program and wanted more from it.

“This lifetime status ... will give them a lifetime of platinum rewards. This will be incredible rewarding for these members,” Ms Wirth said.

“It is going to be a very, very high bar. It’s an exclusive club — in some ways it’s potentially more exclusive than the Chairman’s Lounge.

“There will be a small number of these individuals, and they will be earning 75,000 status credits.

“Just to put that into perspective, that’s 20 years — two decades — of flying at Platinum One.”

Platinum One benefits, which Lifetime Platinum members would be able enjoy for life, include access to Qantas International first class lounges and domestic business lounges, and 100 per cent status bonuses on Qantas and Jetstar.

Members are also able to enjoy preferred seat, priorty check-in and boarding on all flights, priority checked baggage, access to premium security lanes, and have service fees waived on bookings.

Even while they’re not in the air, Platinum One members enjoy benefits including free membership to the exclusive Qantas Golf Club, and can have all their travel queries catered to by the dedicated Platinum one team — that means no waiting on hold with the regular Qantas call centre.

Qantas' Chairman's Lounge at Brisbane Airport.

The secretive, invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge offers the highest level of service possible for a Qantas customer and has been described by the airline’s chief executive Alan Joyce as “probably the most exclusive club in the country”.

But the Lifetime Platinum club could be just as tricky, requiring many, many years of flying to earn the status points to get in.

If I travel the same as what I have for the past three years, it will take me ~27 years to get lifetime Platinum from @Qantas which is scary!... not sure that's a life goal I want or can even achieve. #Qantas

— Anthony Spiteri (@anthonyspiteri) June 20, 2019

So Lifetime Platinum now exists but instead of the logical 28,000 SCs you will need 75,000.
Economy rewards flights will be cheaper but who wants them?
Business and first reward flights will cost more.
All in all a totally rubbish announcement from @qantas full of disappoinment

— Séan (@esseeeayeenn) June 20, 2019

I like the idea of Lifetime Platinum on @qantas. But, really, you'd need to earn Platinum for 53 years to get it (at 1400 points/year). Come on, really?

— Hugh E Williams (@hughewilliams) June 20, 2019

Why are they excited you ask?

Because they’re the youngest people ever to make Lifetime Platinum on @Qantas 🤦🏻‍♂️🤣 pic.twitter.com/yOQR3M3TzO

— Premium Flyer (@PremiumFlyer) June 20, 2019

So my frequent flyer obsessed colleague has just worked out that under @Qantas' new set up - to get Platinum Life membership you would need to fly MEL-SYD return EVERY SINGLE DAY for 10 YEARS on an economy ticket to get the status creds needed... that is a very numb bum #ausbiz pic.twitter.com/JzbDJvC0RU

— Evan Lucas (@EvanLucas_INV) June 20, 2019

Qantas said it was not changing its membership tiers or their eligibility criteria. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One status tiers will remain, along with lifetime status for Silver and Gold members.

Flyers need 300 status credits to reach Silver membership and 7000 for Lifetime Silver. To reach Gold status, flyers need 700 status credits and 14,000 for life membership.

Platinum status requires 1400 status credits and Platinum One needs 3600.

The changes to the airline’s Frequent Flyer program, announced today, will affect the way rewards members redeem their points.

Qantas is opening up a million extra seats on flights for frequent flyers and will slash carrier’s fees, but upgrades to premium cabins will cost more points.

“There’s a lot about the Qantas Frequent Flyer program that our members tell us they love but there are also areas of the program that have increasingly come under pressure as a result of rapid expansion,” Ms Wirth said.

“What we’re announcing today is all about investing more into the heart of our program, the member experience.”