How to benefit with lowest status rank

[Gazza129]

Would have to disagree on QF floundering. Yes they are a premium price but we recently went to HKG flying business and and the pinch ourselves at the VAST improvement since we last flew them 10 years ago. I have friend who is is senior purser with them an he told me their customer satisfaction rating has gone from 13 to 37 in that time. Apparently 38 is beyond gold standard. Credit where it's due. Their HKG lounge is wonderful too. Bye bye VA whenever possible now.

 

[johnhoney]

It's interesting how our vanity seeks to be personally stimulated by being named a silver, bronze etc identity. I felt a little sad when Emirates sent me back from Silver to common old Blue because I elected not to fly Emirates this year as it was not practical to fly to my chosen country with Emirates. Still, I should be grateful to still have my points until June 2016 before almost half of them drop off. My status needs to be massaged so the Emirates dumping of my status is not taken too personally, LOL.

 

[maia200]

This is a great discussion topic. I am for about the 40th time + looking at using other airlines, perhaps converting my points to another airline. Ethiad has an offer with Virgin points at the moment. I have just flown Emirates with Qantas and not too impressed. Was impressed with Singapore and Cathay....may be time to change. Its right why stay tied to one airline because of status (which I don't have) but like the points and Qantas Club (which I am a member of). I am travelling to Thailand in July, and London (possibily France too) in April and looking at PE offers on all airlines...am being sorely tempted to change......thanks for all the input

 

[JohnK]

If you don't need to sit together during flight you can purchase an economy airfare and use points for a business class award and continue to go to USA twice a year. That gives you lounge access and you can share the business class flights by alternating each trip.

 

[zoomzoom]

Yes, the lounge is good, but try the CX lounge also...........that's why QF upgraded. The service is limited, one flight a day up and back, pity about connections, old tired and very noisy 747's, fly a 777 or better still 787 and tell me what you prefer and the fares are expensive!

 

[smckay]

I am in the same boat - Bronze, very unlikely to rise higher. Made silver once but had to do a unneeded flight to make it.

We have taken a J RTW flight last year and will do the same next year. Once my bum is in that seat I get treated the same as any one else in there, or if I don't I am happy with what I get at any rate.

So for me, status does not matter and I prefer to save points for rewards trips. I travel a few times domestically but not enough to get status. I have QP membership expiring next year which I may not renew as it's a lot of money for a poor meal and some booze.

Also, doing rewards flights means I see other airlines. Next years trip has one domestic Australian flight and we are on CX, BA & AA across 3 continents so we get a sample of all the flavours as it were.

Status I am happy to leave to those people who desire it, I'm quite happy being a points-rich no-one

 

[Gazza129]

Status I am happy to leave to those people who desire it, I'm quite happy being a points-rich no-one

Beautifully put. Its a bit like the difference in CC colours......often the only one it "impresses" is the person serving you !

 

[smckay]

This is a great discussion topic. I am for about the 40th time + looking at using other airlines, perhaps converting my points to another airline. Ethiad has an offer with Virgin points at the moment. I have just flown Emirates with Qantas and not too impressed. Was impressed with Singapore and Cathay....may be time to change. Its right why stay tied to one airline because of status (which I don't have) but like the points and Qantas Club (which I am a member of). I am travelling to Thailand in July, and London (possibily France too) in April and looking at PE offers on all airlines...am being sorely tempted to change......thanks for all the input

In PE Qantas is probably the better option, but maybe stretch to a reward flight and hit business class; CX fly to both London and Paris and you will like their business class over Qantas; even if travelling with a partner you can still talk, but not whisper sweet nothings into their ear. Maybe buy PE and go for an upgrade to business. You have the seat you wanted and if you score the upgrade nothing is lost.

 

[smckay]

Beautifully put. Its a bit like the difference in CC colours......often the only one it "impresses" is the person serving you !

Ha ha still remember the frosty, upper class-voiced gent telling me "That's a black Amex" when I did a manual authorisation way back in 1989 (before the interweb and small mobile phones).
Now I got a black Visa but it's just the economy class version.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Hi AFF's,

I fly to the east coast of the USA 1-2 times a year purchasing the cheapest Qantas economy seats. And might do 1 domestic flight in Australia a year.
Everything I do I try to earn points on (specifically Qantas). E.g purchasing a car, put it on the CC. I have credit cards that get me the highest possible points across regular purchases such as woolies, petrol, Qantas products etc.
And then anything else I put on the credit cards to get points. I also sign up for credit cards to get the bonus points which I know everyone here typically recommends for easy points. In 3-4 years I've earnt around 800,000 points and currently have 600k points.

My question is - I don't fly enough to go above my bronze Qantas status, and I don't book enough stays with hotels either to rise the status ladder. So how does someone like me (and I know there are many others here) get ahead to get special offers, seat upgrades or room upgrades etc? Or is it really not too realistic?

I sometimes use points to make my economy seats cheaper (which I know isn't the best use of them). I could purchase the normal full fare economy seat and pay with points for an upgrade to business, but since I'm bronze I wouldn't get an upgrade and I'd have paid more for my seat with no reward.
I could purchase an award seat outright, however from searching this forum I believe you don't earn status or points, so that wouldn't help any future chances for upgrades etc. Same goes for hotels. I could purchase the hotel through Qantas but I wouldn't earn any hotel points/status (although I would get some Qantas points).

Is it really a case of the customer needing to be of a high status (due to very regular use/investment in that company) to benefit? And for someone like myself who is loyal, but doesn't fly enough there isn't too much which can be done?

Would be interest to hear what you all think and if there is anything that can be done for a low user?

Cheers!

Congratulations...for mine I would purchase an economy or Premium Economy ticket and try for an upgrade with points and pray !

 

[markir]

Classic award seats and classic flight rewards are the same thing, yes. (Qantas started calling them "rewards" earlier this year.) Prices are the same year-round, but availability can be a big problem. Clearly, there will be fewer seats available in peak travel times. As a medium to long term strategy, locking the seats in when they are released 353 days in advance may be the best way to overcome this.

And yes, you won't earn points for flights booked with points. So your points earning would drop. But there are plenty of other ways to earn points on the ground (e.g. credit cards) to hopefully make up for this.

markir, This discussion makes interesting reading. After a trip with QF MEL-AMS via DBX-AMS via DBX-PERTH-BRISBANE-LST-MEL-LST. I did attain silver status with QF FF and have 98.000 points.
Now after reading about the issue of status. I'm wondering is it all worthwhile the effort. All of those tickets were FLEX. I intend to use those points for upgrade next time.
Question forget the status and go for points? I try saving for a trip to Europe again. Thanks for any advice on this. What is the best way.