Life Time Gold - The [Realistic] Holy Grail

[collcars]

I would like to thank AFF for helping me reach life time Gold yesterday, starting flying in 1992 on the occasional trip
but ramped up my flying around 2008 reached lifetime silver around 2013, because off AFF I reached LTG yesterday
( I fly mainly flex domestic) on another note I have a Lifetime Qantas Club membership, what happens with this?

 

[Hvr]

Welcome to the club collcars may you not have to use the life time part for awhile as you keep flying lots.

 

[Steady]

Congratulations collcars, a club I'm still aspiring to join one day

 

[Awesom Andy]

on another note I have a Lifetime Qantas Club membership, what happens with this?

It becomes a good paper weight.

 

[mviy]

I would think it's a good thing for airlines to have it. People may spend more knowing that it counts towards a lifetime status, but the costs of maintaining the program should be quite low - those who keep flying will qualify in their own right anyway, and those who stop flying won't be using the benefits either.

I agree. One would think QANTAS would semi-regularly do projections as to roughly how many people are likely to achieve Lifetime status at given intervals in the future (e.g. within next year, 2 years, 5 years etc.) and factor this in when revising SC earns for routes or even considering adjusting the lifetime SCs needed to reach lifetime status.

I don't think QANTAS would get rid of lifetime status, though they could make it take longer to earn it for those who don't have it already if they felt the numbers achieving lifetime status were too high. The more people flying who have access to a lounge, the more crowded it is likely to be unless the capacity of the lounge is increased.

I've only ever been a Bronze member so if I do reach lifetime status it won't be for a long, long time even if they keep the status quo.

 

[incumbent]

I don't think QANTAS would get rid of lifetime status, though they could make it take longer to earn it

That seems to have been their focus over the past couple of years.

 

[JohnM]

I've only ever been a Bronze member so if I do reach lifetime status it won't be for a long, long time even if they keep the status quo.

Hang around here and you might find it coming a lot quicker than you thought possible .

 

[Awesom Andy]

Hang around here and you might find it coming a lot quicker than you thought possible .

That depends if you fly much on "partner" airlines...

 

[MelUser]

I was somewhat scared of a lifetime Gold enhancement so this year decided to go for gold so to speak and just did the flight time and got there.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

WP only access to F lounge. Which is probably why there will never be LTWP.

If QF introduced LTWP then SYD F would eventually become a general OWE lounge a la Galleries First at LHR and a separate, bijou, lounge would be constructed for the 'true' F passengers. This new lounge , I expect, would have free flowing LPGS and foie gras on demand.

 

[MelUser]

If QF introduced LTWP then SYD F would eventually become a general OWE lounge a la Galleries First at LHR and a separate, bijou, lounge would be constructed for the 'true' F passengers. This new lounge , I expect, would have free flowing LPGS and foie gras on demand.

I've always struggled with an economy class passenger being in the First class passenger lounge especially when there are 4 classes - economy, premium, business and first.

I think it devalues the lounge for those who have paid to travel in First Class.

BA used to be notoriously good at shooing economy passengers away - demanding a current card, saying there were too many guests etc etc.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I've always struggled with an economy class passenger being in the First class passenger lounge especially when there are 4 classes - economy, premium, business and first.

I understand where you are coming from but Mrs 340 and I will regularly do a deep discount Y fare ADL-SYD-(somewhere in NZ) with a generous 4 or 5 hours in SYD F. Get a nice lunch, spa treatment and hopefully the decanter is on the bar. It's the payback for long distance QF travelling and status runs. YMMV.

EDIT: Obviously we combine those trips with family visits etc.... SYD F is glorious but no point flying JUST for the lounge.

 

[simcat]

Yes, I am always suspicious about 'Lifetime' warranties, or 'Lifetime' programmes as it is up to what the definition of the Lifetime is or what it could be changed to mean. For example, as long as they don't re-define 'Lifetime Gold' to mean the lifetime of the program itself, oh and by the way it's reached the end of it's life.

I don't realistically see them doing that as it would critically damage goodwill and reputation with a key (hopefully) customer base but you never know.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Yes, I am always suspicious about 'Lifetime' warranties, or 'Lifetime' programmes as it is up to what the definition of the Lifetime is or what it could be changed to mean.

Agree with this.

 

[Hvr]

Yes, I am always suspicious about 'Lifetime' warranties, or 'Lifetime' programmes as it is up to what the definition of the Lifetime is or what it could be changed to mean. For example, as long as they don't re-define 'Lifetime Gold' to mean the lifetime of the program itself, oh and by the way it's reached the end of it's life.

I don't realistically see them doing that as it would critically damage goodwill and reputation with a key (hopefully) customer base but you never know.

An excellent of example redefining Lifetime is currently being used by satnav sellers.

*Navman’s “Lifetime, Free Maps Built-In” entitles you to receive up a minimum of two and a maximum of four map data updates annually, when and as such updates are made available from the Navman website. This feature is available on selected models only. It is also, only for the specific Navman product, until that product’s useful life expires or Navman no longer receives map data from its third party supplier, whichever is shorter.

My bolding.


Now this is a very explicit example of twisting the meaning of words to mean what you say rather than what they actually mean.

If the advertising obviously said 'for the useful life of the product' rather than having the meaning hidden in the fine print then maybe you could tolerate the terminology.

Or even better, 'free map updates for five years' this specifically defines the period of updates and allows the purchaser to make an informed decision as to the true value of the product.

 

[tomo69]

Congratulations

 

[JohnK]

Congratulations on reaching Lifetime Gold collcars.

.... on another note I have a Lifetime Qantas Club membership, what happens with this?

You could try asking for a refund of the unused portion. Not sure how they would calculate what has been used and what hasn't but you could find you owe them money when Qantas starts with their convoluted calculations on refunds.

 

[wandering_fred]

I guess the meaning of "lifetime" is yet to be enhanced.

You'll know that when the QFF levels are officially known as Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald :shock::mrgreen:

Happy wandering

Fred

PS Remember that QFF gets many of their ideas from the AFF and FT message boards

 

[serfty]

It becomes a good paper weight.

Metaphorically of course - reports are the card may be a few milligrams lighter than a standard SG card as it doesn't carry an expiry date.

 

[nonpop]

PS Remember that QFF gets many of their ideas from the AFF and FT message boards

In that case ... For our long term loyalty I think QFF should award all LTG holders LT Platinum as part of their birthday celebrations.