Retaining Virgin Platinum - should I?

[simongr]

OKM - I know this is probably going to be a bit of a flame war but it is not intended to be so. Just to set the scene I was status matched to VA WP in the August promo like many here. I have tried only a couple of VA flights but was not blown away so it hasn't been an obvious choice for me to switch to VA - there were in fact a couple seemingly minor points about the experience that actually put me off booking VA again.

However I am currently on 120 SCs with VA and am contemplating whether to try and retain VA WP this year through flying. I have an upcoming UK trip in July that I could fly on EY in J that would I think net me 560 SCs so fairly lose to VA WP and then a few DOM flights would tip me over the edge.

I am currently sat on about 860 SCs with 1280 OW worth of SC flights booked at the moment (Sep requal period).

If I do my Jul flight on CX that will tip me into PG with 50K bonus points (mrssimongr doesnt need/want PG).

My primary objective is to get to Cyprus in J next year using a combination of points and cash - currently on 300K QFF points and 270K Amex points (transferrable to QF) and I expect that Amex will be up to about 350 by the time I need to book with the QFF balance up to maybe 450K (if I opt to go QFF rather than VA).

If i credit to VA I "lose" 50K points and and tie up 50K in my VA account. Also flying to the UK I am not sure that there is a good F lounge option for VA WP (please correct me if that is wrong). My other option is to get QF WP and then credit to AA and push the points across to AA from Amex (via SPG if the current rate holds in the future and is not a promo).

So without debating the merits of QF and VA as carriers (or their strategic management) I would appreciate any thoughts people have. Am I considering all of the right variables? My strategic thought is to credit all to QFF and then try to get J flights to HKG using QFF points and look at cheaper J flights HKG-DXB-LCA using cash or maybe Asia Miles or using AA points - reading the AA awards chart I think HKG-DXB would be 60K/person (although would be regional jet on CX) and then I could pay cash for DXB-LCA). I think SYD-HKG-SYD in J would be 360K for the three of us ( I would look at an any seat award if that would work).

Are there any curve balls there that I am missing that could make VA a viable and effective option?

 

[simongr]

185 views and no replies... Guess not wanting to start a flame war put people off

 

[markis10]

You have detailed comprehensively the pros and cons, about the only thing anyone can added is personal choice, which by its nature will be irrelevant in the context of the question, it's something that only you can decide. I certainly cannot think of any factor that's been overlooked, at the end of the day no one program is the mother of all programs.

 

[medhead]

Do you need the 50k points to get to Cyprus? You might factor in the value of that VA points for domestic redeemptions.


Sent from the Throne (80% chance) using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[DC3]

If you changed the primary objective and went somewhere else, would that make planning easier?

 

[simongr]

Thanks markis10 - didnt think there was anything I had missed but good to get a second opinion. The only other factor is that crediting to QF will get me closer to LTG (currently on 8925 LTSCs) - also not sure how next year will pan out flying wise.

Good point medhead - I guess I need to work out how to get there most cost/point effectively and work out whether I need those 50K points. Unlikely though that I will need them for domestic redemptions - holidays sort of planned for the next few years (Cyprus 2013, HNL 2014 and NYC 2015)

 

[simongr]

If you changed the primary objective and went somewhere else, would that make planning easier?

It might make planning easier but would severely reduce my share of the inheritance...

 

[MarkD]

Think I would just do it all qf, take the dj soft landing to gold, and decide next year

 

[Boris spatsky]

I am sitting on 1200 QF SCs and the rest is going to DJ so I will retain both as WP. Think it works quite well. Doesnt help your trip dilemma though.