Is Platinum the Holy Grail?

[Flying Fox]

I always fly business or first so the benefits of platinum are minimal anyway, they are really just small things at the margin.

Oh it hurts to read this when my work only flys Y...

 

[JohnK]

I consider status to be immaterial compared with flying in the best class offered on the plane at the lowest possible net net cost.If you get a points redemption in PE,J or F who cares if you are Platinum or Bronze.

Life would be a breeze if it was as easy as it sounds.

Commuting SYD-BNE almost weekly fully self funded means that I can only fly down the back. In that situation Platinum status can be extremely important if one wants luggage allowance, better seats, anytime access to the lounges and other benefits associated with status.

 

[Bang4Buck]

I consider status to be immaterial compared with flying in the best class offered on the plane at the lowest possible net net cost.

Agreed; status is usually irrelevant if you're flying premium anyway. But what I've learned from this site is that bad stuff happens all the time (and status is important in times of emergency), even if it's rare for me.

Only once in 20 odd years flying (about two year ago), but I was lucky to have a plane wait for me and was whisked directly by car from my late arriving craft to a newly departing one, for what was a very important meeting. It's happened once in 20 years, but status was worth its gold on that day.

 

[bossreggie]

I always fly business or first so the benefits of platinum are minimal anyway

I am in the same position as you. I decided to attain WP for the additional FF points and to access the F Lounges in MEL and SYD. My decision was based on the information provided by AFF members on this forum. I will find it very easy to retain WP as I always do a minimum 6 - 8 Trans Tasman return J trips each year. I will probably keep my long haul flights with Emirates as I like the suites, even on an A340-500.

I don't like the International QF J Lounge in MEL as there are no windows. It also can get very busy at some times and I prefer the quiet. The other MAJOR benefit for me is the ability to guest someone into the Dom J lounges, as regularly I travel with someone who may be in Y. I feel obligated to sit in the QP with them and the bar opens after 2pm which is too late for me.

 

[Bang4Buck]

... I will find it very easy to retain WP as I always do a minimum 6 - 8 Trans Tasman return J trips each year...

Is it that easy to get WP, or is there a difference with "retaining" WP through those flights, versus earning from scratch? I have no personal interest, just curious.

 

[NYCguy]

Is it that easy to get WP, or is there a difference with "retaining" WP through those flights, versus earning from scratch? I have no personal interest, just curious.

1400SC to qualify, 1200 to retain.

If you fly long-haul in F or J, it's not at all difficult to climb the ladder - one F return from SYD to JFK will get you gold.

 

[Bang4Buck]

1400SC to qualify, 1200 to retain.

If you fly long-haul in F or J, it's not at all difficult to climb the ladder - one F return from SYD to JFK will get you gold.

WOW, that is easy.

 

[ejb]

1400SC to qualify, 1200 to retain.

If you fly long-haul in F or J, it's not at all difficult to climb the ladder - one F return from SYD to JFK will get you gold.

WOW, that is easy.

Or a well planned DONE5 can cost around $12K and earn you Platinum 2 years in a row.

The experts here can explain how.

ejb

 

[drron]

Is it that easy to get WP, or is there a difference with "retaining" WP through those flights, versus earning from scratch? I have no personal interest, just curious.

Well 8 TransTasman in J=16 sectors earning 80 SCs=1280 for the year=requalWP.

Originally Posted by maninblack
I always fly business or first so the benefits of platinum are minimal anyway

Not so for us.When EXP on AA had 4 opups internationally from J-F(3 on CX) plus another upgrade for the 2 of us using EVIPs.
For QF mrsdrron has just gone home from Tassie after several weeks here.The ability to take 38KG was great.Even better when they didn't blink at 41KG.And all on a fare that was the same using QF to BNE as either DJ or JQ.Didn't bother looking at Tiger.
As well I have really missed the Flounges.
And all our international travel is self funded J.I also must be in about my 4th childhood as at 63 I am definitely not too old to play these games.

 

[maninblack]

Well 8 TransTasman in J=16 sectors earning 80 SCs=1280 for the year=requalWP.

Not so for us.When EXP on AA had 4 opups internationally from J-F(3 on CX) plus another upgrade for the 2 of us using EVIPs.
For QF mrsdrron has just gone home from Tassie after several weeks here.The ability to take 38KG was great.Even better when they didn't blink at 41KG.And all on a fare that was the same using QF to BNE as either DJ or JQ.Didn't bother looking at Tiger.
As well I have really missed the Flounges.
And all our international travel is self funded J.I also must be in about my 4th childhood as at 63 I am definitely not too old to play these games.

Understand your point and we all have different circumstances but if I were to compare 3 of the 4 most recent O/S trips I have done (fourth was with QF though I could have done it cheaper on others) which all ended up being with *A carriers in business and first and were all multiple passengers the price differential between *A and QF/OW was $34,000. I'll keep the $34,000 over keeping Platinum any day. By the way they were with SQ and NZ so one can't complain about the quality either.

 

[serfty]

WOW, that is easy.

Mind you that SYD-JFK r/t in F can set you back upwards of $20K.

If in the USA (or Asia) ~$2½K expenditure can often net sufficient SC's to (re/)qualify.

 

[bossreggie]

Mind you that SYD-JFK r/t in F can set you back upwards of $20K.

Yes... I took my son to New York a few years ago and IIRC it cost around $35k for our F tickets with QF. If I were to do that trip now I would probably go to London with EK and BA to New York from there.

 

[JohnK]

I think I am in the wrong forum. People are talking about paying money for return airfares that most of us do not earn in a year.

 

[straitman]

I'll make the same comment that I have made a couple of times in the past.

If you are flying F or J then status is less important though it still has value. If you are a 'normal' mere mortal, self funded traveller it is of significant value as it makes upgrades and lounge access things that are attainable at a reasonable cost.

Pretty simple really :!:

 

[Archphoto]

I'll miss out on my Platinum status this year; flying in Asia doesn't accrue as much mileage or SCs as from AU.

So what will I miss?

• First Lounge access in SIN and SYD (although for the past 10 months I haven't been near SYD so that won't be so bad).
• The extra 15kgs of weight (handy for all my photo gear) but utterly useless on any other carrier except Qantas.
• Being at the top of the upgrade list (although has only happened 2x in 4 years)
• Access when I fly Jetstar other than JQ - for those of you who travel in Asia regularly you'll know what I mean.

So, how do I feel about returning to Gold?

• I still get lounge access albeit it's Business
• I lose 5kg of excess - but I travel on CX more than QF so I don't really get that benefit
• Upgrades were few and far between, so not really missing anything there
• I will fly CX from now on and have access to their lounge instead of Jetstar for short hops.

Is it the Holy Grail - sure when you have it, but you can always adapt and sometimes you can't always get what you want. . . .

 

[serfty]

Often one climbs to the top of the mount and finds the view is not that much different from the ledge/valley below.

I have climbed it and for me the the view is great!

Holy Grail? IMHO - No; however for those who travel on Qantas more than a little, then WP can be a very useful status to have.

YMMV.

 

[straitman]

Often one climbs to the top of the mount and finds the view is not that much different from the ledge/valley below.

I have climbed it and for me the the view is great!

Holy Grail? IMHO - No; however for those who travel on Qantas more than a little, then WP can be a very useful status to have.

YMMV.

Well put serfty.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Often one climbs to the top of the mount and finds the view is not that much different from the ledge/valley below.

I have climbed it and for me the the view is great!

Holy Grail? IMHO - No; however for those who travel on Qantas more than a little, then WP can be a very useful status to have.

YMMV.

And those who fly with the fliers who have reached the top get to enjoy the First Class spoils.

 

[straitman]

And those who fly with the fliers who have reached the top get to enjoy the First Class spoils.

I like your lateral thinking BB :!:

 

[Fantic125]

And those who fly with the fliers who have reached the top get to enjoy the First Class spoils.

And a similar analogy for those in the sea... fittingly enough called ....."pilotfish".