Path To EK Platnum

[mushez]

Well after a lot of debating, I am well on my path to EK Platinum. To get formalities out of the way, this is not a trip report and I am not a fan of them, with shots of ones meal etc, this is about my path to Platinum and what I have learned along the way. In my journey so far, I have searched a lot and came up short in clear answers to a lot of questions, and blundered through and felt I would post here - namely to point out the EK specific tips of someone who is looking to gain status through flying, and gains all their miles through flying alone.

Why? It is a bucket list item and wasn't that much more in the grand scheme of things to do it now, so before further enhancements are made, there is no better time than now. Yes I know there really isn't any major benefit in going past Gold, and only intend on maintaining Gold with EK after gaining Platinum. We all get our kicks through many vices, and this is mine for now.

I had hoped to upgrade with miles my second sector through to LAX to Business Class, however only the last DXB-LAX came up with a "D" class business class seat to allow the upgrade. I hope to either get an op up, or upgrade with miles at the Airport on Monday. I do hope if I upgrade with miles, that it will be only 37,500 more, as I have already spent 52,500 miles on the DXB-LAX upgrade, and a BNE-LAX upgrade is 90,000 miles, but a stand alone BNE-DXB upgrade is 45,000 miles - but that is all mute if I get an op up anyways (fingers crossed) - allowing enough miles to upgrade my LAX-DXB leg.

What I have learned so far:
1- You need to use flex fares, but strategically, to gain status. Little point flexing a Tasman fare for $1,200 to only gain 4,000 tier miles out of it, when for $1,700 you can do a AKL-SIN flex fare and gain 23,900 tier miles. I have sat next to a lot of EK fliers that fly a lot, but they fly on cheapest fares and direct points. I guess we all know about not flying direct, and this is equally important for EK and to gain stats faster and easier.

2- An EK tier mile on average will cost 10 cents each, so someone to gain Gold must look to spend $5,000 or $15,000 for Platinum as a minimum within the 12/13 month earning window. The best tier mile earner is AKL-SIN for $1,700 NZD to net 23,900 tier miles - 7.11 cents per tier mile which is the cheapest tier miles I have seen - and was once 25,900 tier miles for the run.

However also check out:
LAX-KIX - $1,800 USD - 23,000
BNE-CDG - $1,900 AUD - 25,600
AKL-SIN & SIN-CMB - $2,600 NZD - 27,400 - allowing for flights on from CMB - or do it all on one PNR in J for $4,400 and 41,476 tier miles.

3- EK love playing around with prices and seat inventory. Often have found prices jump for a day or two, only to come back down, a week or two out from a flight. I have seen some flights close for availability for any seats to be purchased, only to open up again 2-3 days later.

4- Flying EK to DXB is the most expensive way to fly to DXB. You are a lot better to fly to CDG or CMB as it is cheaper and both earn more miles ex NZL or AUS. Example, you can fly J to CDG for $5,500 or CMB for $4,400 earning 40,000 plus tier miles, rather than the $9,000 & 25,000 miles to fly direct and not add the hidden ticket cities in for kicks.

5- EK in seat power for powering laptops is 65 watts, and always for years wondered why my 135 watt power supply wouldn't work (charge/power). And my new laptop (HP Elitebook 8770W) wouldn't work on a 65 watt supply, but does on a 90 watt supply, and finally on my last flight, I got the 90 watt supply to work. It is a little thing, however now I have got it sorted and have laptop power onboard finally for my thirsty Elitebook, I am very much looking forward to all the work I might get done on my upcoming flights. I also plan to take advantage of the OnAir WIFI on my coming flights also so I might let you know about that and any tips that I learn.

I will add any pointers I find along the way, and am quite looking forward to my journey I am about to embark on.

 

[Ansett]

Excellent and well constructed post much better and more useful than any trip report IMHO

 

[zainman]

looking forward to your updates!

 

[mushez]

Sitting here, kicking in the EK lounge at BNE, time for an update.

I use to piss my miles away upgrading on the Tasman from Y to J as soon as I had enough, while it was fun, I soon learned that I could save them up and upgrade longer flights to get more benifits, aka 16,000 miles to upgrade a saver fare on the Tasman one way, vrs 30,000 to upgrade one way flex fare BNE-SIN. But ohhhh it was good to get the lounge access prior to getting Gold Status.

I have also been planning on going to the USA for the past 15 years, I have some suppliers there I have been doing business with, and the need to go hasn't been a major priority vrs staff to hold the fort in NZ/AU - so after 6 prior failed attempts I am on my way. 12 months ago I decided to give it a good push, and save up my miles to upgrade the long haul to Business and enjoy it.

So the past week has been daily checking the status of my flight and seeking any upgrades. In the process I came to learn "D" class seats are the only class seats one can use miles to buy/upgrade into EK Business Class, doesn't care if they haven't sold a seat in J, as long as there is no "D" seats open, no one is going to help you.

Expert Flyer came in very handy, set up an alert and my EK215 came up with a "D" seat. So after 48 hours of pondering, I elected I might as well snap it up. So 52,500 miles later I was sitting in J - 9K in J for that matter - but tossed up about 23k, while 9k is my favorite, 7k is growing on me and the ability to put my laptop on the flat top where the bassinet seat is.

Why the 48 hour delay you say???? Well I debated the situation that if I upgrade EK215 for 52,500, I may be lumped with stumping up the 45,000 for EK435, rather than the 90,000 miles for the pair. Couldn't read anything anywhere about my situation, and after some internal debating, decided that crying over 7,500 miles wasn't worth it to do two long back to back Business Class Flights. But I am not one to let something like that slip and give one hell to see if it is corrected or not, knowing if the worse happens, I am simply going to assume the position and take it like a man.

So today at Check in, there were people on "stand by" hanging around like a bad smell - got up to check in and got checked in and asked about the status of the flight, and chances of being opted up. To be told Y had sold out and had stand by people waiting to board if slots opened up, but space in J - but no they are not opting up..... quickly turned into me being able to use miles to upgrade at check up, and being told that will be 45,000 miles - sure I want to upgrade but it should only be 37,500 extra as I have already paid 52,500 miles and a BNE-LAX is 90,000 - round in circles a few times only to be told they can do it but for 45,000 miles and if I think it is wrong, take it up with skywards.

Long story short, upgraded into J the whole way with my miles, 22G and then 9k, email already sent off to skywards, and about to kick back and enjoy 38 hours of lounges and J flying EK style.

I elected to upgrade with miles as it was a flight I really didn't want to take the risk on having others getting the op up's and asking the purser onboard to find all the F & J seats are full. I think we will not have a seat spare on EK435 tonight and right as I type, op up's are happening. But I don't think I would ever get myself into a position in the future where I simply don't take the chance, as there was a very high chance I simply would have been opted up tonight anyway - which would make it feel even more painful if I don't get my 7,500 miles credited back to my account.

 

[mushez]

I swear I am not into trip reports, however there were two very note worthy events of my EK435:

The first - I always noticed on EK A380 J flights all the food trays come from the rear to each person - as I have always been in 7k or 9k before, it hasn't been as vivid as sitting in 22G and that any J isle sitters, say G or J seats and the further down the back you go, you will have hostess pass you two trays at a time each meal service starting at the back and working back. The odd bump on the way past as well.

Anyway after finally getting breakfast this morning and half way through it, I got a rather rude awakening with a hostess having a trip and without seeing it coming have the contents of two used breakfast trays dumped on my lap/floor beside my seat, smashing all the glasses all over the place and had a heart beat jump and checked I didn't get cut or anything (as I did have an accident last April with a wine glass that cut my main artery in my wrist and almost died - so was thinking not again.....)

She quickly collected up the mess and without a word carried on. Not even a apology.

Then after noticing a lot of glass left on the ground, and a couple of bleary eyes pax going to use the lavs, again the only J lavs on EK a380's are down the back past the bar, I pointed it out to another attendant which then got the bulk of it cleaned up and apologies. However there was still some there, and even found a piece of broken glass in my shoes when I came to put them on at the end of the flight.

But hey accidents happen.



Second was breakfast, I really could believe they bothered to serve it, will let the pictures tell the story:

 

[mushez]

PVG - Shanghai - EK arrivals

I found the arrival into Shanghai much the same as any other Airline into PVG prior. It was however my first as someone with status and with an op up to J, half expecting express cards, but none to be seen and don't think they do them in China somehow ..... however APEC card in hand (for the first time ever BTW) I was in the express que and through immigration quick smart, with my fellow J PAX that I spent a few hours propping up the bar with on board, looking on green with envy standing in the 1,000 PAX long que awaiting immigration. I got my APEC card simply for jumping the que in China - well worth it.

The interesting thing I saw in PVG was the dual carasols for the bags that I thought I would share. Made it a heck of a better experience getting my bag off the priority carasol with seasoned fliers leaving all the Y Chinese tourists to form the human pyramid they do around anything where one needs to que/wait.

View attachment 28169

Bag was out before too long, and was going out through customs well before a single bag was out for Y, to a rare lack of a que for a taxi and off across town to the bus station and beyond.

 

[markis10]

PVG - Shanghai - EK arrivals

I found the arrival into Shanghai much the same as any other Airline into PVG prior. It was however my first as someone with status and with an op up to J, half expecting express cards, but none to be seen and don't think they do them in China somehow ..... however APEC card in hand (for the first time ever BTW) I was in the express que and through immigration quick smart, with my fellow J PAX that I spent a few hours propping up the bar with on board, looking on green with envy standing in the 1,000 PAX long que awaiting immigration. I got my APEC card simply for jumping the que in China - well worth it.

The interesting thing I saw in PVG was the dual carasols for the bags that I thought I would share. Made it a heck of a better experience getting my bag off the priority carasol with seasoned fliers leaving all the Y Chinese tourists to form the human pyramid they do around anything where one needs to que/wait.

Bag was out before too long, and was going out through customs well before a single bag was out for Y, to a rare lack of a que for a taxi and off across town to the bus station and beyond.

Not sure what the photo of ADL is doing in the post?

 

[mushez]

Not sure what the photo of ADL is doing in the post?

I think there is a bug with the AFF app as that is not the picture I posted. I am guessing that is a picture, last picture you posted via the app?

 

[markis10]

I think there is a bug with the AFF app as that is not the picture I posted. I am guessing that is a picture, last picture you posted via the app?

I have never seen the picture before, odd.

 

[mushez]

Here is the correct picture again of PVG

 

[mushez]

Just landed in Shanghai and off to the hotel to get a few hours sleep. After the 50 hours of flying and transiting I am ready to get into doing some work.

I got an op-up DXB-PVG to J which was nice. Also asked my flight attendant to give me a row of seats in Y while in MLE for the MLE-DXB, and was escorted after boarding but before take off to a row of seats which helped a lot.

So will be back to catch you all up on things, I will leave you with this picture:

 

[mushez]

 

[mushez]

All checked in at Shanghai and ready for the return 50 hour jaunt of my trip and finally time to put some posts up of what I have been hanging out to.

For starters, EK ex PVG - EK303 which is a 00:05 flight vrs the 12:05 of EK305 which is much better. I would try to make EK305 work in the future, but for my current flying EK303 works. The main reason is I actually never visit Shanghai, I am always 2 hours plus inland from Shanghai when I come, and hate to stay in Shanghai. So when I arrive if it is after 3pm, more often I am stuck overnight in Shanghai die to all the train and bus tickets selling out (but am getting good at three bus tickets to where I want to go), and when I am flying out, I have the reverse with the preference to start to travel to catch my flight all of 6 hours prior to the scheduled flight time.

Today I had for the first time ever, tons of time on my hands, so elected to do the Metro from Hongqiao direct to Pudong, and yes it is 1.5 hours and 8RMB vrs 40 mins by taxi and 240RMB. While it is faster, it would be well worth using the Maglev to avoid the crowds on the last section.

Of note is my growing love for status and my APEC card. Sat waiting for check in to open for 1.5 hours with a que forming, first by J pax and then everyone else. 10 mins before check in opened a staff member came though to open up the channels and sorted them all per their credentials and a further 10 minutes later finished the work I was doing on my laptop and walked up to check in and straight up to a free counter - too much envy of the Y que looking on. PVG has no express passes for imigration, but APEC cards work for "Special/diplomatic lanes" so walking with other J pax and I diverted off to the special lane to which they all stopped and about to follow to avoid the 1,000 long standard que - I got challenged and flashed APEC card and straight up to the desk I went - needless to say I was the first at the lounge and enjoyed 25 minutes of it all to myself until the second person arrived:



The PVG lounge is what a standard EK lounge is, and the food on offer is much better than PEK. It is also a nice square than the rabbit warren that PEK was, and is upstairs. To find it just head for Burger King and then past it and you cannot miss it.

The one thing I hate about PVG lounge is the WIFI. PVG has free WIFI throughout the whole terminal that requires you to have a working cell phone number to send a SMS to get a code to get 30 mins access per day. So when getting to the lounge I was disappointed to get handed a slip of paper telling me how to access the terminal WIFI. Quite poor if you ask me, but guess it has more to do with censorship than being cheap. Personally find some parts of PVG suck for any cell phone reception air side, and have given up at times in the past on any WIFI, be it mobile data or the Hotspot. The EK Lounge seems to be good reception, so no issues, come to think about it at BK has always been a good location for reception in the past.

 

[mushez]

EK PEK Lounge -EK407, 30th April:

My PEK experience was shortened on the count of peak movements due to a holiday weekend moved and the pinching that occurred in traffic.

I found PEK strange in the whole tram system to near your gate, but not that strange if you have been to a few terminals around the world - maybe I was just expecting another PVG. I also found PEK security overzealous compared to every other port in China. For the first time ever my carry on was given a break down, but it wasn't mine, it was everyone's and nothing was different in it than any other time I fly - so lounge time was eaten into big time.

When I finally got to the lounge, while the colour scheme was in true EK style, I was disappointed in how it was such a rabbit warren. It is down, at ground level, with a ton of little rooms around pillars and one could get disorientated trying to get out. Sorry no pics. The food area was tight, singular, and only could seat 8, so you had a run like ants of people coming through the warren in a two way, peak hour traffic jam situation to get what they want and return to another nook in the warren. The food was blah, and can only assume the range was limited due to the limited area as it was small.

So naturally I left my PEK review until I got to see PVG, and personally would pick PVG hands down over PEK on the count of the lounge and access to the Airport.

 

[mushez]

Don't eat scrambled eggs in DXB lounges or ex DXB - the main piece of advice I would give anyone regarding lounging in DXB.

After many times through the lounges, they consistently are this same .... whatever you want to call them.

I have come to enjoy scrambled eggs on EK434/435, especially in J which they make them with a very unique fluffy texture.

So to find the slop in DXB, I was disappointed and it wasn't in one lounge, it was all of them in all places. So when I boarded EK215 DXB-LAX in J and ordered scrambled eggs on takeoff to be served the exact same cough they had in the lounge, it set me off on a quiet crusade - to test each time I transited DXB to test if they were the same, and yes they always were.

What is wrong with them??? It is hard to put into words, they have a horrid taste and texture I have never had ever. I am often known to be a human garbage can, eating everything put in my way, but these are simply inedible.

They are often also old, with breakfast served between 1am-11am times I were transiting (it was always breakfast when I transited DXB and wore thin) one time showing up at 5am to find the top layer of them rather crusty like the skin that forms on the top of custard and noticed the staff stir them to make them more appetizing in look.

Let me know if you love them, but don't get your hopes up if you are yet to transit DXB on the scrambled eggs.

 

[mushez]

CMB & EK Lounge:

I knew CMB would be interesting on landing with armed guards at permanently built stations every 50-100mts increments down the side of the runway, assumed to protect anyone wandering over onto the air force base.

I wasn't disappointed when going through the massive duty free area, but instead of the booze and fa_s, it was white goods after white goods outlet - and tons of them.




CMB requires an ETA to be filed online prior to arrival, which is free if transit is less than 48 hours. It wouldn't let me file a second at any time.

I was harassed both times by immigration that because I was on the same airline my bags should be already tagged through, and if not should go to the transfer counter and sort out that way, to which at check in we took 40 minutes of lounge time to try to tag them through the whole way with no success and both check in and CMB transfer desk agents that because of two PNR's in play it was my job to collect my bags and re-check them myself. So eventually both times convinced immigration to let me through on transit visa.

CMB also has Dads Army on security and couldn't understand it. First to get into the airport you are stopped and personally frisk searched but nothing is looked at your bags. Then you have about 75 mts of walking through corridors to then have all your bags x-rayed. They hassled me both times because when I travel to China I take with me a small 4" kitchen knife to skin a kiwifruit each morning that I have as part of my breakfast of wheat-bix and after questions why I have it and if it is my checked bag or not, let me carry on through so I could go to the check in counter and check in.

Then you have immigration and into the lounge.

CMB has a similar set up as SIN with X-ray check prior to sitting in an independent holding lounge prior to mass boarding, and require the removal of shoes, but if they actually are looking for anything I have my doubts. I think this was reinforced on my second pass yesterday when the three people looking at the X-ray pictures were laughing their heads off and more interested in showing each other things on their mobile phones, and the mother with 4 kids in tow who were all under 8, were walking back and forward through the metal dectors with their carry on and not challenged. It was so obviously wrong that I was joking with a First class PAX about it.

The EK lounge in CMB is a normal EK lounge with the normal trimmings you come to expect. The toilets and showers are small, a lot smaller than normal EK standards and only a couple and not in proportion to the size of the lounge and what is normal.

They also had Bourbon - the first and only EK lounge to have Bourbon that I know about - I have given up looking and stick to champagne, but was ecstatic to find my poison of choice was there and imbibed a few.

EK 652/653 stop over in Male they require PAX not staying in Male to remain onboard and have the fun of all the ground staff coming through to service the aircraft, which I found interesting with every pillow case and head rest being replaced with a new one.

 

[mushez]

More CMB duty free pics:

 

[mushez]

On Air:

A little ironic I am using Onair to post this.

I found the Onair service offered by EK value for money, but there is very little information about it and what there is is not exactly correct.

Onair is promoted as being on all A380's and selected 777. The A380 is correct, but not found a 777 that it was on, so would say is safe to assume your 777 will not have it than it might have it.

One claim you will see is the ability to transfer any unused data to your next EK flight, the truth is you have a 16 hour life on any block of data - so jumping off 14 hour EK435 and expecting you 50mb of unused data will be there for you after 4 hours plus of transiting is wishful thinking. My advice is to simply buy data for your current flight only, as transit time will chew through you 16 hour limit from the second you buy a block - source - I emailed them complaining and that is the reply I got.

The plans differ on the device you use to buy them, with 5mb for $2.75 and 30mb for $10 via a mobile device and $7.50 for 10mb or $20 for 100mb via a laptop.

You can use either device to buy on the same account and use the data on the opposing device. So buying 30mb from a mobile device to use on your laptop, or 100mb to use on your smartphone both work fine.

However you can only be logged into one device per account, so no jumping between laptop and iMessages on iPhone at the same time or using the one plan between him and her on their separate devices. It also is best to disconnect before logging in on a separate device.

The other catch is USA, India, & China don't allow the service to work while flying over them. Also there were hours on EK215 over the North Pole that it wasn't working, about 5 hours. So looking at the flight plan and have an idea of when it might not be available and plan your onboard activity is advised. It is pointless trying to use it on flights DXB-China as most are 3 hours out of DXB and into India and direct from India into China.

 

[markis10]

The EK lounge in CMB is a normal EK lounge with the normal trimmings you come to expect. The toilets and showers are small, a lot smaller than normal EK standards and only a couple and not in proportion to the size of the lounge and what is normal.

They also had Bourbon - the first and only EK lounge to have Bourbon that I know about - I have given up looking and stick to champagne, but was ecstatic to find my poison of choice was there and imbibed a few.

EK lounges at SIN and AKL feature JD

 

[RooFlyer]

So its a multi Trip Report, then? Meals, lounges, comments on service .... Jolly good.