Life Time Gold - The [Realistic] Holy Grail

[downgraded]

It's all very well for those J travellers

But if you're a J traveller and intend to always be one, then there's not much value in LTG in the first place. You might as well refrain from the chase and travel on your airline of choice.

 

[Beano]

An open question and one which I don't think I found a satisfactory answer is whether it makes sense to achieve top tier lifetime status with one alliance makes sense or if it is more sensible to spread lifetime status out over the alliances. Sure you can spend the next ten years flying OW to get lifetime OWE on BA, so now you'll have what two different OneWorld lifetime statuses? One with QF and one with BA. What does that buy you? On the other hand if you pursued getting lifetime status on Star Alliance (i.e. through Asiana's 500,000 mile lifetime status program) or SkyTeam (i.e. Delta's 2 million MQM for lifetime Gold) I feel you would be better off. Ideally, the holy grail would be getting recognition regardless of which airline you fly and having lifetime status on all three alliances will go a long way to getting you there.

The other thing I suppose that's important is to keep in mind which lifetime status you get. For instance lifetime status on BA or QF is more valuable than that of AA, since with BA/QF status you can enter an AA lounge whenever you want on a domestic flight (you can't do that with AA status). A similar thing can be found with United and Delta too.

-RooFlyer88

Probably makes more sense to airline hop for a J or F flyer than a Y. Us Y fliers take what we can get and are happy with that.

 

[Beano]

But if you're a J traveller and intend to always be one, then there's not much value in LTG in the first place. You might as well refrain from the chase and travel on your airline of choice.

Good point, but I think it also about going beyond to WP(1) with all its extra perks.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

An open question and one which I don't think I found a satisfactory answer is whether it makes sense to achieve top tier lifetime status with one alliance makes sense or if it is more sensible to spread lifetime status out over the alliances. Sure you can spend the next ten years flying OW to get lifetime OWE on BA, so now you'll have what two different OneWorld lifetime statuses? One with QF and one with BA. What does that buy you? On the other hand if you pursued getting lifetime status on Star Alliance (i.e. through Asiana's 500,000 mile lifetime status program) or SkyTeam (i.e. Delta's 2 million MQM for lifetime Gold) I feel you would be better off. Ideally, the holy grail would be getting recognition regardless of which airline you fly and having lifetime status on all three alliances will go a long way to getting you there.

The other thing I suppose that's important is to keep in mind which lifetime status you get. For instance lifetime status on BA or QF is more valuable than that of AA, since with BA/QF status you can enter an AA lounge whenever you want on a domestic flight (you can't do that with AA status). A similar thing can be found with United and Delta too.

-RooFlyer88

To answer your question:

1. *A LTG doesn't provide anything extra that a J fare can't. If you're flying Y in the future then there is a case but with sufficient planning, I can avoid flying Y whether with cash or points. Also OZ is in a precarious situation so I don't think crediting to them is a good choice. UA/CA seem likely to remain in my lifetime so if I was crediting, it would go to them. It's a bummer that you don't get COS bonuses for UA LTMM program plus like you said, you don't get access to UA lounges with their LTG.
2. Given that QFF and their ecosystem is such a big player in Australia, it's almost unavoidable if you were churning cards. LTG gives me the ability to maximise the value out of my QFF point balance.
3. LTOWE and a J fare has it's differences. Whether it's worthwhile is debatable but for those who would like the F lounge and check-in while travelling in J or Y then it's something worth considering.
4. Being in a hub for OW also makes LTOWE more attractive over *A LTG.

I also have VA WP so technically I can get access to SQ/UA/CA priority services so no concerns there. Relatively cheap to maintain and realistically, there are only so many flights you can take for someone who doesn't travel for work .

FWIW, I would love to earn AS 2MM for OWE if I was based in the US. It's too difficult to earn 2MM on AS without any LH destinations. I actually find AS to be one of the more competent airlines I've flown with to date. Excellent customer service all round from ground to phones.

 

[wanderer_au]

I joined QFF in 1999 but the first time I reached SG was in 2005 via work. Travel has ebbed and flowed since then, mainly due to work and family commitments. I'm now 32 SCs off LTG as a WP (and will gain LTG by the end of November).

With VA I am PS and have their lounge access paid by work.

I have about a year to run with QFF as WP and have no idea what will happen after that. My long-haul international flights in J are usually work funded or occasionally points upgrades by me.

While I have VA lounge access, once I am LTG I will simply default to best fare of the day for domestic travel.

Any self-funded future international travel in premium seats will be best fare of the day too, but I will stick with QF if flying o/s in Y, for lounge purposes.

Flounge squid and pav is nice but not worth paying a premium for.

 

[sudoer]

I will stick with QF if flying o/s in Y, for lounge purposes.

But the Y service levels are so much better on many other oneworld carriers, and you'll get the same lounge access!

 

[wanderer_au]

But the Y service levels are so much better on many other oneworld carriers, and you'll get the same lounge access!

Good point. BA does serve very good, strong tea. I will try to avoid CX henceforth as I don't fancy transiting through HKG where the police can give transiting foreigners a touch up if they have a social media rap sheet with the PRC. AA is the pits. Finnair, maybe - never flown with them before.

On an unrelated matter, I laughed when I saw your profile pic, I remember that guy from his chat with the London barista from an old safety video. He looks a bit like Adam Creighton who writes from the US for the Australian (and who I've lunched with and met a few times, but who never seems to remember my name when we infrequently cross paths).

 

[kookaburra75]

But the Y service levels are so much better on many other oneworld carriers, and you'll get the same lounge access!

So true. That's a discussion MrsK and I have been having as we start to plan our 'big trips' after my retirement in a couple of years. Do we spend money on J flights, or break down the long hauls into a series of shorter hops in Y, as time isn't such a consideration

 

[CaptJCool]

While I have VA lounge access, once I am LTG I will simply default to best fare of the day for domestic travel.

Any self-funded future international travel in premium seats will be best fare of the day too, but I will stick with QF if flying o/s in Y, for lounge purposes.

Flounge squid and pav is nice but not worth paying a premium for.

Domestic Depends if you want to use classic reward points instead of paying cash fare (well unless your business is paying…$)

Until such time as J/F classic rewards improve … if it ever does - I got something like 15 return trips Adel-Melb or 10 Adel-Syd with points still rolling in the door so the idea one needs PAY for DOMESTIC tics upon LTG probably could be a cost saving measure - save up the cash and spend it on international J/F

 

[sudoer]

Good point. BA does serve very good, strong tea. I will try to avoid CX henceforth as I don't fancy transiting through HKG where the police can give transiting foreigners a touch up if they have a social media rap sheet with the PRC. AA is the pits. Finnair, maybe - never flown with them before.

JL are worth a look especially if you are a Y flyer, they have one of the best Y products in the sky (2-4-2 on the 787) and decent reach into Europe and North America, as well as Asia obviously

QR also have a strong economy offering, and the DOH status pax lounges have improved significantly in the last couple of years.

AY are excellent IME but obviously not much use to us in Australia unless you can position into Asia on QF/BA/JL

Lastly don't forget your lifetime privileges extend to EK also (for as long as the QF/EK partnership lasts anyway!)

 

[BD1959]

Good point. BA does serve very good, strong tea. I will try to avoid CX henceforth as I don't fancy transiting through HKG where the police can give transiting foreigners a touch up if they have a social media rap sheet with the PRC. AA is the pits. Finnair, maybe - never flown with them before.

AY are excellent IME but obviously not much use to us in Australia unless you can position into Asia on QF/BA/JL

Finnair (AY) are generally good - though having just done 4 J sectors with them I do feel their F&B offerings are really starting to slip. Relevant to wanderer_au: rumour has it that it is mostly Buy On Board in AY Y outside of standard meal package whereas others in OW still provide included additional drinks and snacks.

Regards,

BD

 

[mrsterryn]

Well about to try the Gold level for the first time in years as I have dropped from platinum. I am LTS and will perhaps/probably get to LTG at some stage .
LTG requires no mandatory Qantas flights though so they ? Just the crediting of the FF? Unlike Yearly status

 

[dairyfloss]

Well about to try the Gold level for the first time in years as I have dropped from platinum. I am LTS and will perhaps/probably get to LTG at some stage .
LTG requires no mandatory Qantas flights though so they ? Just the crediting of the FF? Unlike Yearly status

Correct - any status earned from flying QF, OW & partners... plus some of the ground-based earning options, as well, like Green Tier. No other conditions I'm aware of

 

[mrsterryn]

Correct - any status earned from flying QF, OW & partners... plus some of the ground-based earning options, as well, like Green Tier. No other conditions I'm aware of

Thanks. I get get better deals on other OneWorld carriers it seems for now

 

[JohnK]

I get this weird feeling that Qantas will go to revenue based for status levels and those that have Lifetime Gold are somewhat lucky but they may soon find themselves with the benefits of Bronze status.

 

[downgraded]

I get this weird feeling that Qantas will go to revenue based for status levels and those that have Lifetime Gold are somewhat lucky but they may soon find themselves with the benefits of Bronze status.

My suspicion is LTG doesn't really cost Qantas much - the odd lounge access and a few extra FF points. Those LTGs travelling in the premium cabins are still paying their way.

 

[mviy]

I think if QF goes revenue based it may become harder to get LTG, but that shouldn’t impact those that have existing LTG.

However devaluation of SG and/or making it harder to attain WP would impact those with LTG.

 

[Kendall Roy]

I think if QF goes revenue based it may become harder to get LTG, but that shouldn’t impact those that have existing LTG.

However devaluation of SG and/or making it harder to attain WP would impact those with LTG.

Unless they add another tier in between WP and SG, I don't envisage a scenario where fundamentals like lounge access would be removed.

LTG may turn into a blessing in disguise, especially if they switch to a revenue based model.

 

[sudoer]

I get this weird feeling that Qantas will go to revenue based for status levels and those that have Lifetime Gold are somewhat lucky but they may soon find themselves with the benefits of Bronze status.

Revenue based earning tends to only apply on own-metal flying though, right? Partner airlines would have to still use distance based earning charts.

In any case, I think revenue based earn may cause significant issues for the Qantas lounge network because of how overpriced QF domestic fares can be. Let's hypothesise a fixed $10/SC earn on QF flights: the domestic lounges would be packed with road warriors who previously earned 20 SC on their $600 SYD-MEL returns, now earning 60 SC.

The % of QFF members who are analysing $/SC earn and flying odd international routings during DSC to squeeze value must be a tiny fraction of those road warriors.

I'm interested to see how a change to rev based earn might play out for those who are already well on their way to LTG but not quite there yet.

 

[mviy]

A change to a revenue model may make exceptions for shorter domestic routes.

Presumably if they changed to a revenue model existing LTSC would still count, and with some warning some may decide to hurriedly book some status runs whilst the old rules remain in place if the new model will make it more expensive to obtain LTG.