Article: What I Value Most About Qantas Platinum Status

[AFF Editor]

In this article, I've outlined the things I most value about Qantas Platinum status:

The 5 Things I Value Most About Qantas Platinum Status

Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold membership includes great perks like airport lounge access, but Qantas Platinum status packs even more of a punch.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Do you agree? Over to you, AFF…

Do you see the value in Qantas Platinum status and if so, which are your most prized benefits?

If you don’t think Platinum status is worth earning 1,400 status credits in a year – or 1,200 to maintain – why not?

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

International travel perks are nice (especially Qantas First Class lounge and partner premium lounge access) but I don't fly overseas often enough to really miss these in a big way if (when) I drop back to Gold.

The Platinum-only perk I've been taking advantage of quite often recently is domestic arrivals lounge access. I've used it to grab a bite or drink (particularly if I slept on the plane due to an early flight), to relax while waiting until accommodation check-in times, or to attend some online meetings (typically after flights that have been delayed and therefore don't leave time to head into an office or home before the meeting starts).

I should hit Lifetime Gold next membership year, so probably won't bother to rack up the 1200 status credits from then on... but I will miss not being able to pop into a lounge after landing.

 

[anyonebutqantas]

The best perk is being able to speak to someone on the phone, since the Qantas call centre is deliberately understaff to force non-Platinums to wait hours on end to speak to someone.

 

[Anna]

One that's not mentioned is having your onboard food order taken first, so that you are more likely to get your choice.

Another one is the status matches. Just got my 4th status match to Velocity platinum courtesy of joining their Business Flyer program, and I've had several hotel status matches as well that sourced back to QFF WP status either directly, or indirectly via a previous Velocity status match.

It's OWE that is most important to me. If QF left OW I'm not sure how much I would value the other perks.

 

[Port Power]

I love the First Class lounges, and try to book QF9 domestically just for access. Melbourne‘s F lounge is lovely, but not up to the level of Sydney. On arrival access to lounges is also really handy. However, currently, it seems that having access to the premium line to Hobart is the best benefit of all! That’s a bit sad, isn’t it? And not a good reflection on Qantas. Access to the First lounges and first class check in should be the best benefits.

 

[pauly7]

Yes absolutely worth it for me given my travel frequency, patterns and business.

- Upgrade priority is fantastic

- Manual award seat release probably one of my most used features

- Domestic J lounges are excellent, for me primarily for networking with movers & shakers in Aus

- International F lounge access is nice, for me more so when on holiday, flying for business I’m much more lethal with lounge time

- Priority assistance (and the QF premium team), have never waited to speak to anyone at QF

- Seamless OWE integration / benefits as others have mentioned

 

[mviy]

With DSC, I think WP is worth it. One of the main benefits is fast tracking the progress to LTG. 1,200 a year is going to add up to 14,000 a lot faster than 600 a year.

 

[RooFlyer]

Do you see the value in Qantas Platinum status? If so, which are your most prized benefits?

And if you don’t think Platinum status is worth earning 1,400 status credits in a year – or 1,200 to maintain – why not?

I've been Plat for about 13 years, except one year when Gold. In the past 5 years after I retired it has been earned via an annual DONE4, so not really a challenge and not much on QF metal.

The year on Gold was instructive. I use a TA for international travel, so access to Hobart call centre didn't matter. Usually travel J, so domestic J lounge access automatic (albeit declining in attraction these days). The main loss I felt was access to the First lounges around the oneWorld network. I've occasionally asked for a J seat to be released to Europe or USA, with about a 50% success rate (maybe 10 requests that I can recall). I really assessed then whether staying at Gold wouldn't be a bad thing, but again, work travel got me there.

So, to answer the direct questions:

* Yes, I've felt that Plat was 'value', given for many years I earned it via routine work travel and since retirement its been part of holiday travel. I don't think it would be value if I had to earn it on Australian domestic travel. Most prized benefit was undoubtedly First Lounge access

* But now I don't think its worth chasing and probably won't reach it this year, or maybe just with the rollover support. Hobart support is only hit-and-miss these days, and the J lounge issues have been well ventilated here in AFF. Flying J means I have decent lounge access anyway. I will look wistfully at the F Lounges, but

As has been mentioned quite a bit on AFF, being free of status shackles is very liberating, enabling the best travel options to be taken.

 

[Pushka]

Emirates First class lounge in Dubai. Priority line to Qantas. And, that's about it really.

 

[jakeseven7]

I think it makes a huge difference how much you are travelling of course, the business people flying the most will get the benefits more often simply because of the frequency they travel. This forum sees less of those people contributing now.

For me personally the whole suite of the offering is solid but top picks - it’s the better access to award seats, award seat release and OneWorld benefits (for when I travel overseas outside of the QF network, especially domestic US).

J Lounges are great like others have mentioned - probably would be my #4 priority though as I cut things fine these days as travel so often for work, but when I do get stuck somewhere because of weather events etc I thank my lucky stars I have the Spice Temple Wonton soup, a power socket and barista coffee to tide me over!

 

[themaiz]

I got really lucky: after convincing SWMBO to let me spend household money on Emirates J to Ireland in 2019, I crossed the line into LTG and WP in one trip. Then COVID and no international travel. But... that unexpectedly turned into holding WP for 4.5 years.

Mrs TheMaiz has seen that I got through to the call centre with only a 3 hour wait at peak-worst ; I consistently get a wonderful seat on my fortnightly no-seat-selection Dash8 commute; often as not I'll get 4A on a domestic 737; the Sydney T3 J lounge has become second home; 90kg of luggage no charge each way on a J trip to PER; and I really appreciate access to the First lounges on the occasions that I get to use them (SYD and SIN this Sunday anyone?). Lots of little things, without ever having to DYKWIA (which I wouldn't do anyway). And I'm status matched SG on Virgin right now.

Would I work to get 1400 SC each year? Don't know. It's VERY compelling, but won't be easy. Less long-haul travel in general, I haven't been offered DSC in yonks - this trip I haven't even been asked if I want to spend money and points upgrading. Also don't know if I can convince Mrs TheMaiz to do a DONE, or whether a status run is on the cards. But I really, really have received stunning value from Plat while I've had it. Thank you QF.

 

[notqantas]

In this article, I've outlined the things I most value about Qantas Platinum status:

The 5 Things I Value Most About Qantas Platinum Status

Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold membership includes great perks like airport lounge access, but Qantas Platinum status packs even more of a punch.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Do you agree? Over to you, AFF…

Do you see the value in Qantas Platinum status and if so, which are your most prized benefits?

If you don’t think Platinum status is worth earning 1,400 status credits in a year – or 1,200 to maintain – why not?

BA lounges and First check in and security at LHR. No interest in flying Qantas anymore so Platinum will probably be lost. So much for 20 years of Platinum, but any company with the bereft service standards of Qantas does not deserve my money. It’s Qatar and Finnair for me.

 

[ljcoz]

We use it enormously when we also travel domestic economy, we like having a spare seat beside us which happens most times and also quick access to queues and phone service. Have been Plat for about 5 years and trying to get there again this year but price of travel has gone up enormously so won’t beat myself up if gold. Q times on calls have been higher or hit and miss and I got wrong advice from call centre last week and I insisted this was possible so eventually she did it - very annoying to not have competent staff. Love the easy travel life of P but not at any price. All these things should be standard for a full service airline tho and we are using our status to compensate unfortunately

 

[SYD]

The benefits do become more noticeable for anyone doing a lot of overseas travel and OWE status recognition across the alliance (some airlines better than others).

Better advanced seat selection, baggage allowance (although I‘ve never used my full allowance - ever), the things mentioned before (checkin, lounges), priority boarding (which can be entirely surreal experience in the US) and priority handling when things go pear shaped (missed connections, delays and cancellations).

 

[ljcoz]

I got really lucky: after convincing SWMBO to let me spend household money on Emirates J to Ireland in 2019, I crossed the line into LTG and WP in one trip. Then COVID and no international travel. But... that unexpectedly turned into holding WP for 4.5 years.

Mrs TheMaiz has seen that I got through to the call centre with only a 3 hour wait at peak-worst ; I consistently get a wonderful seat on my fortnightly no-seat-selection Dash8 commute; often as not I'll get 4A on a domestic 737; the Sydney T3 J lounge has become second home; 90kg of luggage no charge each way on a J trip to PER; and I really appreciate access to the First lounges on the occasions that I get to use them (SYD and SIN this Sunday anyone?). Lots of little things, without ever having to DYKWIA (which I wouldn't do anyway). And I'm status matched SG on Virgin right now.

Would I work to get 1400 SC each year? Don't know. It's VERY compelling, but won't be easy. Less long-haul travel in general, I haven't been offered DSC in yonks - this trip I haven't even been asked if I want to spend money and points upgrading. Also don't know if I can convince Mrs TheMaiz to do a DONE, or whether a status run is on the cards. But I really, really have received stunning value from Plat while I've had it. Thank you QF.

Totally agree, I’m really hoping for a DSC offer before needing to fly in May otherwise it will be back to Gold

 

[ljcoz]

BA lounges and First check in and security at LHR. No interest in flying Qantas anymore so Platinum will probably be lost. So much for 20 years of Platinum, but any company with the bereft service standards of Qantas does not deserve my money. It’s Qatar and Finnair for me.

Interesting you mention Finnair - did you get a status match with them or just normal travel? Am interested in using them

 

[Dalavia]

The biggest change for me when dropping from Platinum to Gold was losing access to competent telephone operators.

I had three different international itineraries at various times over the past couple of years that required intervention over the phone because of changed flight times (common in the immediate post-COVID era). In every case, the operators I got as Gold FF either said they couldn't do anything, simply hung up when things got too difficult, or cancelled required legs of the itinerary without my authority or knowledge, making the itineraries completely useless.

As a reaction to the appalling telephone service I was getting, over the past six months I've had to do four international itineraries involving 22 Business Class sectors and I've used Star Alliance for all of them - every part of the experience was easy, seamless, cheaper than QF with none of the stress of wrongly cancelled flights. Until I can count on a Qantas bookings "sticking" and being able to be handled competently over the phone, I won't be chasing my Platinum status.

I can see how QF works for Platinum, but it is almost useless for Gold when travelling internationally IF intervention over the phone is needed.

 

[aggie57]

I live in the US and access to AA flagship check-in and lounges is nice.

 

[JessicaTam]

I was WP with QF before LTG kicked in and I jumped ship to BA. I certainly miss arrivals access, and speedy call centre answering - although they haven’t been too bad recently.

 

[notqantas]

The One World status is recognised and gives all the privileges. Finnair means a day flight with QF to Singapore which is ok. If you shop right you can get a Singapore flight back on the Finnair fare which avoids the horrid Qantas night service. Finnair will take you anywhere in Europe from Helsinki and the small airport and comfortable lounge is ideal to me.