Companion Platinum or Earned Platinum

[mnb]

My husband is about the be upgraded to Platinum through family pooling 1000 SCs with me and our daughter. We have some big business class trips coming up and he will make an additional 1300 SCs this year.

Is it better for him to keep pooling to his account and to gift me platinum when he reaches 2000 SCs or to switch family pooling to my account so I get earned platinum status?

Also, how does my husband retain platinum status next year? If he earns an additional 800 SCs straightaway will he automatically get another year of platinum? So it might be better to keep pooling to his account?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[medhead]

I'm pretty sure that once you achieve a new level you then have your date reset and you have to achieve the 800 SC in the following 12 months to retain the status level.

On the question of pooling vs gift platinum. It might be better to pool to you as you should get status bonus points as you move you the levels. Probably do a comparison of the 2 options.

 

[cssaus]

I recently gifted my daughter Platinum as she's got several long haul flights coming up in the coming months so she'll have all the benefits. In return she's family pooling to my account. However, I'm going to transfer the points back to her account but keep the SC's.....she was happy with that arrangement.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

If I understand your question correctly, I'd say it'll depend on when and how you intend to get the 1300 additional SCs.

When your hubby reaches plat, his review date will reset meaning all SCs from that new review date will go toward his plat requal for the following year of 800 SCs. Once he reaches 1300, you'll get gold status (not platinum....at least not officially, but there has been some anecdotes of a few "wins" in that regard).

If you pool across to you straight away, you'll reach gold quicker (and the extra luggage allowance and point bonuses) but timing may be crucial as if you're just planning on 1300 and no more, you may run into the status upgrade, SC black hole where you may loose large chunks of SCs if you're both flying those business trips together and in a perfect scenario, you'll still only be gold and hubby may have managed to requal plat. Same outcome as leaving the pooling to him, but in a shorter time frame and with slightly more risk of not achieving what you want to do.

A third option which, depending upon your plans, may also suit, is for hubby to gain plat, change the pooling to you and get you to plat (this gives a heap more luggage if you need that and the double points accrual) and once both of you are at plat, then you'd need to decide who will requal to gold for the subsequent year. That may suit if you're planning some trips in the next 12 months or so but not much after that........it's your call. Hope at least some of this makes sense!

 

[kaz]

A third option which, depending upon your plans, may also suit, is for hubby to gain plat, change the pooling to you and get you to plat (this gives a heap more luggage if you need that and the double points accrual) and once both of you are at plat, then you'd need to decide who will requal to gold for the subsequent year. That may suit if you're planning some trips in the next 12 months or so but not much after that........it's your call. Hope at least some of this makes sense!

i thought I read under ' status ' on the VA website that it was a soft landing from platinum to gold rather than having to re qualify for gold for the subsequent year if you won't make platinum again. . Also a soft landing from gold to silver.

 

[muppet]

i thought I read under ' status ' on the VA website that it was a soft landing from platinum to gold rather than having to re qualify for gold for the subsequent year if you won't make platinum again. . Also a soft landing from gold to silver.

Yep definately.

Best plan for a couple earning 1000 credits a year is credit 100% to person 1 in year 1, then year 2 credit 100% to person 2. then reverse. allowing both to always have lounge access due to soft landing.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

i thought I read under ' status ' on the VA website that it was a soft landing from platinum to gold rather than having to re qualify for gold for the subsequent year if you won't make platinum again. . Also a soft landing from gold to silver.

Ah yes, you're right! I completely forgot about the soft landings. I guess the best plan will depend on times frames for the OPs trips.

 

[Meggsy]

You also need to consider the amount of eligible sectors you and your partner fly. For example, if you are pooling SC's to any one person and they don't fly the required number of eligible sectors, in this case 8 for platinum, then you will not be upgraded until you do so. However if using the companion system then it does not matter as these are gifted, irrespective of eligible sectors flown.

 

[oz_mark]

Keep in mind that with companion membership, the soft landing may not apply for the companion!

 

[mnb]

Thanks, I think I will start pooling SCs to my account now that hubby is Platinum. That way I will get to Gold and then Platinum quicker than waiting for Companion Gold and I will get a soft landing instead of going back to Red with the Companion membership.

Then when I'm Platinum we'll pool back to hubby and hope he can requal for Platinum. Hopefully they'll have another promotion of earning SCs on award fights

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Once he reaches 1300, you'll get gold status (not platinum....at least not officially, but there has been some anecdotes of a few "wins" in that regard).

Add one additional anecdote, mnb!

 

[Jama]

So no one else gets caught out. I gave companion Platinum to my wife after earning it last year. I have already re qualified this year and called to see about giving a companion membership to my daughter and was told sorry you can only nominate one person.

So, all my accumulated SC' just get thrown away at my review date. I would have switched to booking savers and saved a packet. I didn't see the point of pooling the other way as my wife and daughter wouldn't meet the sector requirements.

 

[kevrosmith]

So no one else gets caught out. I gave companion Platinum to my wife after earning it last year. I have already re qualified this year and called to see about giving a companion membership to my daughter and was told sorry you can only nominate one person.

So, all my accumulated SC' just get thrown away at my review date. I would have switched to booking savers and saved a packet. I didn't see the point of pooling the other way as my wife and daughter wouldn't meet the sector requirements.

So does that mean, for example, if you got divorced, you would never be able to change who you nominate and your ex would for ever retain the companionship platinum (assuming that level was reached each time). That seems odd and if I was in that situation, I'd certainly be taking it further. How clear is it in the T&Cs?

 

[Jama]

So does that mean, for example, if you got divorced, you would never be able to change who you nominate and your ex would for ever retain the companionship platinum (assuming that level was reached each time). That seems odd and if I was in that situation, I'd certainly be taking it further. How clear is it in the T&Cs?

Doesn't specifiy. So, one would assume, if you have someone currently nominated and you earn the SC's again then you would be entitled to nominate another. But apparently doesn't work that way.