Introducing Platinum One

[rockyroad]

...With the soft landing from WP1 to WP I may not bother with QF at all next year!!

Soft landing from WP1 to WP? Not listed here; Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Benefits & Privileges - Status Privileges Note the WP1 attain and retain SC rates are the same.

 

[arrow]

Hi Arrow,


Platinum One's should use the normal procedure for requesting an upgrade but they will be advised of success up to 7 days prior to departure (earlier than other tiers). If, however, a WP1 is travelling under certain circumstances and requires confirmation outside the normal process, they can call the Platinum One Special Service team for help with this.

Cheers,
Red Roo

Thanks Red Roo

 

[melbourne rebel]

No mention as yet (formal or informal) of the 'unlimited' baggage allowance for WP1 as discussed at the AFF Lunch last week.

 

[TonyHancock]

Soft landing from WP1 to WP? Not listed here; Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Benefits & Privileges - Status Privileges Note the WP1 attain and retain SC rates are the same.

It was discussed at the lunch. (Unlikely to appear on the QF website I would have thought....given that the other soft landings don't!)

 

[GoldenWinger]

I got the call today welcoming to P1 but I wont reach the min 3600 SC until end of November...anyone else had this?

In any event, some of the benefits are nice but honestly, is it worth flying 3 x over to qaulify for WP - not really in my opinion.

Will now maintain platinum with VA not QF - there is nothing really "wow" about P1 to justify all that extra flying on QF.

Very underwhelmed by it all.

 

[dfcatch]

I'm not sure that is true. I'll hit the heady heights of WP1 in April and I scrape around to earn 800,000 points a year. Whilst this is a reasonable number it is not a gazillion. In a really good year I'll pick up 500,000 from flying.

Fair point Tony,

But:

1/ If your family member is travelling with you - then they already have your priority for upgrades.

2/ If your family member is special enough - you already gave them PG when you hit 2400, so they have SG priority in their own right when travelling without you.

3/ If you're already forking out upgrade points (eg. 72,000 for SYD-LAX Y to J upgrade), then instead of playing the lottery against the rest of us, fork out 96,000 for a confirmed classic award using your WP1 preferential access to open an award seat. And 500,000 points a year IMO is gazillion enough to spare the extra 24,000 if you really need to give a family member your priority (when they're not travelling with you and when you haven't already given them PG).


So in summary - more than enough reasons why a WP1 priority should NOT be extended to family and friends when travelling separate to the WP1 member.

 

[rockyroad]

It was discussed at the lunch. (Unlikely to appear on the QF website I would have thought....given that the other soft landings don't!)

So why didn't QFF list it as a benefit? VFF do not seem to have an issue with making that benefit public knowledge; https://www.velocityrewards.com.au/content/ProgramBenefits/TermsConditions/index.htm#9

"Dropping a Membership Level
8.9 If the total number of Status Credits earned for the previous 12 months does not meet the criteria in clause 8.12 to maintain the same Membership Level, then, your Membership Level will be adjusted to the Membership Level below your current Membership Level.

8.10 In respect of any adjustment to a lower Membership Level, you will continue to enjoy the benefits of your previous Membership Level for the Grace Period.

8.11 Members will only be downgraded one Membership Level at a time."

 

[simongr]

QF have never listed it s a benefit - no reason to list it now.

 

[chrisb]

What we are changing is that if your upgrade is not confirmed in the current system, you will be able to register for one (like you do currently with international). That way you do not have to keep going back in and trying to get an upgrade. Once you register, we will let you know when/if one becomes available.

So how does that work with classic awards, as currently they all come out of the U bucket. If upgrades can potentially suck up all of the current and future U seats, what will come of classic awards?

 

[rockyroad]

QF have never listed it as a benefit - no reason to list it now.

Nor is there any reason to talk about it as if it exists, which it clearly does not. I know. I dropped from Platinum to Silver (based on the SC earn for that one bad year) and back to Platinum the next. Most Platinum years averaged around 3,000 SCs earned before the drop to Silver, so please do not talk about wishful QF "Soft Landing" that do not exist. At least for this WP. :evil:

 

[amaroo]

Nor is there any reason to talk about it as if it exists, which it clearly does not. I know. I dropped from Platinum to Silver (based on the SC earn for that one bad year) and back to Platinum the next. Most Platinum years averaged around 3,000 SCs earned before the drop to Silver, so please do not talk about wishful QF "Soft Landing" that do not exist. At least for this WP. :evil:

I think they might like some flexibility - I've held WP + PG for a few good years & when I failed to re-qualify one year they just let me maintain the WP status, they did drop the PG, which is fair enough. Got me back in the groove and I've held WP & PG since.......now looking to add DJ WP since I received SM.

 

[dfcatch]

So how does that work with classic awards, as currently they all come out of the U bucket. If upgrades can potentially suck up all of the current and future U seats, what will come of classic awards?

What you say describes exactly as it happens now.

If a domestic flight has U availbility it can be used for either a classic award OR an upgrade - either sucks up the other.

By adding a registration (lottery) process if your upgrade request is unsuccessful (ie. No U class exists), then you don't have to wait for a chance at an ODU to score.

I think it's a good improvement.

Has no detriment on classic availability.

 

[TonyHancock]

Fair point Tony,

But:

1/ If your family member is travelling with you - then they already have your priority for upgrades.

2/ If your family member is special enough - you already gave them PG when you hit 2400, so they have SG priority in their own right when travelling without you.

3/ If you're already forking out upgrade points (eg. 72,000 for SYD-LAX Y to J upgrade), then instead of playing the lottery against the rest of us, fork out 96,000 for a confirmed classic award using your WP1 preferential access to open an award seat. And 500,000 points a year IMO is gazillion enough to spare the extra 24,000 if you really need to give a family member your priority (when they're not travelling with you and when you haven't already given them PG).


So in summary - more than enough reasons why a WP1 priority should NOT be extended to family and friends when travelling separate to the WP1 member.

My point diverted from the real argument, sorry about that.

I agree with you on these points. It seems an odd approach to me, deny your WP's benefits like ATA (I promise never to mention it again...I just needed an example) whilst giving family members of WP1 a higher status than the WP. :?: (Perhaps, as usual, I'm missing something.)

It is an irrelevant benefit for me anyway....much like most of WP1. :-|

I really believed QF would deliver this time. It seems that they are adopting the Apple marketing approach. "We'll assess what customers really need and tell them they need it...then deliver it." That only works if the "product" to be delivered is even remotely good. I fear there is a bit of a disconnect with customer requirements at QF.

 

[simongr]

So how does that work with classic awards, as currently they all come out of the U bucket. If upgrades can potentially suck up all of the current and future U seats, what will come of classic awards?

Just some mo spin on this. Firstly this won't impact U availability apart from at T-7 days when WP1 will steal any late released U for their upgrades and further again for T-48 hours when WP will take those mystical very late release awards

On the flip side those WP1 with points to burn and wives to keep happy will not be trawling for U awards any more at T-355 days as they can just grab a seat pretty much any time they want now. That is actually quite a benefit for the rest of us as it will get some people out of the award chase.

 

[chrisb]

Has no detriment on classic availability.

I think it does. If people can waitlist for upgrades but not awards, then it gives an unfair advantage to upgrades when U seats become available. At the moment it's a matter of watching for U seats to get in for either and hoping you get lucky (well, except for those of us who know about ExpertFlyer). In the future, waitlisted upgrade requests will immediately be filled, potentially leaving less classic award seats.

 

[dfcatch]

I think it does. If people can waitlist for upgrades but not awards, then it gives an unfair advantage to upgrades when U seats become available. At the moment it's a matter of watching for U seats to get in for either and hoping you get lucky (well, except for those of us who know about ExpertFlyer). In the future, waitlisted upgrade requests will immediately be filled, potentially leaving less classic award seats.

Well that's a different kettle of fish altogether.

The mysteries of QF Revenue Management will no doubt never let us in on their methodology, but it's no different to now.

If I want to upgrade and U class isn't available, I can set an alert in EF, and as soon as I get the alert, I can upgrade.

Or - If I'm looking for a classic award, same same, I can set my alert in EF, and as soon as it appears, I can grab the seat.

So - upgraders can steal the newly-released inventory already.

But your question probably really depends on the answer as to when waitlisted domestic upgrades clear....... I suspect it will be closer to departure rather than "along the way" (I have no evidence to support this theory though... I just made it up ).

 

[amaroo]

I think it does. If people can waitlist for upgrades but not awards, then it gives an unfair advantage to upgrades when U seats become available. At the moment it's a matter of watching for U seats to get in for either and hoping you get lucky (well, except for those of us who know about ExpertFlyer). In the future, waitlisted upgrade requests will immediately be filled, potentially leaving less classic award seats.

Might as well be SG or less or hitch up with a WP1 or better still, WP with another brand

 

[simongr]

I think it does. If people can waitlist for upgrades but not awards, then it gives an unfair advantage to upgrades when U seats become available. At the moment it's a matter of watching for U seats to get in for either and hoping you get lucky (well, except for those of us who know about ExpertFlyer). In the future, waitlisted upgrade requests will immediately be filled, potentially leaving less classic award seats.

The impression I had from the lunch was that the wait list would be cleared on the day of departure.

 

[chrisb]

The impression I had from the lunch was that the wait list would be cleared on the day of departure.

One less reason to have lounge access...

 

[abstraction]

My honest reaction is that I feel like i've just been devalued.

I work for an NGO, so I have to fly discount economy - no choice in that. I still spend a substantial amount on flying. I've spent 40% of my life away from home over the last few years. That's a lot of time in economy seats. Despite all that flying, discount economy gives only meagre status credits, so I only just scrape in to platinum. But at least I felt really valued.

Now someone who flies much less than me, in complete comfort up in business or first, will be treated as greater value, more important. Yes, I get that they are spending more. I live with those realities working with the poor.