Life Time Gold - The [Realistic] Holy Grail

[summit_32]

Picked up LTG a week go following an international work trip. The only change i saw was that my card now says "Lifetime gold" in a little bar. Nothing else - even the QF App didn't even acknowledge it Perhaps because i'm currently WP.
I'm pretty jaded by QF these days sitting on a points balance >1M

 

[mviy]

Picked up LTG a week go following an international work trip. The only change i saw was that my card now says "Lifetime gold" in a little bar. Nothing else - even the QF App didn't even acknowledge it in Perhaps because i'm currently WP.
I'm pretty jaded by QF these days sitting on a points balance >1M

Well done. You don't need LTG yet, but at some point when your status would have otherwise dropped to LTS, LTG will still be nice to have.

I'm currently a WP with LTS and working my way towards LTG.

 

[Beano]

Well done. You don't need LTG yet, but at some point when your status would have otherwise dropped to LTS, LTG will still be nice to have.

I'm currently a WP with LTS and working my way towards LTG.

I agree, it's your lifeboat.

 

[SYD]

I'm pretty jaded by QF these days sitting on a points balance >1M

Congrats.

Have you tried using the best undocumented WP benefit of requesting release of reward seats?

 

[Beano]

I would have hd some >1M points if I didn't spend them every few years going to Europe.

 

[Katie]

Picked up LTG a week go following an international work trip. The only change i saw was that my card now says "Lifetime gold" in a little bar. Nothing else - even the QF App didn't even acknowledge it Perhaps because i'm currently WP.
I'm pretty jaded by QF these days sitting on a points balance >1M

LTG is somewhat below WP. I got to LTG while WP, at some point I received a letter of congrats.

As others have said, LTG is a lifeboat/fall back for when you're no longer WP.

 

[SeatBackForward]

LTG is somewhat below WP. I got to LTG while WP, at some point I received a letter of congrats.

As others have said, LTG is a lifeboat/fall back for when you're no longer WP.

OOh lucky you. I have yet to receive any sort of acknowledgement, but then again, I did hit LTG early 2020 just before everything went off the rails, so easily excused.

 

[liamg]

Has anyone had any luck recently getting a refund for unused Qantas Club? I purchased a two-year plan back in 2009 and about a year in reached Gold and maintained it since. From memory people who reached LTG used to be able to get a pro rata refund?

 

[Beano]

I did get a letter in about 2019, but was hijacked by our travel agent which is owned by Air New Zealand. They wanted me to change loyalties.

 

[Kangol]

Has anyone had any luck recently getting a refund for unused Qantas Club? I purchased a two-year plan back in 2009 and about a year in reached Gold and maintained it since. From memory people who reached LTG used to be able to get a pro rata refund?

Yes, the pro rata refund has been documented multiple times here. I emailed the VIP team once I hit LTG and it was refunded.

 

[liamg]

Yes, the pro rata refund has been documented multiple times here. I emailed the VIP team once I hit LTG and it was refunded.

I wonder whether it still exists though and there's been any recent successes – both for revenue reasons, and because the frequent flyer team will just ignore the requests until you give up. I guess I'll have to try and find out!

 

[wandering_fred]

In the Qantas app, my card shows as Gold with added "Silver Lifetime Membership" at the bottom
Who knows if that helps when wandering
Fred

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

As others have said, LTG is a lifeboat/fall back for when you're no longer WP.

It's been suggested before, but it would serve Qantas well if they gave LTG members an incentive to keep going for Platinum.

I'm only a few hundred points away from LTG (should hit it next year) and I doubt I'll keep paying the Qantas premium at that point just so I can accumulate the 1200 SCs needed to keep me at WP. I mean, the salt & pepper squid in the First Lounges are nice, but not quite that nice.

If, on the other hand, the "retain WP" bar was set at, say, 600 SCs instead of 1200, then I'd probably keep flying Qantas internationally instead of switching to a cheaper OneWorld partner.

 

[Fergo747]

It's been suggested before, but it would serve Qantas well if they gave LTG members an incentive to keep going for Platinum.

I'm only a few hundred points away from LTG (should hit it next year) and I doubt I'll keep paying the Qantas premium at that point just so I can accumulate the 1200 SCs needed to keep me at WP. I mean, the salt & pepper squid in the First Lounges are nice, but not quite that nice.

If, on the other hand, the "retain WP" bar was set at, say, 600 SCs instead of 1200, then I'd probably keep flying Qantas internationally instead of switching to a cheaper OneWorld partner.

I agree with the sentiment and would like it for myself however with QF introducing LTP I can never see them doing this. If it was only 600 SCs to WP once you reach LTG then there is even less of an incentive to try and get to LTP as you could easily get to an effective LTP by earning the required number of gold SCs every year.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

In the Qantas app, my card shows as Gold with added "Silver Lifetime Membership" at the bottom
Who knows if that helps when wandering
Fred

With all that wandering, I doubt anyone at HBA doesn't know who you are!

It's been suggested before, but it would serve Qantas well if they gave LTG members an incentive to keep going for Platinum.

The incentive for Platinum is better lounge access, additional luggage, better seat selection, better chances of upgrades clearing, potentially better customer service. If that wasn't enough it accelerates how quickly you earn lifetime status. For instance, it takes over 10 years as a Gold member to earn Lifetime Silver. With Platinum it's less than half of that!

I'm only a few hundred points away from LTG (should hit it next year) and I doubt I'll keep paying the Qantas premium at that point just so I can accumulate the 1200 SCs needed to keep me at WP. I mean, the salt & pepper squid in the First Lounges are nice, but not quite that nice.

At some point you need to do the math about where the sweet spot is. Some people will be quite content with lifetime mid-tier status, and will become a free agent with other airlines to get mid-tier perks with them and hopefully lifetime status in the long term. This is certainly my aim since this would enable me to choose whatever flight is the cheapest, has the best routing, times, etc.

If, on the other hand, the "retain WP" bar was set at, say, 600 SCs instead of 1200, then I'd probably keep flying Qantas internationally instead of switching to a cheaper OneWorld partner.

Again, for QF that's not a priority for QF at the higher tier levels. They want folks who travel regularly and spend the big bucks - that's why they make World Platinum and Platinum One so difficult to attain. Gold is designed for us fickle travellers who could go either way and aren't flying OPM.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Port Power]

Picked up LTG a week go following an international work trip. The only change i saw was that my card now says "Lifetime gold" in a little bar. Nothing else - even the QF App didn't even acknowledge it Perhaps because i'm currently WP.
I'm pretty jaded by QF these days sitting on a points balance >1M

I’m WP but still received an email of congratulations within a couple of days of achieving LTS. Surely Qantas send one for LTG?

Congratulations to you! As others have said, once you fly less for work, or pleasure, you have access to QP and OneWorld lounges for life. Noice!

 

[SYD]

I’m WP but still received an email of congratulations within a couple of days of achieving LTS. Surely Qantas send one for LTG?

Ditto for LTS and LTG. I was WP for both milestones and still received a letter.

I assume QF are still in covid mode and not posting stuff (like cards). So perhaps that’s why formal acknowledgment isn’t being sent?

 

[Beano]

No new card for my new Platinum year (Dec-Nov) but it could be early days. All OK on the app and for bookings.

 

[mviy]

I still receive new cards but then I have QANTAS Cash (or whatever it’s called now) activated, with some funds loaded, though I haven’t loaded funds for a while.

Also as a LTS I levelled back up to WP this year.

 

[Beano]

Pity no more cards. They did say when you joined, but not on the app.