Book a flight and Extend Current status to 2022

[justinbrett]

If it were me I would have made the renewal for WP & P1 to be the same as SG (600) but keep the upgrade rate the same. It's not like WP & P1 are getting much for their higher status at the moment.

SG can be maintained fairly easily with only domestic flights - it's near impossible to do it for WP & P1.

 

[mviy]

SG can be maintained fairly easily with only domestic flights - it's near impossible to do it for WP & P1.

I would not consider 30 return MEL-SYD or BNE-SYD trips fairly easy for someone who mostly does international flying. That's a lot of domestic flying if you don't have work reasons to go interstate most weeks.

 

[justinbrett]

I would not consider 30 return MEL-SYD or BNE-SYD trips fairly easy for someone who mostly does international flying. That's a lot of domestic flying if you don't have work reasons to go interstate most weeks.

There are other cities than just those three...

If you booked 2 SYD-PER trips in J during DSC you would have more than the 600 SCs required.

 

[mviy]

Whilst that's true I don't think QF expects most SG who fly primarily internationally to do a few SYD-PER trips in J via a DSC offer. QF has a strong interest in retaining the loyalty of their pre-COVID international travellers. The market for international flights is likely to be highly competitive with potential supply that could be put in place outstripping likely demand and QF would be crazy not to value a loyalty edge and provide some further status incentive for passengers to remain loyal if international flights resume later than what QF publicly hopes. I'm sure they would be considering several different strategies with plans evolving over time.

Worst case I'm completely wrong and people either have to get status back the hard way or vote with their feet and see if the grass is greener with other airlines such as SQ.

 

[PineappleSkip]

If anyone seriously still thinks that international travel is going to go to some kind of a COVID "new normal" in October, I think they're dreaming.

The new normal is exemptions, which are much easier to obtain, but NBG for leirure travel of course. There are also a lot more flights available, not so many months out from booking date, as there were in November last year.

Re qualifying the year after looks challenging at this stage, with limited international till October (at best), and a slow recovery for domestic travel.

+1. I am going to have to book EK next trip to MENA, because they are in the game and provide COVID travel insurance, unlike QR who don't, CX who are now impracticable, and QF who don't fly. That means WP perks this year, but no SCs for next year.

Cheers skip

 

[mviy]

The new normal is exemptions, which are much easier to obtain, but NBG for leirure travel of course. There are also a lot more flights available, not so far out, as there were in November last year, when I checked this afternoon.

As those trying to get home have found, airlines taking bookings and actually operating passenger flights are two very different things. For QF status, QF operated flights is primarily what matters, not other airlines.

It's far too early to know for sure when/if there will be further status support, so make the most of the current extension available and wait and see when/if QF announces something further later in the year as they consider developments. Only when you're reaching about 2 months till status expiry does considering whether to do status runs start to become urgent.

 

[PineappleSkip]

For QF status, QF operated flights is primarily what matters, not other airlines.

Au contraire! In my case, and I expect many others, I got virtually all my status the last several year through other OW airlines, with dom QF flights contributing maybe 10% to the haul. The QF requirement to watch was the four QF flights.

 

[mviy]

Well travellers like you are benefiting from status extensions because they are a blunt tool. I’m sure QF’s intent with the status extension is primarily to benefit those who do a lot more than 10% of their flying on QF in mind.

 

[846622]

Currently platinum for Virgin, took the option 1 flight before end of March (Perth to Karratha), received notification last week platinum status extended to September 2022,
Also registered for the Qantas status match, then registered double status points for flights booked before end of March, put into credit upcoming Virgin flight Perth to Port Hedland and rebooked with Qantas for last week. 1 return flight 30sc +30sc then double status credits appeared Friday in my account total 120 sc for 1 return flight. Qantas account updated today to Gold with expiry date August 2022 got to be happy with that......

 

[CMak]

Currently platinum for Virgin, took the option 1 flight before end of March (Perth to Karratha), received notification last week platinum status extended to September 2022,
Also registered for the Qantas status match, then registered double status points for flights booked before end of March, put into credit upcoming Virgin flight Perth to Port Hedland and rebooked with Qantas for last week. 1 return flight 30sc +30sc then double status credits appeared Friday in my account total 120 sc for 1 return flight. Qantas account updated today to Gold with expiry date August 2022 got to be happy with that......

Those of us who have lifetime silver or gold don’t benefit from extensions - maybe Qantas should explore other options rather than a blunt extensions (not really sure what these could be though).

 

[mviy]

Those of us who have lifetime silver or gold don’t benefit from extensions - maybe Qantas should explore other options rather than a blunt extensions (not really sure what these could be though).

The point of the extension is to help preserve status not to level up. Other things like the free SCs they handed out and status credit rollover can still benefit you.

If preserving others status keeps them loyal to flying QF that indirectly helps you as it increases the chances that the QF Frequent Flyer program will outlive you.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Those of us who have lifetime silver or gold don’t benefit from extensions

Not sure what the problem is, if there is one? Mrs pineapple is LTG. She will be LTG next year with or without status support. She would be LTG next year if there was no pandemic and she did no flying. Status support is simply irrelevant if you are LTx

Cheers skip

 

[JW]

Its in QF interest to keep lucrative freq flyers in the fold. QF not flying internationaly allows folks to 'try' other airlines in these covid times.

Given the likely competition when flights resume this is more important they dont drop the ball.

They will therefore have to extend/provide other means to retain freq flyers

Perhaps they may even upgrade the odd QF FF. Never had an upgrade from QF but many from others like EK/QR

 

[Matt_01]

Not sure what the problem is, if there is one? Mrs pineapple is LTG. She will be LTG next year with or without status support. She would be LTG next year if there was no pandemic and she did no flying. Status support is simply irrelevant if yoiu are LTx

Cheers skip

I burst into laughter when reading this, the dry sense humour appeals to me however I would suggest the "Status support is simply irrelevant if yoiu are LTx maybe relevant if looking to move from LTS to LTG.

 

[SYD]

I burst into laughter when reading this, the dry sense humour appeals to me however I would suggest the "Status support is simply irrelevant if yoiu are LTx maybe relevant if looking to move from LTS to LTG.

Or the short hop, skip and jump to LTP.....

 

[Matt_01]

Or the short hop, skip and jump to LTP.....

I never did understand why Olivia and Alan set the bar so high. I have no interest in achieving QF LTP

 

[mviy]

I never did understand why Olivia and Alan set the bar so high. I have no interest in achieving QF LTP

Probably because they considered it would be too costly to give to more than a select few. Let's face it, most AFF members if they had LTP would probably try to book classic awards as much as possible for international travel and book on OW partner airlines they like if they're cheaper than QF and reap the benefits. QF would like flyers to continue to book cash seats.

It would be nice to have LTP and never have any concerns about status again, but it looks like that's not to be for most of us, including me.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Status support is simply irrelevant if yoiu are LTx maybe relevant if looking to move from LTS to LTG

Excellent point. Also relevant to my coming move from LTG to LTP, which on my pre pandemic travel pattern should happen when I am 107. Unless I retire before then or there is another pandemic, in which case it will take longer...

cheers skip

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Before last year LTP was looking to be about 5 years away for me. Now it looks much further away.

Back to the topic. Unless the bubble is popped before it even starts I will have max rollover on JQ flights alone, plus will have some QF flights. Obviously would prefer the QF flights to rollover first as they help with the 2700 QF flights for P1 requalification whereas the JQ flights do not. Any thoughts/speculation on what might happen?

 

[Seat0B]

Its in QF interest to keep lucrative freq flyers in the fold. QF not flying internationaly allows folks to 'try' other airlines in these covid times.

Given the likely competition when flights resume this is more important they dont drop the ball.

They will therefore have to extend/provide other means to retain freq flyers

Perhaps they may even upgrade the odd QF FF. Never had an upgrade from QF but many from others like EK/QR

Sure hope you are right @JW as I maintain my WP status mainly by international trips and I don't really want to drop down to LTG just as flight opportunities resume (whenever that may be)!