Chasing Status: What's your motivation?

[sumthinfornuthin]

Some here may be aware of my continual love/hate relationship with VA, which culminated with me deciding to finally split my loyalty and gain QF status as well.

although I was well on my way to QF gold (my intended QF status level) by a carefully managed plan of throwing some decent coin at JQ max bundles (which are not worth the money), QF decided to "help" me along the way with a gold status challenge. The terms of this were for me to run up 200SCs on QF marketed and operated flights within 3 months (pretty easy) and I'd have gold. There were no other Ts&Cs. I met their challenge conditions easily, but admittedly did it by using the Aquire double SC offering. I rang QF and asked when they'll be boosting my status level from lowly silver to gold, to which they replied that I wasn't on a status challenge (they later found the offer my records and agreed I was....but without an apology for implying I was lying) and then reneged on the offer by stating I cannot use a double points offer with a challenge. I argued that they had not issued me with any Ts&Cs to that effect (in fact none at all) and they agreed that they hadn't. I quite genuinely met the conditions stated to me, but no way were they going to accept that they were at fault, I had met their conditions and that I was due the status boost. They did however, offer me some "compensation" by offering me a platinum challenge except it would have to start all over again. This time 400SCs.

Once burnt, twice shy and QF can go flog themselves. Their failure to honour their original offer to me has now made me anti QF even more. I pointed out my many and numerous J and flexi bookings and decided lack of saver/redi-deal bookings to no avail. seems QF doesn't want me so that's fine, but I will not be throwing any more money at a status "carrot" after seeing them renege on the first. I had previously decided that holding two statuses would be beneficial and to do so I was prepared to fly predominantly flex or J. All QF has made me realise, is that we're all cough in the eyes of an airline no matter what status you hold, so I'm back to VA (which I can easily hold platinum on predominantly saver fares) and the odd time I need QF, I'll either suck it up as a nobody or pay for J as required.....let's face it, I was prepared to do that anyway.

I have my careful dual status planning on a spread sheet so I know how much more I was prepared to pay to gain dual status, so I'm now seriously considering putting that extra cash into a higher interest bearing account for future airfare use to either buy points or outright J to achieve the same result as status but leaving all the flying options (airline choice etc) open for me to choose at the time. I will not support a company that reneges on an agreement and just now, I'm thinking the QF lowlifes have done me a favour without realising it!

I have never hear of Qantas offering Status Challenges
How did you get this ?
Unsolicited or did you ring them ??
Seems like "secret handshake" business to me ??

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I have never hear of Qantas offering Status Challenges
How did you get this ?
Unsolicited or did you ring them ??
Seems like "secret handshake" business to me ??

Oh they do it alright. There was another post here of AFF about someone getting a challenge, so I rang QF to enquire. I had to prove my worth by providing evidence of other status held (in my case VA), but not just a photocopy of a shiny card, they needed a printout of the account history and they do not recognise family pooling....only the members genuine status on their own flown SCs. That actually worked against me, as I'd been relying on family pooling to retain VA platinum whilst I was earning QF SC's on JQ to gain QF status the real way and if they added QF SC's and VA SC's (which I believe they should have), I'd easily have been offered platinum to start with. But being offered the gold was not an issue for me, as that was all the status I wanted on QF anyway.

So to answer your questions, Yes they do it, Yes it was solicited (by me) and Yes it is secret handshake business (as it's not publicised anywhere but that has the downside of them being able to change the ground rules at any point they desire....even after someone has spent money to achieve the requirements).

In essence, they hadn't thought about the possibilities of someone using a double SC offer to gain the SCs required and they didn't like it so they moved the goalposts, after the goal had been kicked successfully, but before the scoreboard had been updated! Double SCs are so people can gain extra SCs to attain/retain status....that's all! There is no other value of a status credit......it's sole value is for status, so to argue I can't use them to attain status but others can is just cough. I honestly cannot believe how brain dead the QF so called "supervisors" actually are. My QF SC balance currently stands at 472 (and only 127 of those were via the double SCs) so they would have "gifted" me 228 to gain a chance of getting some of the business from someone proven (by VA evidence as well as their own) to buy flex and J fares over -Y fares, which I would have thought would have been the type of profile they'd be looking for. If I had zero SC's, I would have still been required to reach the 200SCs in 3 months, effectively meaning they'd have "gifted" me 500 (instead of the 228) but that would have been OK. There is no logic in that, but the dumb phone jockeys are obviously not there because of their smarts!

 

[coco50]

thanks jessica - we all know about panama after this week

pty, fl, usa?

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Oh they do it alright. There was another post here of AFF about someone getting a challenge, so I rang QF to enquire. I had to prove my worth by providing evidence of other status held (in my case VA), but not just a photocopy of a shiny card, they needed a printout of the account history and they do not recognise family pooling....only the members genuine status on their own flown SCs. That actually worked against me, as I'd been relying on family pooling to retain VA platinum whilst I was earning QF SC's on JQ to gain QF status the real way and if they added QF SC's and VA SC's (which I believe they should have), I'd easily have been offered platinum to start with. But being offered the gold was not an issue for me, as that was all the status I wanted on QF anyway.

So to answer your questions, Yes they do it, Yes it was solicited (by me) and Yes it is secret handshake business (as it's not publicised anywhere but that has the downside of them being able to change the ground rules at any point they desire....even after someone has spent money to achieve the requirements).

In essence, they hadn't thought about the possibilities of someone using a double SC offer to gain the SCs required and they didn't like it so they moved the goalposts, after the goal had been kicked successfully, but before the scoreboard had been updated! Double SCs are so people can gain extra SCs to attain/retain status....that's all! There is no other value of a status credit......it's sole value is for status, so to argue I can't use them to attain status but others can is just cough. I honestly cannot believe how brain dead the QF so called "supervisors" actually are. My QF SC balance currently stands at 472 (and only 127 of those were via the double SCs) so they would have "gifted" me 228 to gain a chance of getting some of the business from someone proven (by VA evidence as well as their own) to buy flex and J fares over -Y fares, which I would have thought would have been the type of profile they'd be looking for. If I had zero SC's, I would have still been required to reach the 200SCs in 3 months, effectively meaning they'd have "gifted" me 500 (instead of the 228) but that would have been OK. There is no logic in that, but the dumb phone jockeys are obviously not there because of their smarts!

Thanks
I would have been p***ed off too if that was me
BUT it's no different to the whole FF game, if too many people learn the rules then they change them
If that was not in their T & C's ( even better if no T & C's PROVIDED or QUOTED at time of challenge) have you given any thought to Trade Practices and quoting "misleading and deceptive conduct" etc. The penalties for a Corporation convicted of that are substantial ( just check it out first yourself so you can quote it to whomever you talk to < including section of the Act, as it always makes people worried if you sound like you know what you are talking about !>)and it might just put the squirts up the level 1 people objecting who might push it up the tree to someone who might then just make a "commercial" decision ???

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Thanks
I would have been p***ed off too if that was me

I've said in another thread that I must be mellowing in my old age as the whole saga more bemuses and amuses me rather than annoy me. As for trade practices.....no chance. How does one prove an offer that is not written anywhere? Not only would it likely fail, but QF gold is just not worth that much effort (IMHO). I was mainly interested with a notion of achieving QF LTG, but by the time that's achieved (if ever), I may be so over flying I never want to set foot on another aircraft again.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

I've said in another thread that I must be mellowing in my old age as the whole saga more bemuses and amuses me rather than annoy me. As for trade practices.....no chance. How does one prove an offer that is not written anywhere? Not only would it likely fail, but QF gold is just not worth that much effort (IMHO). I was mainly interested with a notion of achieving QF LTG, but by the time that's achieved (if ever), I may be so over flying I never want to set foot on another aircraft again.

Like playing poker with a pair of 2's and uping the ante, bluff all the way...nothing to lose ??

 

[JessicaTam]

pty, fl, usa?

Let me google that for you

 

[marki]

Let me google that for you

I can call there on my Telstra Premium mobile phone without it costing a cent more!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Let me google that for you

Hey I like that Google search.

 

[JohnK]

I'm not sure JohnK participates in the lotfap side of SC runs.

LOL. I would if I had the money to fly to the good old US of A often. Have some Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic miles with cobwebs. May route to Thailand via USA and Europe one of these days.

Oops, wrong credit. It was your post. All those white avatars look the same!

A golf ball and a glass of milk look the same? :mrgreen:

 

[serfty]

LOL. I would if I had the money to fly to the good old US of A often. Have some Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic miles with cobwebs. May route to Thailand via USA and Europe one of these days.


A golf ball and a glass of milk look the same? :mrgreen:

You can get a return fare to the USA for under $900 these says ... the 25 hours in whY may be a deterremt.

 

[cove]

I think status may get you the best seats for the lowest possible pricing but it does not always work that way.

 

[JohnK]

You can get a return fare to the USA for under $900 these says ... the 25 hours in whY may be a deterremt.

Definitely not a deterrent at ~AUD380 return. Wish I'd stayed an extra day or 2 instead of hit and run....

 

[medhead]

You can get a return fare to the USA for under $900 these says ... the 25 hours in whY may be a deterremt.

Seen some for $560 return recently and possibly a mistake fare around $300 to $400 (maybe in USD for the second one)

 

[coco50]

You can get a return fare to the USA for under $900 these says ... the 25 hours in whY may be a deterremt.

Just fly JQ business to HNL, chillout for a couple of days and fly Y to LAX or wherever

 

[Deleted member 62084]

I'm definitely able to select all the seats in row 3 when traveling with my 3 red friends on an upcoming flight as WP, so fairly sure SG can do it too. Doesn't matter the status of the other pax – it'll be based on the highest (or at least primary) status on the booking.

The whole issue has been bugging me for a while so I just made a phone call to Velocity who confirmed that a person at Gold status CANNOT select gold seats for red travelling companions, spouse or not. Similarly, if I am Gold and my wife Red, she CANNOT priority check-in or board with me. Unless the chick on the other end of the phone didn't know what she was talking about?

 

[Deleted member 62084]

To back up mrsmart's... absolutely not my experience either!

If you are on the same booking, you can select seats online for both of you together in any row available to the person who booked. Even if for some reason you've made separate bookings while travelling together (e.g. one is a reward ticket), the highest status passenger can call Velocity and ask them to seat you together. I'm pretty sure this is how many of us with status travel regularly with our partners (not to mention families)!

Either one of you should definitely go for gold!

Velocity deny that this is possible (see my reply to the previous post).

 

[11sjw]

The whole issue has been bugging me for a while so I just made a phone call to Velocity who confirmed that a person at Gold status CANNOT select gold seats for red travelling companions, spouse or not. Similarly, if I am Gold and my wife Red, she CANNOT priority check-in or board with me. Unless the chick on the other end of the phone didn't know what she was talking about?

Never experienced this at all. Many moons ago my wife was the SG/WP and I'd tag along for the fun. More recently I'd take Mrs 11 and Jnr 11 with me through PB and check in.

Edit: not necessarily in that order!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Velocity deny that this is possible (see my reply to the previous post).

I know as a plat I can select row 3 seats for my silver and red tag alongs. They also following me through priority check in, priority screening and priority boarding and I have never had an issue of rejection.....not even a cursory scrowl.

I had assumed gold were the same. Perhaps not.

 

[medhead]

The whole issue has been bugging me for a while so I just made a phone call to Velocity who confirmed that a person at Gold status CANNOT select gold seats for red travelling companions, spouse or not. Similarly, if I am Gold and my wife Red, she CANNOT priority check-in or board with me. Unless the chick on the other end of the phone didn't know what she was talking about?

She doesn't know what she is talking about. I've had no problem with family getting good seats and using priority when travelling with me on the same booking. The big proviso is that they must be on the same booking. Perhaps you need to clarify whether you're talking about the same booking or separate bookings.

Velocity deny that this is possible (see my reply to the previous post).