Burning points for status using JASAs

[oz_mark]

Why single out these?

No different to DONE's or AONE's. A carefully constructed DONE4/5 purchased cheaply in another country is enough to earn QF Platinum status over 2 years.

Or how about a Finnair J special to Europe when Qantas wants at least double the airfare for the same trip.

Or how about the same day turnarounds to Nadi via 3 Australian cities?

Or how about flying backwards and forwards between two or three asian cities where cheap J fares are on offer.

 

[swylie]

I might be shunned for giving my opinion here, but regardless of one's reasons for flying (whether for business, leisure, or simply to earn points and chase a status), a frequent flyer/traveller program is designed to benefit those who travel regularly.

Sure, there will be some people who fly 100+ times per year in domestic economy to achieve the same status as someone who travels 10+ times per year in international business, but if they achieve the required number of SC's to reach a status, then they're entitled to it.

Whether people buy their tickets or use their accumulated points to obtain status credits, they still have to "fly frequently" to actually earn a status.

I also wonder if there are actually *that* many people out there who will start chasing WP status just because of the changes to ASA conditions - or whether it's mostly of interest to the small group of people such as ourselves who frequent forums such as this

 

[oz_mark]

I might be shunned for giving my opinion here, but regardless of one's reasons for flying (whether for business, leisure, or simply to earn points and chase a status), a frequent flyer/traveller program is designed to benefit those who travel regularly.

Agree. The only way to get status in QFF is to actually fly.

Sure, there will be some people who fly 100+ times per year in domestic economy to achieve the same status as someone who travels 10+ times per year in international business, but if they achieve the required number of SC's to reach a status, then they're entitled to it.

Whether people buy their tickets or use their accumulated points to obtain status credits, they still have to "fly frequently" to actually earn a status.

A common theme amongst the complaints of 'devaluation' by the WP is that their way of achieving WP is the one 'right' way. Any other way is rorting the system. Ultimately, folk have different travel patterns, and thus Qantas need to find a way of rewarding such people.

I also wonder if there are actually *that* many people out there who will start chasing WP status just because of the changes to ASA conditions - or whether it's mostly of interest to the small group of people such as ourselves who frequent forums such as this

I would suggest that it is a very small number, and even then, it would only be if they were only a small number of SC short of the goal.

 

[JohnK]

Just a little bit rude John - we have many abbreviations that we use here (for example the DONE and AONE you used above) and I don't think it is simple laziness that makes us use them.

Why is it rude? The abbreviations you mention have been accepted in the travel industry for many years. ASA can have a thousand meanings including "As soon as", "Austalian Society of Authors", "Australian Songwriters Association" and google throws up heaps more examples. And we are not decided whether it is an ASA or ASR. How about RTW or ATW?

Does TT mean Tiger or Trans Tasman? Does TA mean travel agent or Trans Atlantic? It makes it so hard for people to understand what is being abbreviated and why. Personally I feel an Any Seat Award should be typed out each time instead of being abbreviated into something it isn't just like the 2 examples above.

I certainly don't think using JASAs "cheapens" WP - you actually flew to get the status. Out of interest did you actually fly places that you need to get to or just fly for the sake of it.

I fly the long way but also spend a night in places I want to visit such as SIN, HKG and TPE. But I also do a significant amount of SYD-BNE returns fully self funded. The more I understand Any Seat Awards and the ability to earn SCs will mean that I will eventually start to exploit these as well.

There are arguments for and against each scenario.

 

[JohnK]

Ther was a time when QP, WP, SG and so on did not have any meaning at all, but have found there way into the lexicon of AFF. JASA may, or may not, become an accepted abbreviation on this board.

I actually hate those abbreviations used for status and refuse to use them. It may sound like fun when one has had 1 too many drinks but cheapens the meaning of the status that some people earn the hard the way. It does not matter to me that some people are accepting of these abbreviations and if they want to use them that is fine. I will simply type in Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Qantas Lounge etc everytime.

The English language is coughised enough. What do we actually achieve when we over abbreviate? Some people like to selectively abbreviate and use words such as brekkie, din din, champers, defo, relo, hols etc.

Or how about flying backwards and forwards between two or three asian cities where cheap J fares are on offer.

It is not my fault Qantas has overpriced business class in Australia. And by the way I also flew business class on KL between BKK-TPE return and that had nothing to with achieving status and I will more than likely fly KL again some time.

I refuse to do "status runs" but I see nothing wrong with doing BKK-HKG-TPE-(HKG)-BKK-SIN-MEL-SYD to get home leaving BKK on Saturday morning and getting to SYD on Monday morning. I cannot afford to travel business class in Australia and I am simply having some fun before coming home.

 

[Dave Noble]

I refuse to do "status runs" but I see nothing wrong with doing BKK-HKG-TPE-(HKG)-BKK-SIN-MEL-SYD to get home leaving BKK on Saturday morning and getting to SYD on Monday morning. I cannot afford to travel business class in Australia and I am simply having some fun before coming home.

How is that anything else other than a status run. That is flying for the sake of it and for getting points. Passing back through the origin is not a diversion but a round trip for its own sake

 

[JohnK]

How is that anything else other than a status run.

Simple. When it has nothing to do with status. No different to an award ticket routed SYD-ADL-ASP-AYQ-PER-BME-KNX-DRW-GOV-CNS-SYD.

That is flying for the sake of it and for getting points. Passing back through the origin is not a diversion but a round trip for its own sake

Flying for the sake of flying does not make it a status run....

 

[Dave Noble]

Flying for the sake of flying does not make it a status run....

riiiight; you refuse to do status runs, you just do pointless paid r/t flights for no purpose

 

[JohnK]

riiiight; you refuse to do status runs, you just do pointless paid r/t flights for no purpose

No different to someone going out to a pointless expensive restaurant, or a harbour cruise, or to the boring opera/ballet, or to a concert etc.

I enjoy flying and I enjoy being in other cities during my holiday. Why does it seem so strange?

 

[oz_mark]

Flying for the sake of flying does not make it a status run....

Wasn't a goal of that flying to retain you platinum status?

 

[rambisyouth]

I enjoy flying and I enjoy being in other cities during my holiday. Why does it seem so strange?

So are you saying that if you received 0 additional status credits (or points) by going the long way, that's what you'd do?

I refuse to do "status runs"

Is this a new policy?

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...etter-qantas-platinum-20305-4.html#post277107

I would have been ~560SCs short of Platinum and after finding some decent status runs decided to spend the money to get Platinum status again.

 

[vt01]

No different to someone going out to a pointless expensive restaurant, or a harbour cruise, or to the boring opera/ballet, or to a concert etc.

I enjoy flying and I enjoy being in other cities during my holiday. Why does it seem so strange?

I agree. Although I have used DONE4 to maximise SC's and miles and will look for longer routing, I was
more excited about the flights I took criss crossing the US and then the LHR-Muscat-LHR where I arrived
in MCT, walked back through the transit (got some wierd loks from the people behind the transit counter
and got on the same plane to return to LHR. I really do enjoy the flying.

Now that the company policy is Y instead of J, many of my colleagues refuse to fly. So I end up doing
more trips because they won't.. The most recent being SYD-LHR-Edinburgh.

Status just makes all the flying easier and more comfortable IMHO.

 

[vt01]

So are you saying that if you received 0 additional status credits (or points) by going the long way, that's what you'd do?

Although this question was directed at JohnK, I would go the long way for 0 miles or SC's and even in Y!

 

[Grooba]

Although this question was directed at JohnK, I would go the long way for 0 miles or SC's and even in Y!

Wow! As much as I enjoy flying and everything that goes with it, there's no way I would fly non-direct routings if I recieved nothing for it.

That (to me) is madness.

 

[simongr]

Why is it rude? The abbreviations you mention have been accepted in the travel industry for many years. ASA can have a thousand meanings including "As soon as", "Austalian Society of Authors", "Australian Songwriters Association" and google throws up heaps more examples. And we are not decided whether it is an ASA or ASR. How about RTW or ATW?

Does TT mean Tiger or Trans Tasman? Does TA mean travel agent or Trans Atlantic? It makes it so hard for people to understand what is being abbreviated and why. Personally I feel an Any Seat Award should be typed out each time instead of being abbreviated into something it isn't just like the 2 examples above.

Frankly your offensive nature to someone new to the forums is rude in itself. The fact that the abbreviation used is not officially sanctioned or used in specific travel parlance does not make the OP lazy. Your comparative examples are simply ludicrous - "burning points for status using the australian songwriters association" is almost condescending as a comparator.

I fly the long way but also spend a night in places I want to visit such as SIN, HKG and TPE.

My question was to the OP - I have posted here for a while and am familiar with your travel patterns.

 

[straitman]

I think there are a few on this thread who need to go back and reread the thread. People are entitled to different opinions but some here do not want to see/believe that.

The forum is about expressing and sharing ideas though a few do not seem to understand that anymore :!:

If we all thought the same it would be very boring IMHO but a few supposedly intelligent people seem obsessed with their opinions alone.

VERY SAD :!: :evil:

 

[QF WP]

I never thought I'd both agree and disagree with JohnK in the same thread .

Back on topic (is that gentle enough of a hint FOR ALL ), I'd actually definitely consider burning points for an ASA if it helped me re-qualify my current status or put me on my way to gain Plat again. I never thought I'd see the day that they gave status credits towards award bookings.

 

[nlagalle]

I never thought I'd both agree and disagree with JohnK in the same thread .

Back on topic (is that gentle enough of a hint FOR ALL ), I'd actually definitely consider burning points for an ASA if it helped me re-qualify my current status or put me on my way to gain Plat again. I never thought I'd see the day that they gave status credits towards award bookings.

This works for me on top of using amex points as well to make bookings. So I have two different ways to earn SC's on points (I have a lot of points at the moment!)

 

[QF WP]

This works for me on top of using amex points as well to make bookings. So I have two different ways to earn SC's on points

True, up until now I have used my CC points to transfer to AA, as it is a better burn rate than QF - plus the additional benfits of LTG on AA, whereas sending the points to QF do nothing for my LTG status there.

It does give me the opportunity to use them now for SC earning (re-qual or Plat chasing) now. Makes it very interesting conundrum.

 

[JohnK]

Wasn't a goal of that flying to retain you platinum status?

We are talking about a routing which is going to happen in 6 months. The goal of this new routing is not for status but simply for me to have some fun and kill some time outside of Thailand before I come home.

So are you saying that if you received 0 additional status credits (or points) by going the long way, that's what you'd do?

Yes. I am looking at trying out other carriers like KLM.

Is this a new policy?

Existing policy but I have been known to break my policies occasionally.

Frankly your offensive nature to someone new to the forums is rude in itself.

Apolgies if you felt I was being rude and offensive.