Help getting from gold to platinum

[Needy]

Hello people,

Just joined the site this week. I currently earn around 800 Qantas status credits each year ( so I'm currently Gold ) . I'm looking for tips on how to reach 1400 ( platinum ), then retain it at 1200. Any tips would be muchly appreciated. If I've posted this is the wrong place, please let me know as I'm new lol.

Cheers
Needy

 

[mannej]

You need to volunteer where you are from, what your budget is and how long you are willing to status run for before you can get any meaningful advice

 

[Needy]

Hi mannej,

Ok so do you mean, for example from Townsville, budget of $1000 a month. But I'm not sure what a status run means? Is this the normal 12 month period? Appreciate you help, thank you mate.

Needy

 

[Deleted member]

Straight away there is a DSC promo on. See the thread . Depending on how far ahead you can book and pay you should get some mileage from that.

 

[Steady]

Welcome aboard Needy, my tip is to spent time reading AFF.... look at the fare type you are booking, (flex earns twice the amount a red e deal does etc) why fly direct when you can connect Nd ign up for double status credits and then make eligible bookings

 

[Needy]

Ok mate thanks heaps!!!

Straight away there is a DSC promo on. See the thread . Depending on how far ahead you can book and pay you should get some mileage from that.

k tha

 

[Needy]

Welcome aboard Needy, my tip is to spent time reading AFF.... look at the fare type you are booking, (flex earns twice the amount a red e deal does etc) why fly direct when you can connect Nd ign up for double status credits and then make eligible bookings

Ok mate thanks heaps for your help!!! I really appreciate it

 

[RooFlyer]

Hello people,

Just joined the site this week. I currently earn around 800 Qantas status credits each year ( so I'm currently Gold ) . I'm looking for tips on how to reach 1400 ( platinum ), then retain it at 1200. Any tips would be muchly appreciated. If I've posted this is the wrong place, please let me know as I'm new lol.

Cheers
Needy

Reaching Plat is an admirable objective, but if you are trying to do it without 'naturally' flying enough to achieve it, first you need to ask yourself do you really need it? Will you get enough bang for the bucks you'll have to shell out? What Play benefits do you intend to use?

OK, that's sermon.

To accelerate your SC earning:

* Use the double status credits offers when they come around. There's one on right now. BUT read the T&Cs carefully and have a look at one or more of the recent DSC threads on AFF.

* Fly indirect. Instead of A-B, go A-C-B. Can be same price, but you earn on both legs.

* Flying purely to get the points and SCs is called a 'status run'. Both domestically and internationally, some routes earn more per dollar spent than others. But watch the booking class. The very cheapies don't earn much or anything.

 

[Needy]

Reaching Plat is an admirable objective, but if you are trying to do it without 'naturally' flying enough to achieve it, first you need to ask yourself do you really need it? Will you get enough bang for the bucks you'll have to shell out? What Play benefits do you intend to use?

OK, that's sermon.

To accelerate your SC earning:

* Use the double status credits offers when they come around. There's one on right now. BUT read the T&Cs carefully and have a look at one or more of the recent DSC threads on AFF.

* Fly indirect. Instead of A-B, go A-C-B. Can be same price, but you earn on both legs.

* Flying purely to get the points and SCs is called a 'status run'. Both domestically and internationally, some routes earn more per dollar spent than others. But watch the booking class. The very cheapies don't earn much or anything.

Wow thanks mate!!! Yeah I live in townsville, but do 2/2 to the mines in WA. So I fly townsville to Brisbane, then to Perth. Then 2 weeks later, I do the return trip. I currently earn 60 status credits each month, so 720 a year. So I know I’m along way off the 1400, required for platinum. I know if I buy Flexi return tickets, my status credits will increase to 90 a Month. So I’m thinking about doing that, then jumping on the double status credit offers, and hopefully getting to the 1400. Then I only require 1200 to keep it. What I want it for is just so I can use the business lounges, and first class lounges when flying international. What are your thoughts on this mate?

 

[mviy]

You’re flying enough to get good value out of it. Though if the flights are out of your own pocket do your sums to figure out the cost

 

[RooFlyer]

Wow thanks mate!!! Yeah I live in townsville, but do 2/2 to the mines in WA. So I fly townsville to Brisbane, then to Perth. Then 2 weeks later, I do the return trip. I currently earn 60 status credits each month, so 720 a year. So I know I’m along way off the 1400, required for platinum. I know if I buy Flexi return tickets, my status credits will increase to 90 a Month. So I’m thinking about doing that, then jumping on the double status credit offers, and hopefully getting to the 1400. Then I only require 1200 to keep it. What I want it for is just so I can use the business lounges, and first class lounges when flying international. What are your thoughts on this mate?

i think 'international' is the key in the decision to decide whether to go to Plat or not. Another big benefit from being Plat is that you are higher up on the upgrade-with-points list and you can also call QF and request the release of award seats (eg in J) if none are available. You have to still do this a fair way ahead, but it does work.

So, if you have international travel planned, then really striving to get to Plat beforehand would be worthwhile (again, as long as you can do it reasonable economically). And then with that international travel, you could possible retain with the lower threshold.

For the international travel, if you do a "DONEX" [code for D (discount J) class ONE World RTW, with X meaning the number of continents visited 3, 4 or 5 - the fare depends on the 3, 4 or 5. There are threads here on them.], then there are real tricks for maximising SC earn. With the DONEX, you get 16 flight segments to be used within and between continents, going RTW. If you want to go from Nth America to Europe, the straightforward way would be to fly (say) NYC-LHR. Noooo! You fly from LAX to an easterly point in Europe, say Doha (counted as Europe) and then another flight DOH-LHR. You might earn twice the SCs as the most straightforward routing. This works because with a DONEX, you pay the same for up to 16 segments no matter if they are short or long. So always take the longest you can do. Also, different airlines within OneWorld earn differently for Qantas. An American Airlines flight will earn more on the same route than Qatar Airways, for instance. QF code share on American will earn more than same flight on an AA coded flight.

On this trip, I did a DONE4 RTW and the mileage (and SCs earned) I accumulated was actually twice RTW! 2,000 SCs for the one trip, including SYD-LAX-JFK and SIN-MEL in J on DSCs

 

[mviy]

you can also call QF and request the release of award seats (eg in J) if none are available. You have to still do this a fair way ahead, but it does work.

It depends on the route. On some routes it may be possible to get a seat released within a few weeks or so of the flight. Also note it only works for QF operated flight (i.e. can't request seats for AA flights ringing up).

 

[RooFlyer]

Oh, sure. It was mainly the 'premium' routes to LHR and LAX i was thinking of (but didn't articulate).

 

[Needy]

You’re flying enough to get good value out of it. Though if the flights are out of your own pocket do your sums to figure out the cost

Ok cool will do thanks mate!!

 

[Needy]

i think 'international' is the key in the decision to decide whether to go to Plat or not. Another big benefit from being Plat is that you are higher up on the upgrade-with-points list and you can also call QF and request the release of award seats (eg in J) if none are available. You have to still do this a fair way ahead, but it does work.

So, if you have international travel planned, then really striving to get to Plat beforehand would be worthwhile (again, as long as you can do it reasonable economically). And then with that international travel, you could possible retain with the lower threshold.

For the international travel, if you do a "DONEX" [code for D (discount J) class ONE World RTW, with X meaning the number of continents visited 3, 4 or 5 - the fare depends on the 3, 4 or 5. There are threads here on them.], then there are real tricks for maximising SC earn. With the DONEX, you get 16 flight segments to be used within and between continents, going RTW. If you want to go from Nth America to Europe, the straightforward way would be to fly (say) NYC-LHR. Noooo! You fly from LAX to an easterly point in Europe, say Doha (counted as Europe) and then another flight DOH-LHR. You might earn twice the SCs as the most straightforward routing. This works because with a DONEX, you pay the same for up to 16 segments no matter if they are short or long. So always take the longest you can do. Also, different airlines within OneWorld earn differently for Qantas. An American Airlines flight will earn more on the same route than Qatar Airways, for instance. QF code share on American will earn more than same flight on an AA coded flight.

On this trip, I did a DONE4 RTW and the mileage (and SCs earned) I accumulated was actually twice RTW! 2,000 SCs for the one trip, including SYD-LAX-JFK and SIN-MEL in J on DSCs

Wow that is so much cool information!! I have learnt a lot from that, thanks for taking the time to write that for me mate

 

[Silvia]

If you are doing any SE Asia route, you may find good to do indirect flying.
I am in your situation where I would be doing about 800-1000 SCs. Decided to do MEL-SYD-SIN in PE netting 160 return x2 - 320. But did it as I anticipated a bit of international flying next year and also where I would be able to enjoy the extra benefits of Plat (going to HK for my birthday, so will appreciate the CX F lounges)

I booked for next year MEL-BNE-HKG in PE - 180 SCs x 2 - 360 without being too expensive (Feb 2019).
NZ SYD or MEL-AKL or CHC could also represent a decent alternative.
Domestically speaking MEL-SYD-OOL and back could be good value, also SYD-BNE-CNS.

But being fair, without the DSC offer, it's a bit of an effort for a fair bit more extra points and a nicer lounge.

 

[Needy]

If you are doing any SE Asia route, you may find good to do indirect flying.
I am in your situation where I would be doing about 800-1000 SCs. Decided to do MEL-SYD-SIN in PE netting 160 return x2 - 320. But did it as I anticipated a bit of international flying next year and also where I would be able to enjoy the extra benefits of Plat (going to HK for my birthday, so will appreciate the CX F lounges)

I booked for next year MEL-BNE-HKG in PE - 180 SCs x 2 - 360 without being too expensive (Feb 2019).
NZ SYD or MEL-AKL or CHC could also represent a decent alternative.
Domestically speaking MEL-SYD-OOL and back could be good value, also SYD-BNE-CNS.

But being fair, without the DSC offer, it's a bit of an effort for a fair bit more extra points and a nicer lounge.

Appreciate the feedback mate!!! Thank you