Juggling Family Pooling to keep Platinum Status

[dsotm]

I'm currently on Gold with 630 status credits. Thanks to a family holiday with family pooling this Christmas, I'll score 680 new credits over three flights with the help of the double status promo. Once I hit Platinum after the first flight, I'll qualify for Platinum and I assume I get one year from that qualifying date (December 26). Will the subsequent "left-over" 310 credits go toward requalifying for Platinum in the next period for December 26, 2012? Or should I rejig the pooling after the first flight and point the credits to my wife and start her on Silver? Keeping platinum is probably more help to the family over I guess.

Hope this all makes sense.

 

[Gremlin]

Based on recent experience for Mrs Gremlin, this is what is likely to happen (as best I can tell)...

Flights Activity on 26 Dec to take you over 1,000 SCs.

Flights will be Processed typically a couple of days later (say 28 Dec).

Status will update a day after your SCs reach the threshold (say 29 Dec) and Status Credits will clear and Review Date reset.

Status Credits for Activity (NOT Processing) after this day will credit towards Platinum renewal. Therefore, if you have flights on the 27th or 28th the SCs will be orphaned if they credit to you.

If it was me, I'd be continuing to credit to renew Platinum, but make sure that you don't lose a lot of orphaned SCs.

 

[dsotm]

Thank you for that. I just did a quick recheck and after the Dec 26 PE flight, I'll be at 988 credits, 12 short dammit. The next flight on December 31 will garner 160 credits (or 4 family members x 40 credits), so I should probably transfer the pool to my wife after the first flight, keeping my own credits to push me to 1028. Then.......I can reassign the pooling back the way it was. Geez this can be tricky to keep a handle on.

Based on recent experience for Mrs Gremlin, this is what is likely to happen (as best I can tell)...

Flights Activity on 26 Dec to take you over 1,000 SCs.

Flights will be Processed typically a couple of days later (say 28 Dec).

Status will update a day after your SCs reach the threshold (say 29 Dec) and Status Credits will clear and Review Date reset.

Status Credits for Activity (NOT Processing) after this day will credit towards Platinum renewal. Therefore, if you have flights on the 27th or 28th the SCs will be orphaned if they credit to you.

If it was me, I'd be continuing to credit to renew Platinum, but make sure that you don't lose a lot of orphaned SCs.

 

[muppet]

Based on recent experience for Mrs Gremlin, this is what is likely to happen (as best I can tell)...

Flights Activity on 26 Dec to take you over 1,000 SCs.

Flights will be Processed typically a couple of days later (say 28 Dec).

Status will update a day after your SCs reach the threshold (say 29 Dec) and Status Credits will clear and Review Date reset.

Status Credits for Activity (NOT Processing) after this day will credit towards Platinum renewal. Therefore, if you have flights on the 27th or 28th the SCs will be orphaned if they credit to you.

If it was me, I'd be continuing to credit to renew Platinum, but make sure that you don't lose a lot of orphaned SCs.

Gremlin, was Mrs Gremlin status matched or earned?

I'm keen to know what happens when my dad passes the silver threshold. Does he have to earn 500 AFTER achieving silver or 250 after achieving silver?
By the mid Jan he will have earned over 500, but I'm worried he actually needs 750 due to the reset.

thanks
m.

 

[MarkD]

He needs to get 500 total in the membership year. I think it's only platinum that you get zero'd for, and then that will obviously be the review date from then on, and you will only need requal sc from then on. Basically when you hit platinum you get two years gold / platinum even if you don't fly again due to the soft landing

 

[Gremlin]

What MarkD said...

Mrs Gremlin status was earned btw...

 

[day-heg]

Muppet,
If I understand correctly, your Dad will need to earn 500SCs in any rolling 12 month period to acheive Gold.

When he hits Silver, his benefits will commence (baggage, priority check-in, bonus points etc) and he will have 12 months from THEN to earn 200SCs to retain Silver.

However, if his flying is sufficient to get to 500SCs within any 365 day rolling period, then he will move to Gold, benefits commence and he will have 12 months from then to earn 400SCs to maintain Gold.

On his account, the Status Credit Balance figure is the 12 month rolling amount and will tell him how far from Gold he is.

The Status Credits earned since [attaining Silver date] will tell him how many he has earned towards maintaing Silver.
Below that, it says how many more he needs to earn before the anniversary date.

Clear as mud in fog?!?
I'm 99% sure that's how it works, but am happy to be corrected/shot down in flames if I've got it all wrong...

Cheers,
D-H.

 

[notzac]

I'm 99% sure that's how it works, but am happy to be corrected/shot down in flames if I've got it all wrong...

You've got it right

 

[muppet]

He needs to get 500 total in the membership year. I think it's only platinum that you get zero'd for, and then that will obviously be the review date from then on, and you will only need requal sc from then on. Basically when you hit platinum you get two years gold / platinum even if you don't fly again due to the soft landing

Muppet,
If I understand correctly, your Dad will need to earn 500SCs in any rolling 12 month period to acheive Gold.

When he hits Silver, his benefits will commence (baggage, priority check-in, bonus points etc) and he will have 12 months from THEN to earn 200SCs to retain Silver.

However, if his flying is sufficient to get to 500SCs within any 365 day rolling period, then he will move to Gold, benefits commence and he will have 12 months from then to earn 400SCs to maintain Gold.

On his account, the Status Credit Balance figure is the 12 month rolling amount and will tell him how far from Gold he is.

The Status Credits earned since [attaining Silver date] will tell him how many he has earned towards maintaing Silver.
Below that, it says how many more he needs to earn before the anniversary date.

Clear as mud in fog?!?
I'm 99% sure that's how it works, but am happy to be corrected/shot down in flames if I've got it all wrong...

Cheers,
D-H.

Thanks guys - much relieved. I convinced him that he's better off upgrading a flight from flexi to business (putting him over 500) rather than buying lounge membership.

m.

 

[leemin]

I've just hit gold (on about 640 SC). I know that my review date has now been reset and that I need 400 SC to requalify. What happens if I don't get the 400? Is it a soft landing to Silver regardless of travel or do I need the 200 to at least keep silver?

Trying to get my head around it, sorry. Essentially the question is; if I didn't fly at all for the next 12 months, would I receive a soft landing to Silver for another year or would I go back to Red?


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[dsotm]

I've just hit gold (on about 640 SC). I know that my review date has now been reset and that I need 400 SC to requalify. What happens if I don't get the 400? Is it a soft landing to Silver regardless of travel or do I need the 200 to at least keep silver?

Trying to get my head around it, sorry. Essentially the question is; if I didn't fly at all for the next 12 months, would I receive a soft landing to Silver for another year or would I go back to Red?


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

You will go back to Silver for a year. It really puts the pressure on to fly doesn't it. I split my flights between Qantas and VA, trying to make a status balance.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - I am in two minds on family pooling - whilst it is nice to have from a member perspective it does change the model - for example if I could get SCs flying Hawaiian in J for three of us I could easily retain WP - is that fair on BIS pax? I know it isn't much different to YUPPs/KUPPs on AA or even booking a DONE4 on AA in F so maybe I should not stress about it?

 

[MarkD]

Re partner gold. Do you actually need to earn an extra 1500 Sc in the year to get partner gold, or is it the 500 on top of platinum. In all honesty once you hit platinum you would be better off diverting all sc to your partner, because basically its 500 for them to get gold anyway. Once they hit gold, divert sc to the kids if you have any. In my case because my wife is gold also, and her date is 30 April 12 I'm best off now sending the 400 sc to her account for renewal of gold than pushing mine up for no real reason. Essentially saving 100 or 1100 sc whichever is the case

 

[777]

To be honest, i'd be surprised if VA really intended the SC scheme to be manipulated by constant chopping and changing of who points and SCs were credited to. I wouldn't be at all surprised if, at some point, they limit the amount of times you can change it or force you to lock it in for a fixed period of time. That would actually be a reasonable change IMHO.

 

[Meggsy]

Re partner gold. Do you actually need to earn an extra 1500 Sc in the year to get partner gold, or is it the 500 on top of platinum. In all honesty once you hit platinum you would be better off diverting all sc to your partner, because basically its 500 for them to get gold anyway. Once they hit gold, divert sc to the kids if you have any. In my case because my wife is gold also, and her date is 30 April 12 I'm best off now sending the 400 sc to her account for renewal of gold than pushing mine up for no real reason. Essentially saving 100 or 1100 sc whichever is the case

Yes you have to achieve an additional 1500 sc in the 12 month period after qualifying or requalifying for Platinum to achieve partner gold. So why would you not use the family pooling and get you partner gold or platinum for 500 or 1000 as you suggest. Clearly this does not make sense and I am not sure if it was intended to be this way as 777 suggests in the previous (to this one) post. I think velocity may have a bit of a rethink here.

Just had an afterthought, but the use of family pooling to get your partner a cheaper gold or platinum would also be dependant on the partner having flown the required minimum sectors.

 

[MarkD]

Yes you have to achieve an additional 1500 sc in the 12 month period after qualifying or requalifying for Platinum to achieve partner gold. So why would you not use the family pooling and get you partner gold or platinum for 500 or 1000 as you suggest. Clearly this does not make sense and I am not sure if it was intended to be this way as 777 suggests in the previous (to this one) post. I think velocity may have a bit of a rethink here.

Just had an afterthought, but the use of family pooling to get your partner a cheaper gold or platinum would also be dependant on the partner having flown the required minimum sectors.

That honestly makes no sense at all, earn 1500 sc to get partner gold. For 1300 sc with family pooling you can achieve the same result. Think I might bow out here and shut my mouth, because I can see some enhancements coming on if we continue This discussion

 

[MarkD]

To be honest, i'd be surprised if VA really intended the SC scheme to be manipulated by constant chopping and changing of who points and SCs were credited to. I wouldn't be at all surprised if, at some point, they limit the amount of times you can change it or force you to lock it in for a fixed period of time. That would actually be a reasonable change IMHO.

Not constant chopping and changing, nor manipulating the system. Simply using what has been provided, in a smart way. Isn't that what this site is all about? Gaining the most from our flying experience, or am I perhaps missing something about what we as a forum aim to achieve?

 

[777]

Not constant chopping and changing, nor manipulating the system. Simply using what has been provided, in a smart way. Isn't that what this site is all about? Gaining the most from our flying experience, or am I perhaps missing something about what we as a forum aim to achieve?

I'm not saying you can't do it, or talk about it. If the rules allow it go for it. I just suspect they will change it at some point and i think they probably should.

 

[MarkD]

I'm not saying you can't do it, or talk about it. If the rules allow it go for it. I just suspect they will change it at some point and i think they probably should.

I agree with you on that point And I think it will be sooner rather than later.

 

[Gremlin]

To be honest, i'd be surprised if VA really intended the SC scheme to be manipulated by constant chopping and changing of who points and SCs were credited to. I wouldn't be at all surprised if, at some point, they limit the amount of times you can change it or force you to lock it in for a fixed period of time. That would actually be a reasonable change IMHO.

I'm actually not so sure. One of the things we see regularly in this forum are flyers who hit a target Status level, then switching to credit or fly another airline to ensure status with multiple carriers. Obviously that switching is not in the interests of VA. I think this program structure at least partially disincentivises that behaviour for certain customers.