Using points to retain Platinum ...

[opusman]

Yes, Gold is definitely the sweet spot now that WP has been devalued so much. But given how keen QF are to give away status these days, the number of Golds must be huge now.

 

[mviy]

Well there are still some nice benefits for WP, two guests to QF Dom J Lounge & arrival access to QF Dom J lounge, access to QF & OneWorld FLounges (where available), higher status bonus, priority over SG for points upgrades, unofficial benefit to be able to request award seat on QF to be released.

I think if anticipating doing sufficient travel in the coming year to retain WP it'd make a lot of sense to take up the offer to keep WP rather than fall back to SG.

 

[Pushka]

Plus there might be the soft landing to SG the year after unless they enhance that too.

 

[Basalt]

Are they at a peak in membership numbers at the moment and see a crash in higher status membership looming shortly. They prbably know something we don't.

I wonder this too. I thought there were more WPs and P1s than you could poke a stick at flying in and out of PER but the other week I managed to get my family of 4 upgraded to J MEL to PER and I'm only SG. Maybe the significant drop in FIFO workers following the mining slowdown has really started to hit the FF program?

 

[Pushka]

Maybe the significant drop in FIFO workers following the mining slowdown has really started to hit the FF program?

There's a thought. But might only impact Perth and Adelaide routes?

 

[froggerADL]

I just got “the call” so here is the second data point after forty odd posts to this thread.

This call is not a scam. I knew this at the time as the calling number was displayed (and has now been saved as a contact). I’m pretty sure that scammers hide their number, but maybe I’m being foolish with this assumption. I was addressed by name. The caller was also able to access my QFF history without me disclosing any details.

The call was exactly the same as described by rocket, e.g you’re not going to retain Platinum but we can extend it for 100,000 QFF points.

I have been watching my QFF account this month as I knew I wouldn’t make 1200 SCs this year and was hoping/expecting to be comped. I was getting quite worried that it wasn’t going to happen as reports on AFF suggest it usually happens by mid-month.

Here are my stats:
Thanks to a lot of work travel, and AFF, I have been at least QF WP since February 2010. In those seven years my lowest annual SC earn was 1515. I was P1 for three years in 2012, 2013 and 2014. My SC average for the seven years is a little over 2600 and my three year average from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2017 is almost exactly 1500. I have earned over 800 SCs this membership year. I have never had a status comp. My current points balance is just over 200,000.

Here is what happened during the call:
I said that I was quite surprised by the offer as I am a member of an on-line frequent flyer forum and that I’m aware that people usually get a complementary status extension if their three year average is over 1200. I also told him that the reason I will fall short this year is that I have been off work sick for the last few months and therefore have not flown. He seemed a little surprised by my comment about the three year average and said that he would make some enquiries and call me back, hopefully today.

Five minutes later he rang back and said that “we will let your status go through this time due to your three year average”. These words confused me so I asked if that meant that my Platinum status would be extended. He said that it would.

I would be very disappointed if I missed out on the comp as I have an international flight from SYD in early May and I was/am looking forward to taking my adult son to the F lounge for the first time.

It would be very interesting to know what would happen to someone that meets the three year average but has less than 100,000 points in their account.

 

[RichardMEL]

A comp was mentioned above....

What if this could be the start of the end of the comp? What if QF says hey you want to retain but you fell short... in stead of free, let's charge you points for this?

That actually would make some sense in the overall picture.

- thos who do not "pay up" don't retain the higher status and the pool of elites is lessened
- those who do provide a revenue for QF (the reduction in points liability has an internal value)
- it would be a +ve for QF from that point of view charging for something they gave away.

It may be interesting to see where this goes from this point of view.

 

[JohnK]

If it is the start of a big change then to me that obviously means the dilution of status.

Diluting status just makes the programme less attractive to frequent flyers. which is what the programme is based on isnt it?

Dilution of status and the frequent flyer program in general has been happening for at least the past 12 years.

Upgrade credits replaced by loyalty bonus which has since been enhanced 2-3 times. For reference 3 UC's earned after 1,200 SCs were good for a one-way upgrade to business SYD-BKK/HKG/SIN from any economy fare class. An upgrade to business today from an upgradeable fare requires 40,000 QFF points?

Anytime lounge access taken away and replaced with domestic arrival access after the backlash.

Complimentary exit rows on international flights is also gone.

Minimum points guarantee has been reduced to 800 QFF points which was a 20% devaluation. I now need 125 SYD-BNE flights to earn 100,000 QFF points where as someone can churn multiple credit cards and easily earn 100,000 QFF points each time for a cost of $400-$500 for each churn and sometimes even less if first year fee free.

And with other banking and shopping promotions someone can earn 100,000 QFF points for very little outlay.

As you can see the points I earn from flying are almost worthless. It is no longer a frequent flyer program but a frequent spender program. I see less and less award seats available especially during "peak" times. From early February there was very little award availabilty from Asia in July.

I can't plan 12 months ahead. I'm being punished for being a frequent flyer. I should be able to access award seats 5 months out.

 

[Flying Fox]

So are you 'buying' WP status or are you 'buying' the SCs to qualify for WP?

The difference to me being that if you get the SCs to qualify for WP, does it also count towards LTG?

 

[froggerADL]

A comp was mentioned above....

What if this could be the start of the end of the comp? What if QF says hey you want to retain but you fell short... in stead of free, let's charge you points for this?

It would seem that it is clear that this is indeed the start of the end of the comp .

 

[Reeldeel]

Dilution of status and the frequent flyer program in general has been happening for at least the past 12 years.

Upgrade credits replaced by loyalty bonus which has since been enhanced 2-3 times. For reference 3 UC's earned after 1,200 SCs were good for a one-way upgrade to business SYD-BKK/HKG/SIN from any economy fare class. An upgrade to business today from an upgradeable fare requires 40,000 QFF points?

Anytime lounge access taken away and replaced with domestic arrival access after the backlash.

Complimentary exit rows on international flights is also gone.

Minimum points guarantee has been reduced to 800 QFF points which was a 20% devaluation. I now need 125 SYD-BNE flights to earn 100,000 QFF points where as someone can churn multiple credit cards and easily earn 100,000 QFF points each time for a cost of $400-$500 for each churn and sometimes even less if first year fee free.

And with other banking and shopping promotions someone can earn 100,000 QFF points for very little outlay.

As you can see the points I earn from flying are almost worthless. It is no longer a frequent flyer program but a frequent spender program. I see less and less award seats available especially during "peak" times. From early February there was very little award availabilty from Asia in July.

I can't plan 12 months ahead. I'm being punished for being a frequent flyer. I should be able to access award seats 5 months out.

Good points JK. I didnt know some of those benefits existed.

Its almost as if QF are doing a slow stealthy planned removal of benefits.

What started out as a loyalty program has become a (a very profitable) points trading business. The loyalty part is becoming less important to them apparently.

 

[mviy]

So are you 'buying' WP status or are you 'buying' the SCs to qualify for WP?

The difference to me being that if you get the SCs to qualify for WP, does it also count towards LTG?

It'll be interesting to see what someone who takes this up reports but I would be very surprised if you got any SCs out of this. I don't think it's in QANTAS's interests to make this kind of an offer help you get to LTG quicker. What probably would happen is that they take the 100,000 points and set an override flag of some kind to force your profile to stay at the Platinum level for another 12 months despite not flying enough to retain it.

 

[RichardMEL]

So are you 'buying' WP status or are you 'buying' the SCs to qualify for WP?

The difference to me being that if you get the SCs to qualify for WP, does it also count towards LTG?

Very interesting question. It all depends on how QF implements this kind of offer. I'm inclined to think it would act like a comp in that status would be retained, not a SC bump up.

 

[mviy]

I'd love to be wrong as perhaps ~ 600 SC for 100,000 points would be a big help towards LTG, but I think it's highly unlikely they'd be that generous.

 

[oz_mark]

So are you 'buying' WP status or are you 'buying' the SCs to qualify for WP?

The difference to me being that if you get the SCs to qualify for WP, does it also count towards LTG?

As far as I am aware none of the complimentary extensions have been done by granting a wad of SCs to make up the shortfall. They are all done by just extending the date.

 

[NM]

AAdvantage also offer an option to purchase a status upgrade for select/targeted members. I am AA Gold and received an offer to buy an upgrade to AA Platinum for US$799 (plus tax I assume). They did not offer an option to pay with AAdvantage miles, just the cash offer.

 

[11sjw]

I would've taken this to have slowed the drop to my lifetime PS by a year.

 

[christopherc]

My Platinum status expires end March, and I've just about done enough flying to requalify for gold. Received a call form QF offering to extend platinum status for next 12 months for 100k points. Never heard of this offer, though they do say it's new.
Anyone else had the offer made? Not sure whether to take it up or not.

HI

So what did you do ? did you ask QANTAS for a free Platinum Status or did you pay to keep Platinum ?

 

[rsellens]

I have been WP for the last 7 years. I have not flown at all in the past 22 months due to health problems except for a couple of domestic flights for which I used points and my status expires at the end of April. I am booked to fly to Europe in F at the end of May having taken up the recent double SC offer. This trip should net me about 1800 SCs altogether and I will then reach LTG and qualify WP for almost another 2 years. It will be interesting to see if I get any offer and what it is.

 

[froggerADL]

As an update to post #46, I received my new WP card in the mail today. Yay!