Ethics of status runs

[GrahamBRI]

You might argue that this contingent won't be large enough to create extra flights

I believe that is the argument being put forward - That the status run contingent is not big enough (on any single fight) to trigger the need for extra flights, all they are doing is improving the load factors on a small contingent of existing flights.
Fully appreciate the reverse argument as well, but at the end of the day, both arguments would provide "hard data" to prove. So both arguments are just that, unproven suppositions.

 

[Vic]

Virtually none of the flying I do is “necessary “.

Versus ‘flying for status’? While I think that’s a dumb thing to do, it’s all the same exhaust out the back.

The Cannon-Brookes story getting a bit of a run now. Joe Aston has written a column about it. Here is a bit of the AFR story - off my phone and app so there’s no link I’m sorry.

Is flying part of you earning money? Going on holiday? etc. maybe not strictly necessary but something that supports goals/activities/hobbies. Benefit vs risk or impact, how is that equation for your unnecessary flying? Only you can answer that one.

My last trip, yeah I could've sat up from midnight until 8 am for 3 days watching a task group writing meeting. Instead I choose to participate in person. The flying wasn't necessary, but the benefit of being there in person was vast in terms of being productive.
No problem with flying, imo more about the purpose of the flying. Even a status run has a purpose, the question is whether the benefit is greater than the impact. I saw someone else talked about offsetting, which is one way to minimise the impact.

Cannon-Brookes and his private plane seems to be focussing on some kind of gotchca politics that misses the point entirely - the climate change culture wars. Cannon-Brookes himself is also stuck in that culture war, it would seem. While we're stuck in this place we will continue to ignore the real issue.

Everything costs, everything people do has an impact. There is no right or wrong. Looks like Cannon-Brookes is trying to minimise his impact.

 

[Quickstatus]

Last year 2024, I exported 18,000kWh of electricity.

Apparently enough carbon abatement equivalent to planting 2000 trees or 24T of CO2.

Does that make me ethical?

Ethics? Wrong word I think. Maybe it is better called a religion?

 

[MelbFlyer]

I myself have this same question (about status runs being ethical), as well as just the overall point of it.

Obviously, on a Frequent Flyer forum, I'm sure I'm in the minority in thinking that it's pretty ridiculous in booking and taking flights solely for the purpose of gaining status credits to earn or retain status (ie. a same day return trip from Melbourne to Brisbane via Sydney or flying to NZ and back / something of that nature) - but that's just me and my opinion.

For the people who want to, and have the disposable time / means to do this, by all means go ahead and enjoy the ride / perks that come with high status.

Planes will be flying anyway, so whether or not there's less or more people, the flights that do fly are going to burn fuel either way.

For me, my MO is to apply for and spend the minimum required on Credit Cards to gain sign-up bonuses, then redeem those points for business class reward seats.

I get the perks of a higher tiered member (first class excluded) with my ticket - that's enough for me.

If I was travelling for work or to maintain a long distance relationship or similar, maybe status would be of higher importance considering the amount of time spent in airports etc, but for now, it's not something that I'd think of.

 

[drron]

Is flying part of you earning money? Going on holiday? etc. maybe not strictly necessary but something that supports goals/activities/hobbies. Benefit vs risk or impact, how is that equation for your unnecessary flying? Only you can answer that one.

My last trip, yeah I could've sat up from midnight until 8 am for 3 days watching a task group writing meeting. Instead I choose to participate in person. The flying wasn't necessary, but the benefit of being there in person was vast in terms of being productive.
No problem with flying, imo more about the purpose of the flying. Even a status run has a purpose, the question is whether the benefit is greater than the impact. I saw someone else talked about offsetting, which is one way to minimise the impact.

Cannon-Brookes and his private plane seems to be focussing on some kind of gotchca politics that misses the point entirely - the climate change culture wars. Cannon-Brookes himself is also stuck in that culture war, it would seem. While we're stuck in this place we will continue to ignore the real issue.

Everything costs, everything people do has an impact. There is no right or wrong. Looks like Cannon-Brookes is trying to minimise his impact.

If Michael Cannon-Brookes is travelling on business the Company's insures will not allow commercial flights. It has to be private flights. As the business is global and he is required frequently to the USA the Private jet was acquired. If though he is travelling on a personal trip he flies commercial flights.

 

[Ade]

My local pub for example offers me a very good wicket - $1 off happy hour prices, happy hour prices at all times, and an honour system for payment where I count my beers and tell them how many at the end. Oh and 20% off food.

That is amazing!

 

[FishFood]

I haven't taken a same day status run because of the same unease, but I've definitely gone on short trips that help me get across the line.

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your question

 

[Vic]

If Michael Cannon-Brookes is travelling on business the Company's insures will not allow commercial flights. It has to be private flights. As the business is global and he is required frequently to the USA the Private jet was acquired. If though he is travelling on a personal trip he flies commercial flights.

Yeah, I don't really have an issue with that arrangement.
Maybe I've just jumped to a potentially false conclusion that the AFR is running some kind of hypocrisy angle in the story and I reacted to my own potentially false assumption.

Post automatically merged: Today at 4:25 PM

That is amazing!

Amazing for the wallet, not so much for the liver.
The benefit of being part of a group where some people have been drinking there for 20+ years.

 

[Balad2005]

If Michael Cannon-Brookes is travelling on business the Company's insures will not allow commercial flights. It has to be private flights. As the business is global and he is required frequently to the USA the Private jet was acquired. If though he is travelling on a personal trip he flies commercial flights.

Appears we are discussing a first world problem, maybe the white lotus with wings.
I am not far from a significant status upgrade but I would not take a statuts run just for the sake of it.Though I probably would take a double status points offer but only if I was due to travel for a reason e.g. work or family.
As to Mr Cannon-Brookes, he explains his dilemma in today's Fin Review.Makes me glad that those of us with less limited means don't have those deep ethical problems .

 

[Himeno]

Now that Qantas has launched their latest double points/double status runs, there's much excitement with lots of members designing and eagerly sharing complex status runs. Every time I see this happening, it provokes an uneasy feeling in me. I'm really interested to know how status runs (and chasing points and status in frequent flyer programs more generally) sits with everyone's ethics.

It doesn't make a difference. The plane is going to fly with or without someone in that seat.

 

[N860CR]

Take one step back - what about the ethics of status in the first place?

True. Our goal should be a society without classes.

Do you know the people up here are getting cookies!!!

 

[DC3]

… it’s not my intention to be a party pooper …

Welcome to AFF, Party Pooper.

 

[offshore171]

No different to the ethics of flying somewhere just to watch a football match.

People have hobbies. Some hobbies have high carbon footprints.

I’m told that Taylor Swift jumps in her private jet when she leaves her phone charger on the wrong side of the bed.

 

[Aeryn]

I have never done a pure status run, as in booked a flight solely for the purpose of earning SCs and cant see any scenarios where this would be necessary for myself.

However, i have no qualms about taking indirect routing to my destination on a ticket booked during DSC window provided it is not going to materially inconvenience me and not going to cost more. One of the trips i booked this DSC going indirect means much more civilized departure and arrival times and a cheaper fare, so I would have chosen this even without the DSCs.

I do not think it is really an ethical matter at all. Concerned passengers can pay extra to offset their carbon emissions or choose to deprive themselves of travel. Consider also that those close to the next status tier will fly less overall leveraging DSC promo than if they had to fly more without the DSC or extra leg during a DSC.

At some point there will also be greener fuel.

A small percentage of people flying OOL-MEL-AUK instead of driving for an hour then flying BNE-AKL isn't going to result in extra flights being needed. Special event and weather events aside few flights have 100% passenger loads.

Even when loads are light flights will generally still proceed due to the need to reposition the aircraft for later flights and because a decent portion of the hold has cargo which still needs to get to its destination.

Domestically we don't have high speed trains and the trains we do have have very limited coverage or are expensive lux experiences like the Ghan. The alternative to flying is generally driving and again the cost of fuel and extra time given the vast distances also make it impractical.

International travel for business, family visits or tourism flying is the only practical option for most. Cruising is a lot more expensive in terms of both dollars and time; and offers far fewer destinations.

Do you think it is unethical to own or travel in a car or bus that is not an EV or to charge an EV using non green power? More people drive every day than fly every day. Is it unethical for businesses or households to run air conditioning or heating that is not green powered?

Commercial flights are a from of public transport and imo public transport is always greener than private because the emissions are hared across more people.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I’m told that Taylor Swift jumps in her private jet when she leaves her phone charger on the wrong side of the bed.

I read that one billionaire rapper DJ, whose name I forget and don’t want to know anyway, has his private chef flown in his private jet from Canada to New York or somewhere each morning to make the DJ a toasted cheese sandwich.

The young generation of today.

 

[andye]

l0