Qantas Cuts Lounge Access for Gold and Platinum Members on International Jetstar Flights from 1 July 2026

It is no secret that Qantas has been quietly chipping away at some of the more generous fringe benefits of its Frequent Flyer programme. The latest change will sting those who have been stacking their Qantas status with budget travel on Jetstar: from 1 July 2026, Qantas Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers, as well as paid Qantas Club members, will no longer be entitled to Qantas lounge access when flying on international Jetstar (JQ) flights. The announcement comes hot on the heels of Jetstar Asia's closure last year, and for Singapore-based Qantas Frequent Flyers, the two developments together represent a minor erosion of the value proposition that makes Qantas loyalty worth pursuing from this part of the world. With that being said, I am still going to continue retaining my Platinum tier (oneworld Emerald) in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program as it is still one of the best in the region if your travel patterns align.

Click HERE to find out more about the upcoming changes to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program!

Photo Credit: Qantas

From 1 July 2026, Qantas lounge access will no longer be available to Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers, and Qantas Club members travelling on international Jetstar (JQ) flights. At the time of writing, this change does not seem to apply to Platinum One Frequent Flyers. Complimentary Lounge Invitations can also no longer be used when travelling on international Jetstar (JQ) flights. In addition, they will only be transferrable to someone travelling on the same flight.

There are still a few paths to lounge access on Jetstar if you fall into the affected tiers. If you wish to continue accessing the Qantas lounge when flying with Jetstar, you can do so by booking a Qantas codeshare flight operated by Jetstar, or an eligible Jetstar Business Max fare. To be clear, domestic Jetstar lounge access for Qantas Club members and eligible status holders remains intact. This change targets international JQ flights specifically. The Jetstar Business Max fare, available on international 787 widebody services, continues to carry lounge access where a Qantas lounge is present at the departure port.

Scenario	Lounge access after 1 Jul 2026
Platinum One on international JQ	Yes, unchanged
Platinum / Gold on international JQ	No longer eligible
Qantas Club member on international JQ	No longer eligible
Jetstar Business Max (international JQ or QF code)	Yes, where Qantas lounge is available
QF codeshare operated by Jetstar (QF flight number)	Yes, unchanged
Domestic Jetstar flights (Gold / Platinum / Qantas Club)	Yes, unchanged

From a Singapore perspective, this development arrives at an already difficult time. On 11 June 2025, the Qantas Group announced a strategic restructure, revealing the closure of its Singapore-based low-cost subsidiary, Jetstar Asia, by the end of July 2025. Launched in 2004 to capitalise on Asia's booming budget travel market, the airline ceased operations after 21 years.

Photo Credit: Qantas

Jetstar's history at Changi has been a somewhat turbulent one. Jetstar Asia had operated from Terminal 1 before relocating all operations to Terminal 4 in March 2023. Both Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Airways (JQ) subsequently shared Terminal 4 as their Singapore base. With Jetstar Asia's closure in July 2025, only a handful of Jetstar Airways (JQ) international services out of Singapore remained - primarily routes to Melbourne, Perth, and Bali. In a further development, from 21 January 2026, all Jetstar flights to and from Singapore now use Terminal 2 (T2).

If you are a Qantas Gold or Platinum member, or a Qantas Club member holding bookings on international Jetstar JQ flights departing on or after 1 July 2026, you should plan accordingly. The lounge access that may have formed part of your pre-flight ritual for trans-Tasman or Southeast Asian Jetstar routes is going away.

H/T: Executive Traveller