Article: What I Value Most About Qantas Platinum Status

[stm1sydney]

I enjoy being locked into the Qantas LTG handcuffs and suffering the inimitable QF service and product and all their failings.

 

[Chalkie]

During my working life, I first earned WP in 2000 and have held it non-stop since then, including 4 or so years as a P1. I travelled a lot (by ordinary folks' standards) for work, and that was nearly always on AONEx (DONEx in the early days), so maintaining WP wasn't a problem. I soft landed from P1 to WP in 2019, and have retained WP since then from status extensions.

I most valued First/Flagship/Wing/Pier first lounge access globally, and the business lounge domestically. I also greatly valued the classic award seat release service, where I can't remember a request ever being refused (it might have happened once but I don't remember when/which route). I most recently used that benefit to request release J seats on SYD-YVRvv for December this year. Based on these two things, I feel I have well and truly had significant value from being WP. The final thing that I valued was the extra luggage allowance, which I only used once, on my move to Canada, and my partner and I were able to check in 256kg of luggage (4x32kg each) as P1/partner WPs travelling in First. All of the other benefits were nice to have, but I don't remember thinking "wow" about any of them.

I achieved LTG several years ago, but LTP was introduced towards the end of my working life and I'm 11K status credits shy of LTP. I'm not interested in trying to achieve LTP, although if I'd worked for 3 more years I would have done so.

@AFF Editor did an "intervention" on my FF situation (part of the First Class service on Frequent Flyer Solutions) last year and as a result of that, I've put QFF aside for the time being in favour of Aeroplan (as I'm currently located in Canada). I've already derived immense value from Aeroplan, including doing things that can't be done with QF, like using eUpgrade credits to confirm upgrades on the spot. Now that I understand how to extract the most value from Aeroplan, I'll probably end up as a 75K Elite / Star Alliance Gold by the end of this year.

A real question for me is whether I should ever aim for WP again. We still have 900K QFF points between us and will need to use them at some point. If classic awards continue to be released in a miserly way by QF, getting back to WP may be necessary purely to request release of award seats!

 

[OATEK]

I made WP for the first time in September 2022 as I alighted from QF2 in Singapore and hurried off to find QF52 for the next leg. This was all made possible by a DSC offer, as I don't believe I would have achieved it otherwise being now in semi-retirement mode and travelling much less frequently.

Well I got off QF52 in BNE and collected my bags and headed off to the transfer bag drop and then to the Domestic Business Lounge and hadn't given my change of status a thought thinking it would be days before the system kicked me up to WP. But I was wrong, and as soon as the seat belt sign went off on the domestic leg to Sydney the Cabin Manager came down to row 3 and asked what I fancied for breakfast to make sure I had first dibs.

Since then I have had a successful release of PE classic reward seats for a January 2024 after missing out in the big lottery last week. And the First lounge access is a real boon for international travel.

So I am very happy with the status upgrade, and will enjoy the benefits on the two trips I have planned to Europe this year, but accept that I will slip back to SG next year. The cost of retaining WP without DSC offers is not cost effective.

 

[dairyfloss]

I've been WP for about 10 years now, and SG maybe a few years before that. These are the things that I value most from WP:

• First check-in & Lounges across the network
• Express Path and equivalents in other markets, regardless of travel class - I can't beleive no-one has mentioned this one, actually! I guess it hasn't been running out of Australia for a while, except by class of travel, but they tell me it will return eventually. I've got a nice stash for me, or for sharing, once it does
  
• Priority Upgrades, often out to T-60 on international flights
• DOM J lounges, though right now I'm not convinced they are much better.
• DOM lounge access on arrival
• Priority Telephone service. I don't call much, but when I do, I've never had to wait more than a few mins, and it's great! Can't recall the last time I spoke to someone who wasn't in Hobart or Auckland.

Like many, I was flying a lot more before C19, and I was also flying a lot of international Y, so the benefits were very noticeable. Now I am flying less, but only fly business, and so the benefits would probably not be as obvious as they were, but only a couple of those above come with J, and none with SG, and so it's definitely still something I'll be chasing for the foreseeable.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[BD1959]

I agree with your 5 though would probably rank them in a different order. I'd also add in a sixth: QF pro-activity on IRROPs. Many a time my evening xx-x5 flight from SYD would be cancelled (I'd always book them because invariably they'd be cheaper than the xx-00 or xx-30) and I'd sometimes get a call usually a text and there way never an issue with my being re-accommodated on my flight of choice.

I'd also expand recognition on oneWorld to include Emirates, and combine the Emirate First Lounge access into that category since EK also recognise QF Platinum baggage allowances.

So my five - in order - would be:

1. Arrivals Lounge access - used this many times when had to take an earlier than planned (or with contingency) flight and worked until colleagues have arrived at the destination airport. Also handy for Mrs BD who prefers the "lounge facilities" when we arrive to those on the aircraft!

2. Call Centre Priority

3. IROPS priority (I'm sure this one will be contentious since its not a published benefit)

4. One World Emerald/Emirates Platinum recognition (including First Class Lounges)

5. Ability to request additional reward seats

Regards,

BD

 

[Bindibuys]

My first year as WP after DSC last July/Aug flights. Best feature for me has been the ability to have 2 x F seats released - as a wedding present for my daughter. I have a request in for another F for myself & hubby, but has not been forthcoming yet, but the flight is still a bit away, will ask again closer to departure.
Premium telephone has been a blessing.
Waiting for the other airport perks when international flights commence in May.

 

[Matt_01]

A real question for me is whether I should ever aim for WP again. We still have 900K QFF points between us and will need to use them at some point. If classic awards continue to be released in a miserly way by QF, getting back to WP may be necessary purely to request release of award seats!

The requesting of seats is handy and as a P1 (will mostly likely fall this year) we get access to additional fare buckets. These days I am more than happy to pay the QF points surcharge to fly on partner airlines and they are often better.

 

[whughes3]

During my working life, I first earned WP in 2000 and have held it non-stop since then, including 4 or so years as a P1.

I think you mean 2001 which is when the current status levels were introduced (Sep 15 IIRC).

Myelf, I first made Plat in Jan 2004 as a result of an increase of my international flying,and have held it ever since; have never "tried" to keep it, have just flown when and where I had to, and that has earned me Plat every time, only just a few times, but have never relied on comps or bonuses. I do appreciate the various bonuses which have been discussed at length above and would miss them if/when I drop back!

 

[SYD]

• Express Path and equivalents in other markets, regardless of travel class - I can't beleive no-one has mentioned this one, actually! I guess it hasn't been running out of Australia for a while, except by class of travel, but they tell me it will return eventually. I've got a nice stash for me, or for sharing, once it does

Yes, good point. The specific "Gold standard" LHR T5 First entry was mentioned earlier.

• Priority Upgrades, often out to T-60 on international flights

Oh, I meant to mention OP ups! They're far less often on QF now but I've had them on other carriers also J -> F.

 

[JohnM]

I've been WP for what must be coming up 20 years and LTG since 2008.

I achieved WP while still working, from a combination of whY work travel and personal travel. But the main engine keeping it going was an annual
DONEx for 16 consecutive years until the world as we knew it ended.

In recent times, access to the HBA call centre has been a key bonus.

Of course all the FLounge and priority checkin and security has been great.

For a variety of reasons I'm likely done with DONEx's () and I'll accept the humiliation of sinking into LTG in September. I wouldn't bother with a status run just to hold WP.

It's been a good ride that couldn't go forever.

But now to start occasionally trying a few alternative airlines. First off the rank after QF J Awards for PJM and myself PER-xSYD-ZQN will be revenue NZ ZQN-xAKL(whY), but then AKL-PER in J next January.

 

[justinbrett]

It really depends how you get those SCs. Ideally you should fly your normal patterns, see where that lands you. If you aren't even getting gold from your normal travel, WP is not worth chasing - go for gold.

If you're getting within 80% of WP, then it's worth asking the question to see how you could top it up, but WP status would not be worth more than 2K (even then that's a very big stretch) however I've seen people splash that to get WP - that's not worth it.

WP + PC is a really good combination, you have points, you get get seats released, and those seats give you SCs - it's a great cycle (obviously you still need to be doing a lot of revenue travel as well).

 

[kookaburra75]

Like many of those who have posted in this thread, I got to SG in 2011, and then after changing to a job with a UK company in 2015, with 2-3 trips per year to the UK, I ticked over to WP at the start of 2016 that I've held until now. Thankfully I managed to get to LTG in the past couple of years - SCs from Qantas Wines got me over the line.

In my time as a WP the highlights have been:

• Arrival access to lounges
• First dibs at reward flights
• Access to QF First Class Lounges - although MrsK hasn't had the opportunity yet, and as I drop back to SG before out next overseas flight, she won't get that opportunity
• Access to other OW Airlines' First Class Lounges - LHR CX is a favourite
• Status Matches to other airlines, the most recent being Virgin

Probably the best experience being WP was when on the long haul to the UK - the company policy was PE if the flight was over 8 hours, Y for the rest. I would travel on Flex Y as usually I had to make changes, and put in for a points upgrade to J, which I got 50% of the time. When I was back in Y, the Cabin Service Manager would come back and say hello and usually arrange something special for me, which was good. I got to know one of the CSMs from Melbourne, Michael, as I was his flights four times. My last run to the UK on New Years Eve 2019, and the CSM invited me up (from Row 80) to the NYE Party they were holding in the J Lounge up the front. Needless to say, I was there for quite a long while.

I'm currently several hundred SCs from maintaining WP which I would have to try and earn before end of June. Would I do a status run to maintain WP? No. I'm ok with LTG, which gives me OW Sapphire access, if I wanted to travel on OW Airlines. And domestically, the QC is enough, the Domestic Bus Lounges have lost a bit of that shine.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've put QFF aside for the time being in favour of Aeroplan (as I'm currently located in Canada). I've already derived immense value from Aeroplan, including doing things that can't be done with QF, like using eUpgrade credits to confirm upgrades on the spot.

Good move - a FrequentFlyer program constructed by AvGeeks for AvGeeks. I think it’s the best FrequentFlyer program out there right now.

QF pro-activity on IRROPs. Many a time my evening xx-x5 flight from SYD would be cancelled (I'd always book them because invariably they'd be cheaper than the xx-00 or xx-30) and I'd sometimes get a call usually a text and there way never an issue with my being re-accommodated on my flight of choice.

Good Lord! Well done I don’t think I ever received a proactive alert or move from Qantas due to IRROPS when I was Platinum or any time else for that matter .

 

[Matt_01]

I found the article quite good and it is nice to hear what people think of WP when they have not held it before. I am like some others on this site and have been WP and higher for many years, I am P1 and as such MrsM has the complementary WP status. In my situation I have most likely become complacent to the benefits as it is what I am used to. I will drop to WP and then to LTG and at the moment I am not that fussed by that however I will have to wait and see if my mindset changes when this happens. As 2 OWE international travel enables our family unit of 3 to access the OW F and J lounges, even if we have to travel separately Mrs&MissM still get access to lounges. When I drop from P1 I think MrsM will be annoyed as she will lose her status and I think she has become quite used to it.

 

[desertrat]

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?

I am LTG and have had Platinum status since 2019. I do most of my international flights with Qatar out of Adelaide so I don’t see much benefit for myself in trying to retain Platinum. You mentioned in your article that one of the perks of Platinum was accessing better seat selection before the T-80 timeframe. The coveted first row in economy, the one I am always after if not flying business, still doesn’t open up for me until T-80. As for the First lounge access, not really important to me. I absolutely love having a meal and a drink on the plane, usually travelling business class, it helps to pass the time on a long flight…..I rarely fly out of Sydney anyway! So I definitely won’t pay the high airfares on Qantas just to retain Platinum. However, I love my Gold status!

 

[openseat]

I'll renew for Platinum this year and enjoy the oneworld perks, especially the First lounges. I don't use the call centre that often. I've used lounge on arrival a handful of times over the years. Finally the recognition by other OW airlines is something I'll miss.

Now I've moved into a position with much less travel Platinum will be no more for me at the end of August '24 when I'll go back to LTG. I was a 'refugee' from the Ansett collapse in 2001 and almost immediately purchased QP Life membership (I think for $1,200) which was great when I was living in the US to get into Admiral's Club. However I haven't used it in the last 8 years or so that I've been platinum.

 

[Matt_01]

You mentioned in your article that one of the perks of Platinum was accessing better seat selection before the T-80 timeframe. The coveted first row in economy, the one I am always after if not flying business, still doesn’t open up for me until T-80.

I am assuming that the 'perks of Platinum better seating' maybe access to more forward rows. It is only P1's and CL's who can access R4/5 seating at anytime prior to seats opening up to all at T-80.

 

[Chalkie]

I think you mean 2001 which is when the current status levels were introduced (Sep 15 IIRC).

Myelf, I first made Plat in Jan 2004 as a result of an increase of my international flying,and have held it ever since; have never "tried" to keep it, have just flown when and where I had to, and that has earned me Plat every time, only just a few times, but have never relied on comps or bonuses. I do appreciate the various bonuses which have been discussed at length above and would miss them if/when I drop back!

What was it before 2001? I can't remember now.

 

[SYD]

What was it before 2001? I can't remember now.

Gold? Old Silver became new Gold? Blue became Silver and White became Bonze…. Or something like that.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I am assuming that the 'perks of Platinum better seating' maybe access to more forward rows. It is only P1's and CL's who can access R4/5 seating at anytime prior to seats opening up to all at T-80.

Matt, you've been a P1 for too long.

Standard WP seating is like the first nine rows on a 737 or the entire Q400 out of EMD!