On the cusp of 1st time silver - do I go for it?

[thewinchester]

I'd love to get some advice from those flyers much more experienced than myself on this one.

I'm currently a QPNB with 240SC, with review date of 31 Jan. Currently have 39k (recently used 24k for upgrades) points and 60SC worth of flights already booked post-review date. Another 140-200SC still to be booked post review date, which would only put me 100SC shy of retaining PS into 2011.

Considering I'm a self-funded status chaser needing 110SC before the review date ex-PER; is it worth pursuing PS for 2010 based on my proposed flying for that period, and given I could easily re-qualify for 2011 based on that years flying?

Secondly, what does everyone think of the following options to get those 110SC's (and hopefully spending less than AUD 1100 for flights):

Option A

PER-ADL-MEL-SYD-BNE-CNS-DRW-(ASP stopover)-PER, AUD 1088, 8k pt/~115sc

Or

PER-SYD-MEL-SYD-BNE-CNS-DRW-(ASP stopover)-PER, AUD 1037, 8.7k pt/~115sc

Option B

Do you know of/have ideas for a cheaper routing to hit the 110SC ex-PER?

 

[newformula]

As you're a QP member, I'm curious as to the benefits of spending $1k AUD to gain PS are? As far as I can make out it means OW Ruby, which effectively means priority seating over non-status OW travellers, and 25% ff earn bonus.
Every other benefit is covered by membership to the QP, no? Not judging here (I am sort of self funding chasing SG this year), just wondering if I have missed something.

 

[opusman]

I agree with newformula - the benefits of silver just don't make it worth spending unnecessary money on obtaining it. If you're a QC member you don't even get baggage tags!

 

[medhead]

If you're a QC member you don't even get baggage tags!

Well QC baggage tags are better than silver anyway. But apparently,there is no problem with requesting more in any QC. Basically the benefits are as listed, 25% extra points - might be worthwhile with an upcoming year with more flying, international seat selection and move 1 step up the ladder on upgrade and seating priority.

I chased silver last year as a QC member just by doing extra flights that I might not otherwise have done to visit friends. I still spend money doing this that I won't normally have spent but I'm happy that I did chase the status.

As for the run options, I'm sure we can get something cheaper with the current sale, but not as interesting. I gotta get to work now, I'll add something in an hour or so.

 

[Dave Noble]

I wouldnt call being 100SCs short of the 350 needed as being on the cusp. The benefits of silver over Qantas Club membership are minimal ... other than business class check in when travelling on other OW carriers , there isn't much and I wouldn't be spending much to get it

Dave

 

[benhadi]

I just realised something when trying to book AA flights intra-US. Apparently all airlines (with exception of Southwest) charge for checkin baggage now. Ranges from US$20-$30 per bag.

I see that it's free for anybody with OW status - which means PS gets it for free. Same goes with *A carriers - it's chargeable but free for those with any form of *A status.

So i guess one benefit is if you're travelling intra-US/Canada, the OW Ruby will save you up to US$120 in baggage fees (round-trip) if travelling on AA.

BenHadi

 

[serfty]

PS also has slightly better seat allocation on Qantas flight (as well as the ability to select seating online for international flights.

thewinchester, only you can say if PS may be worth it to you and I make no further advice on that.

If you wish to attain silver the following may assist:

There's a SALE ending today.

$249: PER-ADL-SYD: 35 SC's and 2318 QFF points.
$346: SYD-CBR: 40SC's and 1125 QFF points *in Business*
$135: CBR-ADL: 15 SC & 1000 QFF
$159: ADL-PER: 20 SC & 1318 QFF

$897: Total (Inc CC fee): 110 SC and 6801 QFF.

This is all bookable on and around the Australia Day "Long Weekend".

 

[medhead]

I was going to suggest something like

PER-ADL 20SC
ADL-(SYD)-CBR 25SC
CBR-(SYD)-ADL 25SC
ADL-MEL 10SC
MEL-(ADL)-PER 30SC

Mainly to take advantage of the 25 SC available ADL-CBR, for a marginal extra cost over a direct flight. If you can go midweek and have a bit of time to play around finding the cheapest flights, it might be about $850. (I'm having trouble with QF website atm).

But this isn't as interesting as Serfty's suggestion.

 

[Alanslegal]

I'm currently a QPNB ....

Considering I'm a self-funded status chaser needing 110SC before the review date ex-PER; is it worth pursuing PS for 2010 based on my proposed flying for that period, and given I could easily re-qualify for 2011 based on that years flying?

The choice is yours, but if this was me, $1,000 is way too much to chase PS.

I'd put the $1,000 in the bank and use that for my next RTW. That could be the (literal and psychological) difference between purchasing a RTW in First or one in Business.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

The benefits of silver over Qantas Club membership are minimal ... other than business class check in when travelling on other OW carriers , there isn't much and I wouldn't be spending much to get it
Dave

+1
I agree. If you have QP already, why bother. 25% bonus on travel, but that doesn't account for alot, unless you doing a RTW. I would rather save the $1000 and do some Y/K up's and get QF WP in the USA.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

$1000 for Silver seems a stretch, however, $1000 for:-

5 hours of entertainment
2-3 inflight meals
virtually unlimited alcohol
a fun day out
a new shiny card
~5k FF points

is not a bad deal, considering 5 hours at the casino could cost you a lot more

status is subjective and the best way to know if it's right for you is to do it yourself. Worst case you have learned that $1000 is not worth the silver card

 

[drewbles]

As others have said, 100SC's is a long way short really. It's still probably worthwhile waiting and jumping over to LOTFAP and doing a SC run there. Your $1k (not including the cost of flights to and from) will get you on the cusp SG (including the SC's you earn on the flight to/from say PER-SYD-LAX return will get you 130 SC's, and for $1k it's possible to get 500 or so SC's in the USA, possibly even more). Spend a $1k and WP is starting to look more achievable too

 

[cmon0005]

I am in a similar situation to you, I need 120SC to reach Silver by end of April, which I will reach as I already have a return Y trip planned to asia in feb.

However I want to try and make it to SG before end of April, which means I will need approx 290 SC to get there.
My plan is (money and time permitting) is to do 2x LAN SYD-AKL J class trips to get there maybe just over 3 days, eg. fri-sun.

Hopefully I make it, otherwise its going to be a long climb to the top again once my SC's reset.

 

[drewbles]

I am in a similar situation to you, I need 120SC to reach Silver by end of April, which I will reach as I already have a return Y trip planned to asia in feb.

However I want to try and make it to SG before end of April, which means I will need approx 290 SC to get there.
My plan is (money and time permitting) is to do 2x LAN SYD-AKL J class trips to get there maybe just over 3 days, eg. fri-sun.

Hopefully I make it, otherwise its going to be a long climb to the top again once my SC's reset.

Don't forget SG is 700 not 600. If you have a week, it may well be cheaper to fly to the USA and do it rather than doing it on LAN. Depends on your available time though.

 

[thewinchester]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the info, assistance and those much cheaper and better routing suggestions.

I say that I'm on the cusp of PS because this is the closest I have ever got to it. Also, the value of OW Ruby status with priority check-in for my future flights will be valuable, particularly with future overseas travel. Would see it as better having better status for those flights, rather than trying to earn it.

 

[markjb]

I just realised something when trying to book AA flights intra-US. Apparently all airlines (with exception of Southwest) charge for checkin baggage now. Ranges from US$20-$30 per bag.

I see that it's free for anybody with OW status - which means PS gets it for free. Same goes with *A carriers - it's chargeable but free for those with any form of *A status.

So i guess one benefit is if you're travelling intra-US/Canada, the OW Ruby will save you up to US$120 in baggage fees (round-trip) if travelling on AA.

BenHadi

where is the link for this i am trying to find this?? Need to go to East Coast in a few weeks will do AA if not having to pay for bags

 

[serfty]

American Airlines Checked Baggage Charge Exceptions | AA.com

 

[anat0l]

When I got PS I wasn't facing a deadline on my QFF anniversary. (My QFF year starts in March and I hit PS in June.) So I can understand the predicament you are in.

In addition, I never had QP access. Not that PS was going to give me access anyway, but it also means that I never got any of the other bonuses that you get when you buy QP, i.e. priority check-in, priority baggage, extra baggage allowance, etc. So for me PS was a great step even though I still had no QP (and I was going to get it anyway so I didn't have to "run" for it...it did set me up nicely to run for SG and then later WP :mrgreen.

The only major benefits as stated by everyone else is 25% extra points on QF/BA/AA/JQ (eligible) flights and oneworld Ruby. OLCI seat visibility is better as a PS (even with no QP) compared to a QPNB, and according to QF's FAQs, only QFF status members (i.e. PS, SG and WP) and oneworld equivalents are eligible for Advance Seat Selection at any time between time of booking and 3 hrs before departure (cf. everyone else the window starts at seven days before departure) - which doesn't seem quite right because I'm sure that my travelling companion on our last trip was able to select seats much, much earlier than that, or perhaps at least at the time of booking. oneworld purports that Rubies are supposed to also get preferential seating benefits, although this varies from carrier to carrier and excludes BA (boo!). The only other Ruby benefit is that you can check in at any oneworld J counter (QP will only allow you to use J counters if your flight is QF ticketed and operated). Oh, and as someone has pointed out, AA gives free luggage to Rubies... And I suppose if you want to be nit picky, as a PS I think you will outrank a QPNB on the op-up list. Not that it happens extremely often that a PS gets op-upped, but....

Depending on your upcoming travel profile and your sense of adventure, blowing $1100 might be worth getting you up to PS. OTOH it seems you'll get closer to PS next qualifying year, so the other option is to hold out and make PS next year. You won't benefit from the 25% extra points (the only other benefit for domestic flying on QF) - if it makes much of a difference at all (i.e. it makes squat difference on most East coast sectors), but it might be worth holding out compared to hastily making PS.

 

[samh004]

As others have said, depends how valuable it is to you. I'm in a similar situation, I need 155SC to get to Silver and I could easily hop on a flight to SYD and do the LAN special, but it'll cost me just as much as renewing QP for 2 years, so I know what I'm doing. Much as OWR would be useful if I head to the UK later this year, it's a stretch to get it.

Well QC baggage tags are better than silver anyway. But apparently,there is no problem with requesting more in any QC.

Didn't know that!

 

[harvyk]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the info, assistance and those much cheaper and better routing suggestions.

I say that I'm on the cusp of PS because this is the closest I have ever got to it. Also, the value of OW Ruby status with priority check-in for my future flights will be valuable, particularly with future overseas travel. Would see it as better having better status for those flights, rather than trying to earn it.

IMHO, QF silver is not worth a status run it when you also have QP. However OW Ruby when your on a non-QF OW airline is worth it, especially if your planning on doing any flying in the US on AA/

OW Ruby gets AAccess which means that they can virtually skip the security screening lines. For me it meant no waiting at all for securty screening at SFO, 10 minutes wait (as apose to 30 to 40 minutes) at MIA and one person in front of me at LAX as apose to about 30 odd people. Also free baggage allowance, and J lines makes the whole process nicer