SC runs, does it justify the cost?

[p-dub]

Hi all,
A newbie question here

I've been cruising through the forums and I noticed a few posts where people are paying for flights to either retain their ff status or obtain the next level.

A question... does the value of obtaining the next level (lets say Bronze to Silver) really justify the cost of the flight to achieve it? Are you really getting $x of value out of the new status?

Cheers,
Patrick.

 

[jamesatfish]

Obviously that's a very subjective question, but in my experience the answer is yes.

Last year after completing an AONE4 trip I ended up about 100SC short of reaching Platinum for the first time, and so decided to spend a bit of money to add a status run to an already booked trip (Canberra - Brisbane return became Canberra - Melbourne - Hobart - Melbourne - Brisbane - Sydney - Canberra).

In the 9 months since becoming a WP, I've:

• Booked 3 RTW First points tickets on flights where there was no availbility, using the WP benefit of requesting awards seats to be opened on Qantas flights

• Booked two seats on an oversold CBR-MEL flight the next day when our travel plans changed at the last minute

• Used the Qantas Club on several occasions for meetings when I wasn't flying

• Had access to a decent lounge with free food & drink (AA Flagship) whilst travelling domestically in the US

• Been moved to a US Airways flight whilst travelling on a OneWorld RTW fare because equipment failures on AA meant they couldn't get me to a meeting on time, and being OWE meant the GA could move me to another airline without needing 'permission' from anyone.

So in short, those extra dollars spent to reach WP have well and truly been recovered in the benefits received from that status.

This year I'll reach WP without needing to do a status run, but should I fall short in the future I'd certainly do the same again.

(Edit: I just realised that since becoming WP and spending more time on this site I've also learned a lot of new acronyms...)

 

[SnowYeti]

Seeing that you are QC, I don't think so. Recently I was tossing up whether or not I should do the same, from PS to SG, but as I don't have endless money, I decided against this as I have QC too and I don't plan on flying many other carriers in the next 12 months, so it wouldn't really benefit me. Having SG would give me 50% more bonus, but would hardly benefit if most of my travel is SYD-MEL or SYD-BNE etc. I already have lounge access, priority baggage and priority check in. I just don't have the next level of seating (LOL) or priority boarding.

It's all upto you p-dub

 

[Dave Noble]

Unless very close to qualifying/requalifying, then generally I would view it as a waste of money and that the money could be well better spent

e.g. if just short of gold , then it could be worth it to get Qantas Club access rather than paying for QC membership if not already a member but wanting it

Dave

 

[NM]

e.g. if just short of gold , then it could be worth it to get Qantas Club access rather than paying for QC membership if not already a member but wanting it

And the value of attaining Gold status and hence Qantas Club membership will depend on the expected travel plans for the following year. If not flying much then the value is low, if planning to fly a lot then the value may be high.

 

[serfty]

Status means nothing if you are not flying with the carrier or alliance of that carrier (e.g. QF or oneworld).

If you are flying then it can mean a lot or a little.

Certainly with QFF, status tends to give you better seating, lounge access, higher QFF point earning and many other benefits over a traveller of no status.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to put an actual price or value on this.

If you are close to a level and near the end of whatever earning year your your FF programme abides by then it is probably worth it - and then, only if you intend to continue to travel frequently.

Here's an example. Last week as a WP I was op-upped AKL-LAX to Business class. In a value sense, that's worth well over $2000 when compared with a confirmed booking or if upgraded on QFF points, 54,000. Looking at the loadings, as a WP I was 90% sure of the op-up and indeed chose not to put in a request to use points to do so (with the recent discount economy Points upgrade promotion). Without WP status I would not have taken the chance, submitting a request to spend that 54K QFF points instead.

(In the end, the flight was so oversold I was sitting beside two (QP NB's) passengers who had also been op-upped - almost certainly due to having QP membership.)

 

[simongr]

Tough one as everyone else said. I did 4 return flights to CBR at Xmas to retain AA EXP status knowing I had a fair amount of domestic travel and some international travel this year. As it was I found out that my AA EXP status wasnt worth that much to QF but thankfully they status matched me to QF WP until Sep 2010 so I think it has definitely been worth it for me.

I dont think NB -> PS if you have QP is worth it though.

 

[Skyring]

It's just money. Bits of plastic or magnetic patterns. Seriously.

We're not here for that long, we've got limited years when we have the health and opportunity to travel, why not make what we've got as good as we can get it?

Sure, it makes sense to do a status run if it's going to cost you less to get to SG than to buy a QP membership, and QP access is important.

But I'm not sure that dollars and sense have a real lot to do with my travel decisions.

For me, it makes sense to a DONE4 each year. It's a pleasant trip in itself, and I gain an immense amount of delight from remembering past trips and dreaming of future journeys.

But it also gets me WP status, which flows on to lounge access any time I want it, first lounges when travelling, increased baggage limits, priority access in queues, better seats and any number of tiny details that add up to make even domestic economy travel something to be enjoyed rather than endured.

Is it good use of money that I could put into some solid investments? Of course not.

Is it the way I want to spend my money and time? My choice.

I'm building up a lifetime of happy memories before I get Alzheimers.

 

[SnowYeti]

Well said Skyring, I like your response

 

[Alanslegal]

I'm building up a lifetime of happy memories before I get Alzheimers.

RTW trips will produce lots og happy memories (and which is what you do)

but for anyone contemplating 70 SYD-MEL return mileage runs just for the sake of getting WP is kidding themselves :shock:

 

[notzac]

It's just money. Bits of plastic or magnetic patterns. Seriously.

We're not here for that long, we've got limited years when we have the health and opportunity to travel, why not make what we've got as good as we can get it?

...

I'm building up a lifetime of happy memories before I get Alzheimers.

+1 excellent post much the same reasoning I'd make as well.

 

[Skyring]

but for anyone contemplating 70 SYD-MEL return mileage runs just for the sake of getting WP is kidding themselves :shock:

Heh. There are more pleasant ways to use up time. If someone else was paying for the tickets AND for my time, yeah. Otherwise, I prefer twelve hour shifts as a night cabbie.

The pay's not great, but it's enough for a DONE4 or two, and it's a lot of fun. I might be alone in the cab, but I'm dreaming of Paris.

 

[bambbbam2]

I might be alone in the cab, but I'm dreaming of Paris.

Hilton, I presume.?

 

[samh004]

but for anyone contemplating 70 SYD-MEL return mileage runs just for the sake of getting WP is kidding themselves :shock:

Only 70 you say...

 

[harvyk]

RTW trips will produce lots og happy memories (and which is what you do)

but for anyone contemplating 70 SYD-MEL return mileage runs just for the sake of getting WP is kidding themselves :shock:

That's just over one a week, that's not too bad... But do it in business, and for an extra $1000 you could have it over and done with in only 18 runs.

 

[harvyk]

Or provided you don't mind the price, two Syd - JFK runs in F will also do it...

 

[Voyages]

Hilton, I presume.?

haha! witty bambbbbam