Should I go for Platinum again with Qantas?

[yucciaff]

I had Qantas Platinum for almost a year now (mainly through business travel).

Don't get me wrong - it is great. Business lounge access, priority boarding, additional baggage. I have yet to use the points upgrade option (no opportunity to yet...)
My membership year ends on 31st August and so far, i have accumulated 360 SC. To maintain WP, i need about 840 more SC. Recently, i stopped travel for work to focus on building my personal life - much has lost in exchange for thousands of miles.

I have been thinking before end of my membership year, whether i should go for a status run to maintain WP or just let it go.
So here is my situation and thanks in advance for your advice

Here is the reason why i don't think i should go for WP
1. I am an AMEX platinum charge card holder - I will get CX gold (will apply in Feb to maximize the duration). So I will get access to lounges when i fly with OW.
2. I don't drink. Orange juice is the same in Qantas Club and business lounge... same goes for Coke....
3. I would rather use the points for status run to redeem a ticket for my personal holiday... Also, 120k (what i have left in my account) does not go very far, considering I need to redeem for two....
4. for personal travel, we usually fly business class so we will have some kind of lounges....
5. Save the money and time for hotel status run... I value my SPG platinum and IC RA way more than QF platinum...

Here is the reason why i am considering WP status run....
1. Food is way better at QF business lounge....
2. WP gets First class lounge when travel internationally... although i don;t drink.. my partner does... and the food option in first class is great (didn't go to business lounge so i can't compare....)
3. Top of list if i ever need to upgrade my business trip from AU to US.... (work pays for full economy...)

I have been reading the blogs in the US... I agree on the point that they really get some more out of their status... confirmed system wide upgrade, unlimited domestic upgrade....

I fly with QF every single week for the past 1.5 years... average 3-4 times a week... Never once I was upgraded.... I know Qantas doesn't do upgrade for WP and there are lots people out there with P1... I am not complaining... I just wish it would be one of the reasons why i would consider to re-qualify as WP with QF again...

So what do you think?

 

[Hvr]

<snip>
Recently, i stopped travel for work to focus on building my personal life - much has lost in exchange for thousands of miles.

<snip>

So what do you think?

You've answered your own question. You can always regain status later if if becomes important. A lot harder to recover the lost years of potentially rewarding personal life.

 

[Sprucegoose]

You've answered your own question. You can always regain status later if if becomes important. A lot harder to recover the lost years of potentially rewarding personal life.

Absolutely. You seem to have life and travel in perspective. Well done

 

[cove]

Based on your summary you may wish to downgrade from platinum to gold this year and enjoy your personal life.
Upgrades are few and far between for most QF passengers and when there are so many Qantas Frequent Flyers that may not change anytime soon. As a Platinum flyer hoping for a free upgrade you are behind Platinum1 and Chairmans Lounge members plus all those using points to upgrade their tickets.
We travelled when the business lounges were closed and yes there is a difference (except Perth because there is no business lounge).

 

[Kefci2000]

Based on your summary you may wish to downgrade from platinum to gold this year and enjoy your personal life.
Upgrades are few and far between for most QF passengers and when there are so many Qantas Frequent Flyers that may not change anytime soon. As a Platinum flyer hoping for a free upgrade you are behind Platinum1 and Chairmans Lounge members plus all those using points to upgrade their tickets.
We travelled when the business lounges were closed and yes there is a difference (except Perth because there is no business lounge).

Don't forget the flight crews......I was on a SYD-MEL (J) after a HKG-SYD flight and half of business section was taken up by my flight crew (half in uniform and half in casual clothes).

 

[Mrmaxwell]

WP is nice to have if work makes it easy to get and/or a small SC run will help you maintain it. Once you have to start going out of your way with additional costs and time to maintain then I would say there is nothing wrong with the drop to SG.

Why not try out SG for a year and if you decide to chase WP again you can do that next year.

 

[yohy?!]

once you have your CX Gold, try out CX,

if you are one of the first to check in online you'll have a pretty good chance of being upgraded to the next class if the flight is full

on the WP front i would agree with others - if you have concern over personal life just let it expire this year, it really isn't that difficult to get again what with double status credits offers and various high-yielding mileage runs around the traps.

 

[yucciaff]

Thanks all for the advice

I have decided to use those points to redeem for international travel with my partner, instead of using them for status run... at least that will make up for some lost time and enjoy the benefits!!! No lounge is more comfortable than your own home!!! (I only realised that after 2 years of on the road...)

As long as I have CX gold, it should be okay Thanks again

 

[davlaw]

The only thing I would add having spent the last few years at Gold trying to get WP and now have it, is if you dont get WP this year and let it lapse then you need an extra 200 SC's to get there again (1200 to renew 1400 to get). So .... if your able my thinking is to grab and see what happens next membership year.

 

[MH_fan]

Pursuing a quality and happy personal life far outweighs any chasing of elite status.

 

[Muzfly]

You'd rather have a coughpy silver baggage tag than a day at home with your kids? I think you need to re examine your life's priorities....

 

[Mgjdubs]

I see this thread and think of a quote from that movie 'View from the Top' (a guilty pleasure of mine ):

"Every pilot needs a co-pilot and it sure is nice to have somebody there next to you, especially when you hit some bumpy air"

Like others, I think you answered this for yourself.

All the best!

 

[cove]

Mrscove seems to be 105 SCs short due to some Classic international QF flying.
Now I have her attention and she even broached the subject of a flight to make the 1200 SCs annual requirement.
i think she is heading down my warped pathway.
Is there no end to people near and dear to me falling into this Frequent Flyer game?
Soon it will be "just a million more" when we are eating dinner and she will be talking about airline points!

 

[vt01]

I stopped travelling for work 2 years ago where I had maintained WP for around 10 years. I did theis to spend more time with my young family. So I did the slow drop down to PS. I won't drop to NB because I'm LTS (only 846 SC's to go to LTG). Once I dropped from SG to PS, my suspended paid QF club membership, which I knew had some time on it, was activated. I have about 2 years of that to go which was a nice surprise. So I didn't see the need to even try to even rush back to SG. I 'm quite happy with my QF club benefits. I now find myself generally seated more towards the rear of the cabin but that doesn't worry me. I still have lounge access and that's also been fine.

Once my membership is up for renewal I will probably just renew it rather than do a status run to get the extra SC's to get to LTG and free QP again. Corporate QF club membership is not very expensive where as a status run to get 846 SC's would be.

My 2c worth

Cheers

 

[oliverd]

I'm not sure the two (WP and having a personal life) are entirely incompatible, although my wife may disagree
I don't fly quite enough to work to make WP, but in the last few years I've done one international JASA/FASA with my my wife - and without the kids - to get me across the line. That means one major status-earning trip becomes a holiday. Albeit it's not the most cost-effective "status run" as it takes twice as many points. (I suppose I could go First and get a points redemption for my wife in Y - but I think that would definitely be a major incompatability between WP and personal life!!)

 

[oliverd]

PS. I should add that I'm becoming a lot less stressed about retaining platinum - the last couple of international flights, I've "downgraded" myself into the QC/Business lounge as the First lounge was so full I couldn't get a seat (eg. LAX). The Sydney Flounge is great, but I'm seeing more differentiation between VA Gold/Platinum and and QF Gold/Platinum. So, I guess what I'm saying is I wouldn't be too concerned about dropping to QF gold, and wouldn't sacrifice my personal life to go from gold to plat.

 

[pdenatris]

I would not persue the WP over your personal life. I think you have made a great choice, I have held SG now for past 2 years having had WP for 2 years prior to that. I had to do a status run to get the 2nd year and felt the investment of points and $ was not worth the extra benefits. Only thing I think is major difference is lounges, past that all other privelages are "nice" but very rarely obtainable. I fly Syd Melb weekly and sometime 2 timesa week, my lounge stays are very rarely over 45 mins. Have done for 8 years, never had a free upgrade even when I have noticed unused BC seats.

Enjoy your personal life, while your the reason they fly, there is only limited reasons why. Hope see you in the QC.

 

[simongr]

Recently, i stopped travel for work to focus on building my personal life - much has lost in exchange for thousands of miles.

You've answered your own question. You can always regain status later if if becomes important. A lot harder to recover the lost years of potentially rewarding personal life.

Absolutely. You seem to have life and travel in perspective. Well done

Pursuing a quality and happy personal life far outweighs any chasing of elite status.

You'd rather have a coughpy silver baggage tag than a day at home with your kids? I think you need to re examine your life's priorities....

I think we need a little perspective here - the OP was looking at doing a status to top up status - not switching out of a non-travel job to a high travel job to get status. We are talking about one day and that day could lead to a more pleasurable experience for everyone travelling.

Personally I spent a couple of days retaining status - it was well spent as the culmination of that has been for me to this year get three biz awards for me, wife and boy to DXB to meet grandparents and then go on to Cyprus. If I hadn't done that at that point in time we wouldn't be doing this trip.

 

[Stoopidsteve]

You'd rather have a coughpy silver baggage tag than a day at home with your kids? I think you need to re examine your life's priorities....

You don't know my kids....

I travel to have a break (usually a work-related purpose too), then have used (and intend to continue doing so) points to send wife away.

 

[rhjames]

I spent years at QF platinum when doing a lot of international business travel. When I retired, I dropped to lifetime gold. I can no longer get into the first class lounge, but have access to the business lounges, which is plenty good enough for me. I don't need matching marble floors. I used to get a few upgrades from business to first on long haul, which was appreciated. Now that I don't travel so much, I don't miss platinum.

I certainly never considered buying a flight just to maintain the status - it's not that important. I still have priority boarding, access to lounges, I've never been anywhere the weight limit. I've got lots of FF points, and unless I settle for economy flights (international), I can't use them (minimal flight allocations for FF premium economy or business).