Chasing Status: What's your motivation?

[ithongy]

1) It's all about the miles...! High status will earn you exponential miles when you fly. Those miles are like a form of currency which has different value as how you redeem them.

2) It's like another layer of insurance when things go wrong. Ie flight delayed/canceled. Had a flight canceled causing us to miss our 2 connecting flights in USA. Was rerouted direct LAX-JFK on A321 Transcon 1st class.

3) Lounge access for food & also to freshen up & showers.

4) Seen how many people complain on the QF FB page on wait times on the phone? Having status literally I get answered very quickly.

5) Standing by for earlier flights has been a great thing for me when traveling in USA.

 

[Moindardt]

When we started travelling with our 4 tweens, it was a disaster. Anything that can go wrong, does, especially when there are 6 of you. Status means they generally bend over backwards to sort things out or spread that disaster onto someone else so you don't have to worry about it. My list:

1/ Lounges. Most business class lounges are pretty good and most F ones are great. We always arrive early to deal with the inevitable problems. Most of the time now, they don't even occur, so we just wander up to the lounge and relax. Try sitting in the airport for 3 hours with 4 kids. They will drive you insane and end up cost $200 in food. In the lounge, they just sit and play on their devices, eat the nice food and leave you alone. When you have a delay/cancel, its a godsend, or a nice shower/meal during a long stopover. Also, the counter in the lounge will take care of any problems you have far better than customer service dealing with the masses.

2/ Checkin. Normally a very long process for us. Straight up to the F counter and straight through to that lounge

3/ Choosing you seats (and those others have to pay for).

4/ Talking to someone in Australia, straight away, when you call.

Personally, I think status is great for the benefits when everything goes right, but the real power, is when everything goes wrong. That's when you are ever so glad you have it.

 

[drron]

We have chased status for all the reasons given.The lounges are great-though after a few years of Flounges you do get a bit blasé.Priority checkin,extra baggage but most of all being the front of the queue when things go wrong.Returning home from DPO in Tassie.All QF flights cancelled due to heavy rain.About 6 of us get an SMS to go to LST and have a booking on a later flight.Get to MEL and have missed my JQ flight to Sunshine coast.QF ground staff swap my ticket to BNE on a QF flight.Cost-nothing,Value-priceless.

We don't do formal mileage runs but rather play the game.Our status comes from playing the game.Our travel is international in J.We are often flying LAX-JFK.We have never flown direct but LAX-DFW-JFK/LGA.Double the SCs for mrsdrron.Also are often flying NRT-BKK or vice versa.So always go NRT-HKG-BKK.Again nearly double SCs.

Having status then means you earn more points.More points mean more awards or upgrades.Without the advice found here we would have only very infrequently flown F.Have had a couple of times pay J,fly F on BA promotions.However have lost count of the number of F flights we have now done and all on points.Makes travel much more comfortable.

Long term planning for when fully retired and cant fly as much.I have a lifetime QP membership plus LT Platinum on AA.Another year and mrsdrron will have LTG on QF.

 

[JohnM]

I don't like most people

:shock: That's not the impression you gave me, Juddles .

 

[JohnM]

Re: Best QF Status Run Options - Questions and General Discussion

If you travel for work a lot then LTG is the cake, and WP is the icing.

:shock: What's travelling for work got to do with it .

WP has been icing for many years and now 2.5X around the LTG clock. Mostly SFSC - and not a status run in the mix. An annual DONEx or above neatly does the trick .

I almost dread the thought of going back to SG .

 

[turtlemichael]

Re: Best QF Status Run Options - Questions and General Discussion

The issue for me is chasing Platinum over Gold. I have LT gold for when my platinum dies at the end of the year. I just can't justify spending the thousands on travel I would not otherwise do or where i can use points.

 

[bsb]

It's a drug, once you've had it, you just want more. Shoot me up.

 

[defurax]

It's a drug, once you've had it, you just want more. Shoot me up.

Indeed! And flying constantly is a good way to avoid being "landsick" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal_de_debarquement

 

[straitman]

Re: Best QF Status Run Options - Questions and General Discussion

The issue for me is chasing Platinum over Gold. I have LT gold for when my platinum dies at the end of the year. I just can't justify spending the thousands on travel I would not otherwise do or where i can use points.

Same situation applies for me Michael.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Indeed! And flying constantly is a good way to avoid being "landsick" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal_de_debarquement

My symptoms are different, but "land sick" is a good description for the feeling.

That said, I only get the feeling when exiting airports, never arriving...

 

[13thVoice]

For me doing FIFO, the last place I want to be after 21 or more days away from home is in an airport. Having at least Gold lets me into the lounge to be comfortable for the hour or few I have to wait between flights.
It's also definitely good to be able to walk on quickly in the short queue rather than spend the extra 20 minutes waiting in line.
If you have to fly often enough it's worth chasing for the extra bit of comfort, time saving, etc if you don't have to fly too often then I guess wouldn't be.

 

[Pat2065]

Both my husband and I have been QF Platinum for some time. he is also LTG and I will crack that on my next trip. As the large majority of my husband's travel and all of mine is self-funded, our financial stake in QF and One World is high.

While we'd never travel just to get/keep status, Platinum status has brought many advantages. The standard, but appreciated ones, include check in at first class (fast end efficient), access to international first class and domestic business lounges (although all lounges are fine), priority lines to minimise queuing. We travel lightly so extra baggage is not a big deal for us. However, the status gives us checked baggage allowance on cheap flights on partner airlines that may not normally include any free baggage. This sort of benefit can also extend to seat allocation.

When looking for award flights, you can call if your preference is not showing on the website. This has been invaluable for using points to fly when and where we want. QF will also make a 'request' for what you want and it is usually approved (on QF flights). The status also helps when something goes wrong. You just get looked after in a way that clearly values your patronage.

So, would I travel just to get status? No. Do I appreciate the recognition and benefits for the incredible amount we have spent on travel? Yes.

 

[davlaw]

Having just lost WP after 3 years with QF and now a Gold it is big miss for me.
Being able to walk past the line waiting to board was good (although Gold can do that now)
The 1st lounge in Melbourne was great
The business lounges are great at Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra but being Qld based apart from the food the Brisbane lounge seems to be a punishment for being a WP not a reward
However when something goes wrong late flights cancelled flights WP does (Gold helps if there are no WP's on your flight) help to getting that next flight getting some meal vouchers when the Q club is full (Hobart was chockers in January and they gave me a WP as I was enough vouchers for my party of 3 and 2 guests to have a few drinks and food in the terminal)
I like the thrill of trying to get those last few credits to keep a level or to get to the next level - BUT it can be a drug if you let it consumer you.
So I'm now a Gold with Life Silver would like Life Gold but 5 or 6 years away from it.

I think there are advantages but I also think QF at times don't care what status you are - I have been amazed the way I have been treated by QF staff but some staff make you feel special which is nice.

 

[Willy2212]

I agree with Doctore 1003. While I have never done a status run, I do manage gold each year and have thought about a status run if I get close to p,atinum

 

[FirstClass]

Travelling only for work (can't think of a worse thing to subject oneself to voluntarily!), and thus never having done a 'status run' (and wouldn't dream of it in any event), the positive attributes of 'status' appear to be:

1. Shorter queues and hence quicker check-in, hence later arrival at the 'zoo'.
2. Priority consideration for points upgrades; ease of achieving escape from a conscious state being the number one concern in regard to air travel.
3. Somewhere quietish to hide from most of the unwashed, should your timing be off and you hafta waste some time waiting before incarceration in the tin tube.

I guess that's about it.

In regard to 2 above, has anybody else noticed the comparative difference in flex and vibration transmission from the cabin soles of Boeing and Airbus products, respectively?
Trying to sleep on the accursed Airbus results in concussion every time a not-so-lightfooted FA stomps past one's seat...

 

[serfty]

... 1. ... 2. ... 3 ...
I guess that's about it.
...

Seems there's at least a 4th.

Note this thread: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....m/qf-early-2017-award-availability-74536.html

It seems if you want to book a premium cabin award on Qantas currently, you need that status, otherwise it's down the back ....

Also, the same with VA - internal upgrades require SG or WP status.

 

[nonscenic]

I was Gold for a few years when I had frequent work travel but then dropped back to silver due to lower levels of flying, mainly work related. I took out QP membership but it is overall a lower class and makes you realise the true benefits of the gold status. Despite paying dearly for QP membership, one has no access to OW lounges overseas unless flying on a QF flight (and I even had to argue with the lounge dragon at Johannesburg when returning to SYD on QF)

 

[Deleted member]

First: What the heck is happening to the reply with quote feature on this site?
if i try and fix a spelling issue, it moves the word to another line ????

anyway, i combine status runs with a visit to my mum in NZ, kills two birds with one stone, mum loves it even if she is mystified about the wisdom of twice in one week

 

[medhead]

Status makes extensive work travel bearable.

Travelling only for work (can't think of a worse thing to subject oneself to voluntarily!), and thus never having done a 'status run' (and wouldn't dream of it in any event), the positive attributes of 'status' appear to be:

 

[grov]

I've given up chasing status. I have QF lifetime silver, lifetime Cub access and mostly fly J, so what's the point? Most of my FF points now come via the credit cards, so I have accumulated sufficient points for free flights. My flying is all for leisure now so it would cost me a fortune to retain Gold status - I'd rather spend the money on an overseas comfy J seat.