Introducing Platinum One

[simongr]

as a 5-yr WP I am 1 of 5 on upgrade requests (admittedly only requested on A380 J-F) and never had a QF Intl opup.

would be interested if the upgrade stats are different for econ and int y-j, versus int j-f.

I suspect the 70% of upgrade requests being completed includes domestic ODUs - just a from a volume standpoint I expect that to dwarf international.

 

[chrisb]

would be interested if the upgrade stats are different for econ and int y-j, versus int j-f.

I'm silver and in the past few years I've requested two y-j upgrades on lax-syd and got both. 100%!

 

[MrJetset]

I'm unsure this new status will encourage people to fly QF over other carriers. I've lost count the number of times I've seen Black Chairman's Lounge luggage tags on BA, VA, EY and EK at the First Class check in counter.

The reality is that people fly QF for work, mainly. For premium leisure, sure the F Lounge is amazing, but often price wins. Why spend $17k to fly to the Middle East on QF/BA with horrid connections at LHR when can snag an EY F fare for $8.5k if you know where to look?

 

[oz_mark]

I suspect the 70% of upgrade requests being completed includes domestic ODUs - just a from a volume standpoint I expect that to dwarf international.

Interestingly the emails sent to golds, states that 65% of upgrade requests by Gold members are successful. You platinums must be pulling that number up to get it to 70%

 

[adrian]

Personally, I would prefer AA EXP than QF WP1
*ducks for cover*

With AA EXP, I have never been charged a fee for making or cancelling an award booking; I can get a confirmed J award seat from Aust to Europe for less than the cost of a QF upgrade from Y to J (which is only a lottery anyway); I get a 8 free systemwide upgrades every year; and they have consistently the best telephone staff I have encountered.

I am never going to be in the position to qualify for WP1, but even if I were, I would still stick with AA.

 

[simongr]

Adrian do you do much domestic whY flying?

 

[Deleted member 18152]

Some food for thought.... I was on QF10 recently in First Class. It was delayed by 24 hours. We found out finally at 230am that the flight was not going ahead. The only assistance provided in the 60mins after the cancellation was for First and CL passengers (via the First Hosts). Most of the 50 Platinum members waited in arrivals until 330-4am for assistance. No special arrangements were made for them. Families, the elderly and Platinums alike waited with no staff on site for a considerable amount of time.

Platinum One members will be listed as eligible for the First Host service. This represents a marked improvement in these kind of situations. We were provided with chauffeured transfers both ways, five star accommodation (our choice) and regular telephone updates from the First Hosts. Platinums got a bus to the 3 star airport hotel.

 

[rockyroad]

Personally, I would prefer AA EXP than QF WP1
*ducks for cover*

With AA EXP, I have never been charged a fee for making or cancelling an award booking; I can get a confirmed J award seat from Aust to Europe for less than the cost of a QF upgrade from Y to J (which is only a lottery anyway); I get a 8 free system wide upgrades every year; and they have consistently the best telephone staff I have encountered.

I am never going to be in the position to qualify for WP1, but even if I were, I would still stick with AA.

Why duck for cover? I'm QF and VA WP (status matched but BIS retained in 4 weeks). Was waiting on WP1 benefits to convince me I had got it wrong and WP1 would fix the WP "Enhancements". Now I'm looking forward to AA EXP, 8 system wide upgrades and the unlimited 500 mile upgrades. I also expect VA to join *A in 2012, so things will then get interesting for this one time 100% loyal QF FFer.

 

[rockyroad]

Some food for thought.... I was on QF10 recently in First Class. It was delayed by 24 hours. We found out finally at 230am that the flight was not going ahead. The only assistance provided in the 60mins after the cancellation was for First and CL passengers (via the First Hosts). Most of the 50 Platinum members waited in arrivals until 330-4am for assistance. No special arrangements were made for them. Families, the elderly and Platinums alike waited with no staff on site for a considerable amount of time.

Platinum One members will be listed as eligible for the First Host service. This represents a marked improvement in these kind of situations. We were provided with chauffeured transfers both ways, five star accommodation (our choice) and regular telephone updates from the First Hosts. Platinums got a bus to the 3 star airport hotel.

Assuming delay was at LHR with a normal departure at 21:30. It would seem they would have had ample time to make hotel arrangements, which should have swung into operation as soon as the flight was cancelled at 02:30. Amazing it took QF until 04:00 to get people moving toward local hotels.

 

[adrian]

Adrian do you do much domestic whY flying?

No, quite rare for me.

 

[adrian]

Some food for thought.... I was on QF10 recently in First Class. It was delayed by 24 hours. We found out finally at 230am that the flight was not going ahead. The only assistance provided in the 60mins after the cancellation was for First and CL passengers (via the First Hosts). Most of the 50 Platinum members waited in arrivals until 330-4am for assistance. No special arrangements were made for them. Families, the elderly and Platinums alike waited with no staff on site for a considerable amount of time.

Platinum One members will be listed as eligible for the First Host service. This represents a marked improvement in these kind of situations. We were provided with chauffeured transfers both ways, five star accommodation (our choice) and regular telephone updates from the First Hosts. Platinums got a bus to the 3 star airport hotel.

IMHO they should already be providing this kind service to their Platinums/Emeralds, without the need for WP1

By way of comparison, I was recently travelling from Europe to Sydney on an AA award J ticket, with all CX flights. A 2 hour stopover in HKG, and I stupidly fell asleep waiting for my connecting flight (not in a cabana, just sitting up on one of the sofas in the lounge near the gate). Was offloaded. Now this was an award ticket with AA, and the fault was completely mine, because of which the flight went out with an empty J seat, and they had to find my luggage, and no doubt there was some delay involved. As far as I know, CX weren't obliged to help me out, and nor were AA. But one call to the AA EXP desk in the US, 5 minutes on hold, and I was booked on the next flight from HKG to SYD....

 

[Deleted member 18152]

Yes it was a 2130 scheduled departure, however, no arrangements were made til 330-4am ish as I said. Not one member of staff was available to process non-First/CL passengers. The station manager didn't go to arrivals til 330ish. I know this for a fact because they were verbally abusive towards the first host and they let me in on the gravity of the situation. Don't take me the wrong way, I received exceptional service, I'm merely trying to convey the comparative advantage of having P1.

 

[simongr]

No, quite rare for me.

You would see quite a difference in seating being AA EXP vs QF WP. It is one of the reasons I switched to QFF.

 

[rockyroad]

Yes it was a 2130 scheduled departure, however, no arrangements were made til 330-4am ish as I said. Not one member of staff was available to process non-First/CL passengers. The station manager didn't go to arrivals til 330ish. I know this for a fact because they were verbally abusive towards the first host and they let me in on the gravity of the situation. Don't take me the wrong way, I received exceptional service, I'm merely trying to convey the comparative advantage of having P1.

Are you saying we should all be WP1s and so to avoid bad customer service by QF? I would suggest there were some 50 WPs and other J paxs that may have been upset, plus the Golds and PEs and the Y paxs that probably were also upset with the bad service they received from QF, which apparently had ample time to put hotels and transport into place.

 

[rockyroad]

You would see quite a difference in seating being AA EXP vs QF WP. It is one of the reasons I switched to QFF.

Even better to be QF WP and AA EXP.

 

[wandering_fred]

Maybe it's the limited flights to/from PER. Maybe it's the limited flights I do domestically and that when I do they are not booked at the last minute. Maybe it's that I don't care about exit rows.

But I haven't been able to fault the seats I get domestically on QF. Even with two on the PNR. If I get an aisle seat in the first three rows of Y I'm content.

Wandering differently perhaps

Fred

 

[samiam]

Some food for thought.... I was on QF10 recently in First Class. It was delayed by 24 hours. We found out finally at 230am that the flight was not going ahead. The only assistance provided in the 60mins after the cancellation was for First and CL passengers (via the First Hosts). Most of the 50 Platinum members waited in arrivals until 330-4am for assistance. No special arrangements were made for them. Families, the elderly and Platinums alike waited with no staff on site for a considerable amount of time.

Platinum One members will be listed as eligible for the First Host service. This represents a marked improvement in these kind of situations. We were provided with chauffeured transfers both ways, five star accommodation (our choice) and regular telephone updates from the First Hosts. Platinums got a bus to the 3 star airport hotel.

Can you quantify how you have knowledge that there were 50 Platinum members (I rarely bother taking note of others' status).

How do you know the only assistance provided was for First and CL Passengers?

How many is 'most of the 50 Platinum members' waiting in arrivals? Where were the rest of them, if no special arrangements had been made, and most were waiting in arrivals?

Sorry - I've read the above as a very subjective view that, in my mind, it doesn't paint a complete picture. I certainly wasn't there- and, from the above, the author was too busy being whisked off in chauffeured comfort to do a boarding pass inspection and a post-delay interview with most of the WP's, in order to accurately portray the situation.

 

[adrian]

You would see quite a difference in seating being AA EXP vs QF WP. It is one of the reasons I switched to QFF.

I am sure that is the case is Australia. From memory I think that the domestic seatmaps available for an AA Emerald were okay, but I assume that they are better for a QF Emerald. I do know that when I have called QF without status, the experience hasn't been pleasant. I truly dread having to call QF about anything, especially seating, while OTOH I find their lounge staff excellent. But I fly domestically more in the US than in Aust, where I am very happy with my J or F seat on my Y ticket

 

[simongr]

Before QF implemented domestic pre allocation of seating the best I could get as an AA EXP was row 17 on a 73x

 

[Jobu]

Nevertheless, 50 WPs per flight is a good reason why a higher level is welcome.