Is it worth status credit run for Gold to Platinum

[webscience]

Hi experts,

I'm currently Gold and my status re-assessment is due on 30th September. I have a couple of flights between now & then with work (SYD-TOK on JAL prem economy & SYD-SFO prem economy) which will bring me 50 points shy of platinum.

Questions!

1) Is it worth me trying to do a status credit run to pick up the extra 50 credits to hit platinum before 30th sept?
2) What's the easiest (and cheapest) way to do this? Could I upgrade one of the existing flights (at my own expense as work won't pick up the tab for business) from prem.econ to business for one leg at the airport or am I better off booking another flight?

Appreciate any advice anyone might have!

Thx,

Adam.

 

[kamchatsky]

Hi experts,

I'm currently Gold and my status re-assessment is due on 30th September. I have a couple of flights between now & then with work (SYD-TOK on JAL prem economy & SYD-SFO prem economy) which will bring me 50 points shy of platinum.

Questions!

1) Is it worth me trying to do a status credit run to pick up the extra 50 credits to hit platinum before 30th sept?
2) What's the easiest (and cheapest) way to do this? Could I upgrade one of the existing flights (at my own expense as work won't pick up the tab for business) from prem.econ to business for one leg at the airport or am I better off booking another flight?

Appreciate any advice anyone might have!

Thx,

Adam.

Whilst I am a QF NB, I am sure most people here would say yes given the benefits below:

Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Benefits & Privileges - Status Privileges

You can simply fly short economy domestic trips with connections to get your 50 SC needed for Platinum.

 

[Hvr]

Definitely worth doing a short trip to make platinum.

Since you're going to be in Japan you have a chance to do a quick status run whilst you're there.

By flying there on a OneWorld airline you are eligible to purchase Visit Japan fares at JPY10,000 per sector. Do a HND(or NRT)-CTS trip and you can get 20 SCs each way. At the check in desk ask if you can upgrade to J and if there is space available you can do it for JPY1,000. That will get you 40SCs on that one trip.

A very cheap way to make platinum.

Go for it.

 

[nlagalle]

Hi experts,

I'm currently Gold and my status re-assessment is due on 30th September. I have a couple of flights between now & then with work (SYD-TOK on JAL prem economy & SYD-SFO prem economy) which will bring me 50 points shy of platinum.

Questions!

1) Is it worth me trying to do a status credit run to pick up the extra 50 credits to hit platinum before 30th sept?
2) What's the easiest (and cheapest) way to do this? Could I upgrade one of the existing flights (at my own expense as work won't pick up the tab for business) from prem.econ to business for one leg at the airport or am I better off booking another flight?

Appreciate any advice anyone might have!

Thx,

Adam.

For 50sc it is certainly worth it! I would be doing it in your position.

As for the best way to do it, depends on where you are based. And do you have enough FF points to do an any seat award (using points not $$$)

Nick

 

[straitman]

Definitely worth doing a short trip to make platinum.

Since you're going to be in Japan you have a chance to do a quick status run whilst you're there.

By flying there on a OneWorld airline you are eligible to purchase Visit Japan fares at JPY10,000 per sector. Do a HND(or NRT)-CTS trip and you can get 20 SCs each way. At the check in desk ask if you can upgrade to J and if there is space available you can do it for JPY1,000. That will get you 40SCs on that one trip.

A very cheap way to make platinum.

Go for it.

But risky if you do not get the upgrade or they only allocate the SCs for the original booked fare.

 

[Hvr]

But risky if you do not get the upgrade or they only allocate the SCs for the original booked fare.

I got the upgrade on the cited route on the first day of the Sapporo Snow and Ice Festival this year. The HND-CTS route is absolutely packed during this period. I reckon if you can get it that day then it shouldn't be too hard on other days.

And with a return trip there is another chance to get it anyway.

When the upgrade request was paid and processed I received a receipt that showed the new fare was booked in J so I would have relied on that to seek the SCs. Not a problem though because they were posted within a couple of days.

 

[webscience]

Thanks for the suggestions all - sounds like its worth trying to find a way to squeeze another 50 SC's in the next couple of months.

Unfortunately I don't think I can fit a another flight into my schedule in Japan (I'm only there for 2 days).

I'm based in Sydney so have been looking at other domestic flights I could do in a day. Looks like SYD-ADL with JetStar on Jetflex fare might be an option for $568 which I could do in a single day and would get me 60 points if I read all the T&C's correctly?

I'll try asking JAL for an upgrade to business at the counter, this would also get me over the threshold but they can be hit and miss on both price & whether they'll offer an upgrade on the day.

 

[nlagalle]

Thanks for the suggestions all - sounds like its worth trying to find a way to squeeze another 50 SC's in the next couple of months.

Unfortunately I don't think I can fit a another flight into my schedule in Japan (I'm only there for 2 days).

I'm based in Sydney so have been looking at other domestic flights I could do in a day. Looks like SYD-ADL with JetStar on Jetflex fare might be an option for $568 which I could do in a single day and would get me 60 points if I read all the T&C's correctly?

Do you have enough FF points to book an ASA? could be well worth doing it that way too.

 

[webscience]

I've got just over 200k FF points so ASA might be an option but I'm trying to save 192k of those for a personal flight at xmas back to the UK. One of the reasons I'm thinking about trying to grab platinum is to give me a better chance of managing to bag a return upgrade to business for SYD-LON-SYD in december :shock:

 

[nlagalle]

I've got just over 200k FF points so ASA might be an option but I'm trying to save 192k of those for a personal flight at xmas back to the UK. One of the reasons I'm thinking about trying to grab platinum is to give me a better chance of managing to bag a return upgrade to business for SYD-LON-SYD in december :shock:

Ahh ok.. you'd be doing well to get an upgrade on a classic award flight though...

 

[markis10]

I'm based in Sydney so have been looking at other domestic flights I could do in a day. Looks like SYD-ADL with JetStar on Jetflex fare might be an option for $568 which I could do in a single day and would get me 60 points if I read all the T&C's correctly?

Why not SYD-CBR in J with a return in Y for $459, it will get you the 50 SCs and not take much time, a saturday afternoon 3.50PM departure, few hours in the QP and back by 8PM.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Thanks for the suggestions all - sounds like its worth trying to find a way to squeeze another 50 SC's in the next couple of months.

Unfortunately I don't think I can fit a another flight into my schedule in Japan (I'm only there for 2 days).

I'm based in Sydney so have been looking at other domestic flights I could do in a day. Looks like SYD-ADL with JetStar on Jetflex fare might be an option for $568 which I could do in a single day and would get me 60 points if I read all the T&C's correctly?
.

For 50SCs and you have a trip to the UK planned then trying to reach platinum would be worthwhile. Qantas are stingy with upgrades so don't bet on it but the other thing is that you then get a good seat.

Another option is SYD-MEL on any saturday on JQ35 for $329.00 in Star Class and $101 for a flight after 6:00pm MEL-SYD. 50SCs for 430.00 + credit card fees.

If you have 192,000 points then one option is an any seat award in PE or J. You then get the Status credits and if platinum all the bonuses that come with it. It would depend if you dates are flexible as 476,000 each way in J was an any seat award wasn't cheap.

 

[medhead]

Another option is to do a syd-adl with a transit in cbr. This will earn 25 SC each way on the cheapest red-e-deal. This used to be possible for a small extra cost over the direct fare. But it difference seems to be more recently. But I would guess you could do the return for about $300 to $350 with some searching. Also this is a bit longer than the other suggestions but could be do-able in a day

 

[gibspmuh]

Another option is flying SYD-TSV return via BNE - gives you 50SC's all up. At the moment it's $404 return, but there's always the chance of additional sales between now and then.

 

[straitman]

Hi experts,

I'm currently Gold and my status re-assessment is due on 30th September. I have a couple of flights between now & then with work (SYD-TOK on JAL prem economy & SYD-SFO prem economy) which will bring me 50 points shy of platinum.

Questions!

1) Is it worth me trying to do a status credit run to pick up the extra 50 credits to hit platinum before 30th sept?
2) What's the easiest (and cheapest) way to do this? Could I upgrade one of the existing flights (at my own expense as work won't pick up the tab for business) from prem.econ to business for one leg at the airport or am I better off booking another flight?

Appreciate any advice anyone might have!

Thx,

Adam.

webscience,

In summary.

Most/all agree that it is worth getting the extra 50SC and getting the Platinum status and people have suggested a variety of relatively cost effective ways of doing so.

 

[serfty]

Generally for these sort of questions, I would always post a disclaimer "only you can decide if it is worth it".

However, to be marooned on 1350 SC's without ever being WP before might always leave one wondering.

So I say, if you can afford the time and cost then you should do it! A Saturday afternoon flying to CBR/MEL and back with one segment in Business/StarClass is the easiest way. ...

IF you do that and achieve WP, your could do the MEL trip again and have a nice lunch in the Qantas first class lounge at Sydney International.

 

[gumpy]

Yes definately...

I had a chance to get to wp 6 months early but using the remaining flights on a DONE4 ticket on a status run... I opted out...

Once getting WP i released I missed out on the F lounge in Syd which is a great place to wait for a flight, missed row 6 on domestic flights and missed a a fair few points from the status bonuses... etc...

for 50 sc definately go for it. You obviously fly a fair bit, make it easier on yourself and once you get it you'll be able to maintain it on your current flight patterns.

 

[winfred]

Ahh ok.. you'd be doing well to get an upgrade on a classic award flight though...

I got upgraded from J to F flying CDG-HKG with CX last year and from PE to J flying HKG-MEL with QF in Jan, both on classic award tickets!

 

[Brisbane Flyer]

Generally for these sort of questions, I would always post a disclaimer "only you can decide if it is worth it".

However, to be marooned on 1350 SC's without ever being WP before might always leave one wondering.

So I say, if you can afford the time and cost then you should do it! A Saturday afternoon flying to CBR/MEL and back with one segment in Business/StarClass is the easiest way. ...

IF you do that and achieve WP, your could do the MEL trip again and have a nice lunch in the Qantas first class lounge at Sydney International.

Saturday? Just take a sickie, do your MR during the wk, now that's a real WP!

 

[webscience]

Thanks All,

I'm sold on the idea and looks like SYD-CBR with 1 leg in business is the fastest way to do the run & plenty of availability.

Here's to hitting platinum in 4 weeks time - appreciate all the advise.

A.