Chasing Status: What's your motivation?

[Edcanfly]

Hi All, been reading posts as they get emailed to me, but my first time to post. The topic of status is relevant to me now so thought I would share. I now live in Singapore, last two years. Have been flying for work last 7 years, but alas, always economy, and in any given year, try to stick with one main carrier or alliance, and always qualified for Silver, but never enough for Gold. Would have needed two status runs to get gold, and could not justify the cost. Found SQ pricey, became dissatisfied with QF service, so gave my business to EK, SYD-BKK, and some flights to Africa. Again, almost got Gold with them. Then, straight after the QF-EK tie up, I get a letter from QF, basically saying, Long time no see, and we know you fly a lot, so here's complimentary Gold status for a year to get you back to QF! I thought great. Started giving business back to QF. Started to enjoy lounge access, especially in Middle East airports with long layovers, and , whilst maybe not so important to others, the extra luggage allowance. That extra 16kg is just what I need to bring a case of good Aussie wine back to Singapore twice a year! Since I only fly back to Aus twice yearly, maintaining Gold was going to be impossible - right? Then I discovered earning status credits with Jetstar by buying the "value" bundles. So, I track my status points, do all my regional flying with Jetstar, and last year found myself doing a status run on Jetstar, to just get over the line. Happy to say it only cost me $200.
Cheers
Ed

 

[vt01]

I've only ever done a few status runs but all but one of these was part of my work travel. The last one was solely mine and cost $1800. If I throw in the postitioning flight to Hawaii it was $2800. However, this was to achieve lifetime Gold status with Qantas. I received 810 SC's and also had a holiday in Hawaii (my first time there) and a visit to Panama city.
I need to mention that I love flying so spending hours in a plane is just plain fun for me. Considering all the flights from Hawaii on AA were first or Business class, it was also a nice way to travel.
The way I looked at it was that I could pay for QF club membership for the next 6 or 7 years or have it as part of LTG. But Elite status also has other benefits such as priority boarding and check in which I really do value. So in the end I decided to do the status run.
The good thing is that now I don't have to chase it any more. I can start crediting to AA instead of QF.
I'm glad I did it and have already used my status a few times which has been great.
I just really hope that lifetime to QF means the same as lifetime to me!

 

[Reise]

.... so please excuse the stupid question ....

The only stupid question is the one never asked.

For me status importance is primarily related to what it delivers in terms of time savings:
- expedited check in probably saves around 30mins on average in check-in;
- if you get and need to use an express card you can knock additional time off - say average of 5 mins through security and immigration;
- getting into lounge and getting straight up to the counter for breakfast - saves probably 10 minutes queuing and delivery time but only lounges at half the airports I fly to so make that an average of 5 mins;
- going to the gate a little later and express boarding probably only saves a couple of minutes on every flight so I have omitted it from the calculation but it does also remove a little extra stress;
- sitting 6 rows further forward means on average about 30 less people in front of me at arrival immigration into one of my primary destinations saves around 20 to 30 minutes (given it is only applicable to about half my flights make that make that an average of 10mins).

So we end up with a conservative estimate of 30+5+5+10=50mins savings per flight. Given an average of 40 flights per year for the last couple of years it equates to 33 hours per year. If you think of it in terms of you only get about 8hours per day of "me" time during the working week that works out to about 4 days. That is worth a lot to me!

Would I make a specific status run? Probably not because I can get to gold on on discount (only paid full economy twice in the last year - I have managed to get my wife to gold as well but it probably isn't as important to her) and if I was traveling less the benefit equation wouldn't stack up. What it has done is resulted in brand loyalty i.e. where the option exists the competition needs to be at least 5% cheaper than Virgin for me to entertain flying with them.

The other benefits like extra luggage allowance, higher points accrual rate are nice to haves but not primary drivers although access to the lounge and being able to charge the phone and/or tablet has been a distinct bonus on more than one occasion, not to mention not having to queue for that second cup of tea at breakfast time and as someone else mentioned having a nice place to retreat to when the flight is an hour late departing.

It can be very addictive tracking status credits and managing their accrual across the family so as to maximise the family pooling benefits within the status review dates. Have fun !

 

[coco50]

I travel for leisure and normally qualify for silver each year, but this year I'm doing a status run to NZ (cost around $1400) to achieve gold. While I'll enjoy all the benefits this brings, to be honest the main driver is emotional. I LOVE flying and I want that little shiny gold card and I want to feel just a tiny bit 'elite'. There, I said it!!

If, like me you qualify for silver each year, and lounge access is a priority you may consider actually paying to join the Qantas club instead of forking out the $1400 you mentioned. A four year membership will cost you $1755 - good value compared to a status run and you still have the perks of your silver status. After all who sees the shiny gold card?

 

[althaluss]

I agree with everyone about the benefits - ESPECIALLY no queuing!

In my case, one year due to some extra travel, I found that I had enough status credits to obtain QF gold, but only three QF code/codeshare flights. So OF COURSE a status flight was in order. I waited until I had a spare day, booked the cheapest QF return flight in economy (SYD-MEL-SYD), grabbed a good book and flew. I arrived in Sydney, went to the Qantas Club, had lunch and a couple of drinks (while reading a few chapters of my book) and then flew home again.

As someone who is self-employed and must pay for my own flying, since then I have adopted a strategy to maintain my gold status. I need to fly to Warsaw, from Melbourne, at least once each year. I fly and pay for Business Class from Melbourne to Warsaw, via Dubai, and then return to Melbourne on the same route but coming back via Sydney - all Qantas or Emirates QF codeshare - 660 status credits, 4 QF code/codeshare flight - Gold status done and dusted for another year! All my other flights (Business) for the following year are then free on FF points.

 

[UP4014]

Motivation is comfort.

 

[Mattg]

I flew a SkyTeam airline yesterday. The flight was fine, but I really did mess the benefits I would have received had I flown Qantas/oneworld. Just the little things like not queuing for 15 minutes to check-in, lounge access and priority boarding can make a big difference. I appreciate these benefits when I do receive them, but I think that not receiving them makes you appreciate status even more.

 

[megmcw]

If you are paying your own fares and not on business, status is really not worth it. You still have the flat bed seat, priority check in whether you are silver, gold or platinum. If you average 3 overseas (e.g. London) trips a year - is it really worth paying $9,000 return - BNE/LHR/BNE just to maintain status when you save $2,500 on each trip by using a cheaper airline. Most airlines now have flat bed seats, excellent food and service so is it really worth it. I know I have been Gold and being treated just that bit better makes you feel good. However, to me it is the comfort of the seat and the price that matters in the long run. Good champagne is good champagne, be it Moet or Krug. You are not getting a case of the stuff just a couple of glasses. The higher the status the more likely you are to be upgraded should the airline overbook. Is spending $7,500 a year really worth it all. You could do a lot with the $2,500 you save on each flight - five nights at a first class hotel, chauffeurs etc., I guess for some people status means a lot, so it depends on who you are and what you expect out of life.

 

[mlleruby]

I'm LG and WP however I've never had to chase status given it is work travel and plenty of it. Given the amount of my own time spent travelling for work, my appreciation is for lounge access during transfers and seat allocation. As I don't particularly like fellow travellers... the ability to occasionally have a seat blocked next to me from the lounge fairies can be a perk. I do use my points for holiday travel so the additional points earned per flight for being platinum is definitely a bonus. I do not see the "hello" onboard as a good thing at all - loathe it! Priority boarding... meh... I only bother if the flight looks full.

 

[Moindardt]

If you are paying your own fares and not on business, status is really not worth it. You still have the flat bed seat, priority check in whether you are silver, gold or platinum. If you average 3 overseas (e.g. London) trips a year - is it really worth paying $9,000 return - BNE/LHR/BNE just to maintain status when you save $2,500 on each trip by using a cheaper airline. Most airlines now have flat bed seats, excellent food and service so is it really worth it. I know I have been Gold and being treated just that bit better makes you feel good. However, to me it is the comfort of the seat and the price that matters in the long run. Good champagne is good champagne, be it Moet or Krug. You are not getting a case of the stuff just a couple of glasses. The higher the status the more likely you are to be upgraded should the airline overbook. Is spending $7,500 a year really worth it all. You could do a lot with the $2,500 you save on each flight - five nights at a first class hotel, chauffeurs etc., I guess for some people status means a lot, so it depends on who you are and what you expect out of life.

I guess it is how intelligent you are with your status, which your example is probably one of the least intelligent ways to get and use status.

Many people on this forum will book an economy flight to London and use points to upgrade (or J to F). Because they are WP, they are at the front of the upgrade queue. Because they are WP, they will go to the first class lounge. Because they are WP, when the flight gets delayed, they will probably get that seat on the next flight instead of you.

Oh, and most people would probably take that extra flight to Dublin that makes it cheaper than the "cheaper airlines".

 

[Quickstatus]

Hi All, been reading posts as they get emailed to me, but my first time to post. The topic of status is relevant to me now so thought I would share. I now live in Singapore, last two years. Have been flying for work last 7 years, but alas, always economy, and in any given year, try to stick with one main carrier or alliance, and always qualified for Silver, but never enough for Gold. Would have needed two status runs to get gold, and could not justify the cost. Found SQ pricey, became dissatisfied with QF service, so gave my business to EK, SYD-BKK, and some flights to Africa. Again, almost got Gold with them. Then, straight after the QF-EK tie up, I get a letter from QF, basically saying, Long time no see, and we know you fly a lot, so here's complimentary Gold status for a year to get you back to QF! I thought great. Started giving business back to QF. Started to enjoy lounge access, especially in Middle East airports with long layovers, and , whilst maybe not so important to others, the extra luggage allowance. That extra 16kg is just what I need to bring a case of good Aussie wine back to Singapore twice a year! Since I only fly back to Aus twice yearly, maintaining Gold was going to be impossible - right? Then I discovered earning status credits with Jetstar by buying the "value" bundles. So, I track my status points, do all my regional flying with Jetstar, and last year found myself doing a status run on Jetstar, to just get over the line. Happy to say it only cost me $200.
Cheers
Ed

Hi EdcanFly

Welcome to AFF

thanks for your post

Can you do a post (will need new thread - maybe under Travel News) about your experiences on 3K (Jetstar Asia).

 

[medhead]

If you are paying your own fares and not on business, status is really not worth it. You still have the flat bed seat, priority check in whether you are silver, gold or platinum. If you average 3 overseas (e.g. London) trips a year - is it really worth paying $9,000 return - BNE/LHR/BNE just to maintain status when you save $2,500 on each trip by using a cheaper airline. Most airlines now have flat bed seats, excellent food and service so is it really worth it. I know I have been Gold and being treated just that bit better makes you feel good. However, to me it is the comfort of the seat and the price that matters in the long run. Good champagne is good champagne, be it Moet or Krug. You are not getting a case of the stuff just a couple of glasses. The higher the status the more likely you are to be upgraded should the airline overbook. Is spending $7,500 a year really worth it all. You could do a lot with the $2,500 you save on each flight - five nights at a first class hotel, chauffeurs etc., I guess for some people status means a lot, so it depends on who you are and what you expect out of life.

Clearly, you have no motivation for chasing status. And your analysis is perfectly correct.

I also pay for my own airfares (96% of them anyway). Economy is the level that I can afford to buy 99.99% of the time (I actually purchased 2 business fares this year for the first time ever). I take about 100 flights a year, mostly domestic. Even if I was only travelling 3 times a year to europe I would most likely not buy business even on those cheap airlines. Economy only.

Platinum benefits make that travel bearable. The time savings have also been outlined pretty well above. To those calculations it is also worth noting that status benefits make hand luggage only more viable. If I was checking in luggage 100 times a year, that'd mean another 20 to 30 hours a year standing around watching bags go in circles.

Can you do a post (will need new thread - maybe under Travel News) about your experiences on 3K (Jetstar Asia).

I'd suggest the Trip Report area or maybe Jetstar. Assuming Travel News is more about published news and travel stories.

 

[JohnK]

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

Some of us enjoy flying. I try to maximise SCs where possible and include it as part of my normal travel.

Why travel BKK-BNE direct when you can travel BKK-SIN-MNL-SYD-BNE? Didn't quite get the timing right this time but I willl get better.

 

[Tonkatough]

For all the perks previously listed, plus the challenge to maintain status and the intrigue of learning new / cheaper / better ways to travel, but mostly it’s all for the fun!

 

[Tassey69]

Bought lifetime QC membership early 90's and through my work and O/s travel I gained LT Gold on last work trip before retirement in 2008. Now when travelling o/s LT Gold makes an enormous difference to comfort particularly in Y but have noticed in past few years Y+ & J upgrades on points rearly available

 

[junbugging]

There was a period when I was flying regularly from Haneda to Singapore. It turned out that Cathay business class was very competitively priced by comparison with JL, NH, and SQ, which is understandable given that your average rational businessman would have preferred to fly direct. So if I recall correctly that turned out to be a quite nice 320 QF status credits per trip, which got me to Lifetime Gold quick pronto. Not sure about pricing today or status credits under the new QF rules. There were one or two times when I would have preferred to just get home quickly, but all in all I didn't mind the extra travel.

 

[Awesom Andy]

So if I recall correctly that turned out to be a quite nice 320 QF status credits per trip, which got me to Lifetime Gold quick pronto. Not sure about pricing today or status credits under the new QF rules.

Still 320, and still a reasonably good price, but it's probably not at a point where one would do a run on unless they actually need to go between these two places (or near by). HKG is right in the middle, so it basically ruins any red-eye opportunities that are often needed by business travellers these days. And you may get a regional product on at least one of the legs, so in terms of the offering, it might need to get even cheaper to actually entice anyone to take this option nowadays.

 

[mbeder]

I travel for leisure and normally qualify for silver each year, but this year I'm doing a status run to NZ (cost around $1400) to achieve gold. While I'll enjoy all the benefits this brings, to be honest the main driver is emotional. I LOVE flying and I want that little shiny gold card and I want to feel just a tiny bit 'elite'. There, I said it!!

Return to NZ on LanChile (SYD-AUK) in business class is available for $799 return and provides 40 SC each way...out of interest, how many are you achieving for $1400?

 

[Doctore1003]

Return to NZ on LanChile (SYD-AUK) in business class is available for $799 return and provides 40 SC each way...out of interest, how many are you achieving for $1400?

240 SCs for MEL-SYD-CHC in J with QF and (even better) EK

 

[serfty]

If you are paying your own fares and not on business, status is really not worth it. You still have the flat bed seat, priority check in whether you are silver, gold or platinum. If you average 3 overseas (e.g. London) trips a year - is it really worth paying $9,000 return - BNE/LHR/BNE just to maintain status when you save $2,500 on each trip by using a cheaper airline. Most airlines now have flat bed seats, excellent food and service so is it really worth it. I know I have been Gold and being treated just that bit better makes you feel good. However, to me it is the comfort of the seat and the price that matters in the long run. Good champagne is good champagne, be it Moet or Krug. You are not getting a case of the stuff just a couple of glasses. The higher the status the more likely you are to be upgraded should the airline overbook. Is spending $7,500 a year really worth it all. You could do a lot with the $2,500 you save on each flight - five nights at a first class hotel, chauffeurs etc., I guess for some people status means a lot, so it depends on who you are and what you expect out of life.

Welcome to AFF.

In many ways you are correct, however, many here would not pay as much a $7500 for Platinum status with either Qantas or Virgin Australia. I myself might pay up to $7000 PA for platinum in both schemes.

See here:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....gram/best-status-run-options-quick-35258.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ity/new-velocity-status-run-master-46199.html