The Velocity Status Run Master thread

[moffat39]

If you don’t care about timing on Saturday the 22nd it can be done on flex fares out of the Gold Coast for $342 (9:20am down, 6:20pm back but could fly ahead). Shopback also has 3.1% cash back to further sweeten the deal.

Train/bus from Brisbane or anywhere in SEQ to the Gold Coast airport is $1.

Hennus thanks for that. Sadly I have a catch up on the Friday for a 50 year renunion for the residential college i stayed at Queensland University in the 70s. They generally go late into the night so would not feel like going down to the Gold Coast early the next morning. Have never looked into Shopback before so will have a look at that as well.

 

[IrishPete]

If you don’t care about timing on Saturday the 22nd it can be done on flex fares out of the Gold Coast for $342 (9:20am down, 6:20pm back but could fly ahead). Shopback also has 3.1% cash back to further sweeten the deal.

Train/bus from Brisbane or anywhere in SEQ to the Gold Coast airport is $1.

Seriously? Isn't it about $20 to Brisbane Airport?

 

[henrus]

Seriously? Isn't it about $20 to Brisbane Airport?

Correct the Brisbane Airport Airtrain is currently $10.95 one way although this will double 10 Feb when the subsidy ends.

The Gold Coast airport is serviced by regular translink busses the 777 (every 15 minutes to Broadbeach/Tram) and 765 (every 30 minutes to Varsity Lakes station and other direction to the border). Because of the 50c fares it means any trip from Gold Coast Airport to Brisbane or really anywhere on the translink network in SEQ is 50c one way. Same for the Sunshine Coast airport with their bus. Handy for those doing a status run out of the Gold Coast and based in Brisbane or wanting to be in Brisbane and happy to spend the 2 hours on a train/bus!

 

[ja1]

I'm curious as to what value people place on their status and how much one would spend on flights to maintain gold/platinum status. It's looking like it's going to cost me approx. $600 to get my eligible sectors to maintain gold this year. I have flown lots, but mostly with SQ and using points so I've missed out on the 4 sectors

It depends on how much flying you're doing. I've lost both my Plat and Gold through the pandemic as I've simply not ended up flying anywhere near as much as I have in the previous decade that I'd held it.

Platinum benefits are really only felt when you're doing regular international travel and when something goes wrong and the airline feels obligated to help you..

 

[SYD]

Platinum benefits are really only felt when you're doing regular international travel and when something goes wrong and the airline feels obligated to help you..

OP was worried about Gold. A short answer might be that they could compare the cost of VA lounge membership and the other benefits for that $600? ie beyond domestic flying, there’s a chance of getting lounge access when flying partner airlines eg SQ. Plus other inconsistent benefits on other partners.

As for VA WP being useful on International flying, personally I’d be surprised if too many partners would go to the same extent as a QF WP (and other OWEs) receive within the OW alliance system.

 

[ja1]

OP was worried about Gold. A short answer might be that they could compare the cost of VA lounge membership and the other benefits for that $600? ie beyond domestic flying, there’s a chance of getting lounge access when flying partner airlines eg SQ. Plus other inconsistent benefits on other partners.

As for VA WP being useful on International flying, personally I’d be surprised if too many partners would go to the same extent as a QF WP (and other OWEs) receive within the OW alliance system.

Gold is pretty similar to Plat if you're just doing mainly (almost all) domestic flying

The usual comparison points are around lounge access etc but you're right, you can buy most of those separately anyway. The actual benefits of status remain with how the airline treats you (and that comes down to individual staff interpretations of the rules..) when you interact with the airline.

I've had a lot more luck in the last decade with flyahead, access to upgrades etc by having status. Is it *worth* the money to chase? Probably not but it's a sort of circular argument.

If you fly regularly enough then you probably make use of status in a few different ways that you prefer to have it. If you don't then.. you could probably get better value just paying for lounge etc when you want it..

 

[IrishPete]

Guess who has a status run from Sydney to Gold Coast and back on Saturday.

Hopefully the cyclone will have done its thing by then, and my flights won't be disrupted.

I have just over two hours in God Coast, so if there's any delay to the outgoing flight from Sydney, I may have to bail out.

 

[kevrosmith]

Guess who has a status run from Sydney to Gold Coast and back on Saturday.

Hopefully the cyclone will have done its thing by then, and my flights won't be disrupted.

I have just over two hours in God Coast, so if there's any delay to the outgoing flight from Sydney, I may have to bail out.

You may find the airport may even close for a time. Once a Warning (after the “Watch” period) kicks in, the airports will enact their management plans and start preparations to shutdown.

Watch is issued 48 hours before. Warning is 24 hours before. Won’t re-open until the cyclone has passed. Even though it’s a category 2 at the moment, it could still impact things for a couple days.

 

[IrishPete]

You may find the airport may even close for a time. Once a Warning (after the “Watch” period) kicks in, the airports will enact their management plans and start preparations to shutdown.

Watch is issued 48 hours before. Warning is 24 hours before. Won’t re-open until the cyclone has passed. Even though it’s a category 2 at the moment, it could still impact things for a couple days.

Yeah, I figured. And is it's the first in SE Queensland for 50 years, they may not be as prepared as Cairns and Townsville.

Hopefully I am allowed to reschedule at MY convenience, and not just have them throw me onto the next available flight, which I will NOT want.

Or just give me the eligible sectors without flying!?

 

[SeaWolf]

Hopefully I am allowed to reschedule at MY convenience, and not just have them throw me onto the next available flight, which I will NOT want.

My experience with cancellations is that they'll rebook you straight away and include a link in the notification that you can click if you want to see what else is available and select another flight.

I always check the link and see what else is there, even if I'm happy with the rebooking.

 

[IrishPete]

My experience with cancellations is that they'll rebook you straight away and include a link in the notification that you can click if you want to see what else is available and select another flight.

I always check the link and see what else is there, even if I'm happy with the rebooking.

Thanks. It was a very cheap sale fare, but not Lite (because that doesn't contribute to Status), so hopefully all will go well.

The flight back is just 2 hours after arrival, so fingers crossed both get cancelled or I'm in a pickle. (They were booked separately, as Virgin wouldn't allow me to book such a tight turnaround).

 

[Scarlett]

Two hours a ‘tight’ domestic turn around? I’d say it’s more than plentiful enough. MCT domestic-domestic is usually about 45 mins.

Bizarre they wouldn’t let you book it as a return ticket.