simongr
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2006
- Posts
- 14,307
The tale of the tape
Cue the music please...
[video=youtube;CwzjlmBLfrQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwzjlmBLfrQ[/video]
This is more of a journey than a trip – a very unexpected journey as it turns out – a journey to P1 – how on earth did that happen? Let’s go back to a balmy day in October – the 13th I think it was... Simon Hickey announces the new P1 level and invites a few of the AFF vocals to lunch at the Pony Tailed One’s restaurant – the Rockpool Bar and Grill in Sydney. Never one to miss out on a free feed and a small glass of wine I was happy to [redacted] from my office in [redacted] to the restaurant. Nervously wondering who we would meet and finally meeting Trevor (AKA Red Roo) and his beard. This wasn’t the first time I had met an AFFer but was certainly the first time I met more than one at a time.
Finally Simon announced the new level and the requirement – a frankly ridiculous and staggering requirement – 3,600 SCs and 2,700 of them on a QF flight number. That was insanity. The fact that we had a couple of the new P1s at the lunch and one of them had managed that on domestic ECONOMY flights was even more staggering.
As interested as I was in the topic as I knew with absolute certainty that I would not ever hit those lofty heights – I would be lucky to even hit Partner Gold at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs. Also even if I got the 3,600 a good chunk of them would be on CX flying over to JED. So I was happy to help myself to a glass or two of rather nice Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz with drewbles laughing at how ridiculous this was...
A few days later I go some feedback from my boss on her visit here. The MD of the Australian business (HQ in MEL) had one word to describe Internal Audit (based in SYD) – remote... this translated then to fortnightly trips to MEL for the foreseeable future. Booking flexi savers was going to double my SCs so I had now a small hope of partner gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs).
So on we plod and the double status credit offers whoosh past me never stopping to say hello. Then suddenly DSCs on trip to HKG and the A380 going to HKG (these two events were connected) and an approved side trip (in J) to PEK whilst I go to HKG. Suddenly partner gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) isn’t that far away. Obviously P1 is still an impossibility given the bias to CX for international J.
Then BOOM 1 – a real targeted DSC promo that includes my possible trip to the UK – now we’re talking turkey but still a long way off P1 – now it is all about locking Partner Gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) and marching on towards LTG (I hit LTS in April 2011).
Time passes on and I start planning for 2013. This involves LOTS of meetings in MEL between July and September – my QF year ending in September. Based on that I am going to be about QF 300 SCs short of P1 (I am going to be well over on total SCs) – but wait I have that trip to JED on 30 Sep – is there any chance of getting some QF SCs on that? BOOM 2 – yes there is – it is an entirely coughpy flight but actually overall nets me an extra 120 SCs vs the easier CX flight. OK so now I am roughly 180 SCs under – surely that can’t be too hard.
BOOM 3 - Paging amaroo – “Hey simongr you know that BNE trip you have in whY - how about a JASA BNE-MEL-SYD instead of BNE-SYD in whY during the DSC promo?”. Pretty much the day that the 50K points post for PG (achieved at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) 40K points drift out the door on the JASA. So now it is looking like I am going to hit exactly 2700 QF SCs at midnight on 30 Sep – Teeth. Skin. Of.
Well so I thought... I subsequently booked even more flights (weekly to MEL rather than fortnightly) and a few more DSC flights than my first forecast and it has me cruising past 2,710 QF SCs flying SYD-MEL with six weeks of my QF year to go.
Now a lot of us said that P1 wasn’t worth chasing. Some have even said that it was a marketing fiasco but in a sample of one it has worked. It blocked me from experimenting more with DJ. I flirted with four DJ/VA flights but once I thought I could make Partner Gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) I made sure of that and didn’t actually then fly VA (or alliance partner) to the UK like I considered.
So why did I bother. Two reasons and I am not sure either will pay off...
So what actually was the tale of the tape and why the Mr Bean video. Well that’s exactly how it feels – it has been a bit of a marathon but I do feel a like I have cheated (Mr Bean skipping ahead taking a ride in the car feels a bit like DSC promos). I haven’t done the travel of a tripping_the_rift or Tony Hancock or poor Esquire (dear god man P1 in domestic whY – there should be a shrine in your honour) but at the end of the day it is a standard WP card with a red Platinum One that will be mine...
Anyway again – the tale of the tape. In reality a somewhat modest year:
- 68 flights
- 58 on QF
- 96,761 BIS mile
- 51 Economy Class
- 16 Business Class
- 1 First Class
- 3,820 SCs
- 2,710 QF SCs
So here I am about to go to the Hilton South Wharf – coincidentally this stay will requalify me for Diamond – noting that HHonors haven’t enhanced the qualification requirement like QF did when they enhanced the requirement for PG to 2,400 SCs – patiently waiting for my online status to click over to P1 (I do actually know it should take about a week). I am not setting my expectations too high for P1 am I:
- Rose petals strewn along the Domestic Priority Boarding lane in advance of my arrival
- OpUps to J on all domestic flights
- Personal Call from Simon Hickey after my int’l flights to make sure all was well
You know – just the normal stuff...
Just thought I would share the experience with a few people that have made it possible...
Cue the music please...
[video=youtube;CwzjlmBLfrQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwzjlmBLfrQ[/video]
This is more of a journey than a trip – a very unexpected journey as it turns out – a journey to P1 – how on earth did that happen? Let’s go back to a balmy day in October – the 13th I think it was... Simon Hickey announces the new P1 level and invites a few of the AFF vocals to lunch at the Pony Tailed One’s restaurant – the Rockpool Bar and Grill in Sydney. Never one to miss out on a free feed and a small glass of wine I was happy to [redacted] from my office in [redacted] to the restaurant. Nervously wondering who we would meet and finally meeting Trevor (AKA Red Roo) and his beard. This wasn’t the first time I had met an AFFer but was certainly the first time I met more than one at a time.
Finally Simon announced the new level and the requirement – a frankly ridiculous and staggering requirement – 3,600 SCs and 2,700 of them on a QF flight number. That was insanity. The fact that we had a couple of the new P1s at the lunch and one of them had managed that on domestic ECONOMY flights was even more staggering.
As interested as I was in the topic as I knew with absolute certainty that I would not ever hit those lofty heights – I would be lucky to even hit Partner Gold at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs. Also even if I got the 3,600 a good chunk of them would be on CX flying over to JED. So I was happy to help myself to a glass or two of rather nice Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz with drewbles laughing at how ridiculous this was...
A few days later I go some feedback from my boss on her visit here. The MD of the Australian business (HQ in MEL) had one word to describe Internal Audit (based in SYD) – remote... this translated then to fortnightly trips to MEL for the foreseeable future. Booking flexi savers was going to double my SCs so I had now a small hope of partner gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs).
So on we plod and the double status credit offers whoosh past me never stopping to say hello. Then suddenly DSCs on trip to HKG and the A380 going to HKG (these two events were connected) and an approved side trip (in J) to PEK whilst I go to HKG. Suddenly partner gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) isn’t that far away. Obviously P1 is still an impossibility given the bias to CX for international J.
Then BOOM 1 – a real targeted DSC promo that includes my possible trip to the UK – now we’re talking turkey but still a long way off P1 – now it is all about locking Partner Gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) and marching on towards LTG (I hit LTS in April 2011).
Time passes on and I start planning for 2013. This involves LOTS of meetings in MEL between July and September – my QF year ending in September. Based on that I am going to be about QF 300 SCs short of P1 (I am going to be well over on total SCs) – but wait I have that trip to JED on 30 Sep – is there any chance of getting some QF SCs on that? BOOM 2 – yes there is – it is an entirely coughpy flight but actually overall nets me an extra 120 SCs vs the easier CX flight. OK so now I am roughly 180 SCs under – surely that can’t be too hard.
BOOM 3 - Paging amaroo – “Hey simongr you know that BNE trip you have in whY - how about a JASA BNE-MEL-SYD instead of BNE-SYD in whY during the DSC promo?”. Pretty much the day that the 50K points post for PG (achieved at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) 40K points drift out the door on the JASA. So now it is looking like I am going to hit exactly 2700 QF SCs at midnight on 30 Sep – Teeth. Skin. Of.
Well so I thought... I subsequently booked even more flights (weekly to MEL rather than fortnightly) and a few more DSC flights than my first forecast and it has me cruising past 2,710 QF SCs flying SYD-MEL with six weeks of my QF year to go.
Now a lot of us said that P1 wasn’t worth chasing. Some have even said that it was a marketing fiasco but in a sample of one it has worked. It blocked me from experimenting more with DJ. I flirted with four DJ/VA flights but once I thought I could make Partner Gold (at the newly enhanced level of 2,400 SCs) I made sure of that and didn’t actually then fly VA (or alliance partner) to the UK like I considered.
So why did I bother. Two reasons and I am not sure either will pay off...
- Front row of whY. Since P1 started I have had to check at T-80 to try and get the front row of whY and have only had one success in the past few months. I do a reasonable amount of flying in domestic whY so whatever I can do to improve it I will. I will also move back to the 738s from the 763s if it works so I have better overhead luggage bins and much more leg room.
- Released award inventory – this is the biggie. I want to go to the UK and Cyprus next year and am constrained on dates and I want to fly J with mrssimongr and boygr so being able to be more flexible on dates and save on phone booking fees will hopefully be great.
So what actually was the tale of the tape and why the Mr Bean video. Well that’s exactly how it feels – it has been a bit of a marathon but I do feel a like I have cheated (Mr Bean skipping ahead taking a ride in the car feels a bit like DSC promos). I haven’t done the travel of a tripping_the_rift or Tony Hancock or poor Esquire (dear god man P1 in domestic whY – there should be a shrine in your honour) but at the end of the day it is a standard WP card with a red Platinum One that will be mine...
Anyway again – the tale of the tape. In reality a somewhat modest year:
- 68 flights
- 58 on QF
- 96,761 BIS mile
- 51 Economy Class
- 16 Business Class
- 1 First Class
- 3,820 SCs
- 2,710 QF SCs
So here I am about to go to the Hilton South Wharf – coincidentally this stay will requalify me for Diamond – noting that HHonors haven’t enhanced the qualification requirement like QF did when they enhanced the requirement for PG to 2,400 SCs – patiently waiting for my online status to click over to P1 (I do actually know it should take about a week). I am not setting my expectations too high for P1 am I:
- Rose petals strewn along the Domestic Priority Boarding lane in advance of my arrival
- OpUps to J on all domestic flights
- Personal Call from Simon Hickey after my int’l flights to make sure all was well
You know – just the normal stuff...
Just thought I would share the experience with a few people that have made it possible...
