Platinum One people - what’s your job/business?

[cbreeze]

There seem to be a lot of people with very high status on this forum (naturally). For me it’s hard enough to just try to aspire to Qantas Gold one day.

For the people that have top tier statuses, like Platinum One, I assume you travel every week? What do you do for work or what is your business that takes you to that level? I am really curious about how I might get there one day.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I don't travel every week, far from it infact as I group my flights to give me down time at home where I can cook in the wood oven and drink wine.

A person's occupation is less important these days with respect to earning 3600 SCs. Having said that, I've been in the game for a long time so I know how to get to the magical target with not much effort (apprceiating disposable income is a necessity).

 

[SeatBackForward]

I would feel much pity for anyone who achieved P1 status by travelling in discount Y regularly.

It's more likely to be a mix of frequentish trips in premium cabins on paid fares that gets you to P1. so its more about the $$$ spent than an occupation that requires regular flying.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Some people are retired, and over their working life would have saved a lot of money, so can bear it to travel in J/F.
Some travel for work, weekly.
Lets just say, someone is a GP in Aust, or a medical specialist, and has to travel for conferences, or meetings, if they travel J or subclass of J, it can be quite easy to get to QFF P1 at the least.
Flying for work is tax deductible, so that there is a gain there.
Even weekly flights within Aust can count, like you say, have to fly weekly going out and returning to home city.
I don't think/am not sure some people would want to say it out loud.
Before the pandemic, and over 3 years or so, I flew a lot to NZ, both with QF and with EK, in their subclass of Y, as well as J and F. just to see what its like, and easily made QFF SG in a year.
If I had made it to the UK, I would have easily made P1 at least one year, if I flew QF with P+P for J class.
Not a good use of points, but still, going Au - NZ with P+P made the fares bearable, they were at that time.
It was also prior to NZ making its NZ Traveller Declaration mandatory.

 

[Mr H]

Some of the high status people I have met include people involved in global sales (e.g. whisky) going to different conventions around the world every week; supply chain logistics where frequent face to face meetings are needed around the world; people working in the mining industry who get fortnightly trips home to far off lands; people in corporate roles in large national or regional organisations. Often they are not rich.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Often they are not rich.

It may well be the employer paying the fares! I've seen some organisations that have negotiated with Airlines for cheaper fares but no SC/Points allocated. I think that would be the shortest straw to draw.

 

[Mr H]

It may well be the employer paying the fares!

Yes, definitely. I think some private consultants also fly a lot (delivering training, delivering systems, etc) and they may pay their own fares or accommodate them in their fees (so effectively paying themselves).

 

[flyingfan]

With P1 I’m a self-funded status chaser and have benefited from QF’s various extensions. If not for SFSC (in J) I’d barely make silver with QF. I do have some work-funded travel (meetings and seminars nationally and internationally) spread with VA and have almost enough to gift platinum with them. Sometimes I’m on the road for weeks at a time, sometimes I don’t have any trips for a few weeks.

 

[Tropic]

Recall being at a mining industry function pre covid and everyone around the table were QF P1 and a few looking at LTP. Mostly FIFO employees and senior gov bureaucrats. Doesnt take that many int flts in F/J to reach P1. Im sure there are some high wealth individuals with the time, money and inclination to fly enough to well exceed P1 but imagine majority of P1s would be employer funded?

 

[SeatBackForward]

Recall being at a mining industry function pre covid and everyone around the table were QF P1 and a few looking at LTP. Mostly FIFO employees and senior gov bureaucrats. Doesnt take that many int flts in F/J to reach P1. Im sure there are some high wealth individuals with the time, money and inclination to fly enough to well exceed P1 but imagine majority of P1s would be employer funded?

I think there used to be poster on here who was pretty much such an individual. I can't recall his name, but I remember him organising lunches in New Zealand on a whim..

 

[cbreeze]

With P1 I’m a self-funded status chaser and have benefited from QF’s various extensions. If not for SFSC (in J) I’d barely make silver with QF. I do have some work-funded travel (meetings and seminars nationally and internationally) spread with VA and have almost enough to gift platinum with them. Sometimes I’m on the road for weeks at a time, sometimes I don’t have any trips for a few weeks.

Did you enjoy this lifestyle of being away from home at weeks at a time?

 

[flyingfan]

Did you enjoy this lifestyle of being away from home at weeks at a time?

Yes. If you've seen Up in the Air, the notion of coming to your actual home feeling so odd isn't a fiction when you seemingly know better and spend more time with hotel staff and baristas thousands of kilometres away. It's definitely not a lifestyle I could recommend to many.

 

[sudoer]

Recall being at a mining industry function pre covid and everyone around the table were QF P1 and a few looking at LTP. Mostly FIFO employees and senior gov bureaucrats. Doesnt take that many int flts in F/J to reach P1. Im sure there are some high wealth individuals with the time, money and inclination to fly enough to well exceed P1 but imagine majority of P1s would be employer funded?

I would wager at least 97% of P1s wouldn't get there without employer/client funded J/F, especially given the QF SC component.

Even a HNWI is unlikely to come close, it's 10 QF First Class return trips to SIN or 7 to LAX. More if you're on a QF partner. That's bordering UNHWI territory, and those may well be receiving CL invitations or flying private.

Part of my reasoning is a struggle to understand how a HNWI flying on their own dime would put up with the substandard QF product while paying the QF premium.

The remaining few % are more likely to be hardcore FFs getting there with DSCs and nonsensical routings.

Just my WP 2c anyway - and far from a HNWI.. I just checked into an Ibis!!!

 

[Mr H]

I would wager at least 97% of P1s wouldn't get there without employer/client funded J/F,

I'll see your 97% and raise you 1%.

 

[cbreeze]

at least 97% of P1s wouldn't get there without employer/client funded J/F

I do wonder about those employers.
I guess it’s one of the other perks of being a senior executive.

I knew a big telco exec who was P1 due to flying MEL-HKG often and MEL-SYD nearly every week.
Makes you wonder if that person really had to be there in those locations in person. Maybe that’s just post-covid thinking.

Even though I said I would love to be a P1 one day he said it’s not worth it. Being away from his family for so long. I guess that’s a lifestyle for some shiny on the outside.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I do wonder about those employers.
I guess it’s one of the other perks of being a senior executive.

I knew a big telco exec who was P1 due to flying MEL-HKG often and MEL-SYD nearly every week.
Makes you wonder if that person really had to be there in those locations in person. Maybe that’s just post-covid thinking.

Even though I said I would love to be a P1 one day he said it’s not worth it. Being away from his family for so long. I guess that’s a lifestyle for some shiny on the outside.

I also think a lot of money gets wasted flying people around unnecessarily. Perhaps the increased use of Zoom/MS Teams post-Covid might change this, but I'm also hearing of plent of workplaces where the "Flexible" arrangements honeymoon period is quickly coming to an end.

But even before Covid, I struggled to understand how anyone could justify flying to attend a one hour meeting.

 

[sudoer]

But even before Covid, I struggled to understand how anyone could justify flying to attend a one hour meeting

While I agree with you, there's so many pent up one hour meetings right now that the financial decision makers can still justify dropping 20k on F2F meetings, and often meeting new colleagues for the first time. Video conferencing has reduced the need for weekly/monthly flying but I still think a lot of execs will be flying quarterly/half-yearly as there is definitely a benefit to face to face interaction that cannot be replicated over a call (IMO). This is even more true where reporting lines span continents - serious discussions like performance reviews are best held face to face.

 

[ozziflyer]

Interestingly - I did some analysis for a former boss to this affect.

We worked out it was cheaper to fly privately than the commercial first prices. Also meant he could depart Sydney outside of curfew.

I am only a plat but my bosses who travel in J or above international are all P1 and only because work is paying.

 

[Mr H]

Interestingly - I did some analysis for a former boss to this affect.

We worked out it was cheaper to fly privately than the commercial first prices. Also meant he could depart Sydney outside of curfew.

I am only a plat but my bosses who travel in J or above international are all P1 and only because work is paying.

And on a different level, I also ran numbers on chattering a small plane to fly around Regional Victoria to run a series of public meetings and it was way more affordable than travelling by land when you factored in the saved time and overnight costs for the attendees/organisers. But of course it was nixed because of the optics of private air travel.

 

[SeatBackForward]

And on a different level, I also ran numbers on chattering a small plane to fly around Regional Victoria to run a series of public meetings and it was way more affordable than travelling by land when you factored in the saved time and overnight costs for the attendees/organisers. But of course it was nixed because of the optics of private air travel.

There's a company in the US called "Wheels Up" that is trying to be the Uber of private jets. Their target are people who can afford premium cabins regularly, but not quite ready for private jets. They're selling advantage is that you get to set the timetable and they often use minor airports so you can literally drive upto the aircraft and board.

No doubt they'll branch into Australia soon enough.