Buying Status with QFF points?

[Mike65]

Greetings All,
My status credits expire at the end of this month. I am 55 SCs short of retaining SG, but have 50 bonus credits I can use to get to 595 SCs, still 5 short of the required 600 SCs. QF is offering me the option of buying SG for 80,000 points (regardless of whether I finish 5 or 55 points short). That sounds a bit rich considering I can get an international Y-J upgrade worth several thousand dollars for that many points (or several domestic flights). So my thoughts turned to a status run to get the extra 5 SCs (which I've never contemplated doing before). It's not that hard to find flights from/to MEL for a relatively small $ outlay, but it is quite a bit of hassle for just 5 points. Any suggestions for cheap and easy way to earn 5 (or 55) SCs? Does anyone think it is possible to haggle with QF on the amount of points required? I might be prepared to do it for 40k.....
Thanks,
Mike

 

[moa999]

Even 40k is worth $400+. But I suspect you won't find anyone at QF call centre who can negotiate.

Just find a cheap flight from MEL.

 

[Mattg]

I imagine the QF offer is of the "take it or leave it" nature.

I think you'll need to fly somewhere. Fortunately you'll get over the line with just one QF or JQ flight to anywhere.

 

[mviy]

If you go on JQ you'll need to make sure you book a fare that is eligible to earn SC. Bookings for QF flights are more likely to credit automatically.

 

[RichardMEL]

Seems like you'd rather keep the loyalty bonus SC's till next membership year?

Just do a Flex Y/Sale Y trip something like MEL-SYD-OOL or v.v. would get you the 55 (a mix of Y/Flex Y would get 60, or say MEL-SYD-OOL flex Y and OOL-MEL disc Y would get 55 exactly).

The 80k rate seems more or less consistent with what others have received

 

[downgraded]

Seems like you'd rather keep the loyalty bonus SC's till next membership year?

Just do a Flex Y/Sale Y trip something like MEL-SYD-OOL or v.v. would get you the 55 (a mix of Y/Flex Y would get 60, or say MEL-SYD-OOL flex Y and OOL-MEL disc Y would get 55 exactly).

The 80k rate seems more or less consistent with what others have received

I was offered 120000 points to keep WP - I'm less than half way there with 3 weeks to go, making 50 points for 80k seem quite pricey.

Naturally I turned it down. WP hasn't yielded much love and with the homogenising of lounges it seems a waste.

 

[Mike65]

Thanks for the suggestions all.
RichardMEL - I would like to keep the bonus SCs for next year, but should be doing enough travel to get to SG without probs anyway so may just burn them to keep SG this year. And those flights to get 55 SCs would cost way more than I'm prepared to spend atm.
The best I can come up with is a return trip MEL to SYD, ADL, HBT or LST paid one way, reward points the other for a total of 10 SCs at a cost of about $200 plus 6400-8000 points.
Here's hoping an unexpected work trip pops up in the next week or so....

 

[RichardMEL]

QF seems to have set the bar at 80k points for Gold and 120k for Platinum.
If one is only at 600 SC (half way to 1200 for requal) and offered 120k to retain that actually is a very good deal in my book. Obviously less so 80k for the Gold retain, but that would be a different value argumet if say the OP needed 300 SC rather than 55 and that value would plainly be there.

And, of folks bite at these points levels then QF will see no need to lower the price (and they burn off liability in the pricess).

Suggest the "comp" membership renewals are gone the way of the 767....

 

[moa999]

QF seems to have set the bar at 80k points for Gold and 120k for Platinum.

Agreed. Had a friend who was was offered WP for 120k who'd only earnt 100SC that year.. (new role and two young kids). Took it in a heart beat.

 

[mannej]

Suggest the "comp" membership renewals are gone the way of the 767....

Don't tell Poochie that...

 

[bsb]

Agreed. Had a friend who was was offered WP for 120k who'd only earnt 100SC that year.. (new role and two young kids). Took it in a heart beat.

120k points is J rt to Asia. You can buy Qantas club for a lot less.

As for 5/55 sc - fly to LCT or HBA and go to Mona.

 

[mviy]

120k points is J rt to Asia. You can buy Qantas club for a lot less.
.

QANTAS Club won't get you into Domestic Business or International First lounges and it won't get you into a lounge when not flying on a QF flight number. Also with status you can choose to go to a different Oneworld lounge if the lounge for QANTAS Club members is not up to your tastes e.g. in SFO. Anyway a member that is a WP if they refused to pay points to retain their status would soft land to SG which is superior to QANTAS Club.

There's more to having status than just lounge access. Things like better chance of being able to book classic reward seats, higher upgrade chance, higher points earn, higher priority in phone queue (especially noticeable when you level up to the WP level or above), better seats available for selection etc.

 

[Deleted member]

Thanks for the suggestions all.
RichardMEL - I would like to keep the bonus SCs for next year, but should be doing enough travel to get to SG without probs anyway so may just burn them to keep SG this year. And those flights to get 55 SCs would cost way more than I'm prepared to spend atm.
The best I can come up with is a return trip MEL to SYD, ADL, HBT or LST paid one way, reward points the other for a total of 10 SCs at a cost of about $200 plus 6400-8000 points.
Here's hoping an unexpected work trip pops up in the next week or so....

It would seem to me that the solution is simple. Use the bonus SC’s and do a quick cheap flight somewhere or do a status run. Why you would blow points is beyond me.
I guess it comes down to what value you place on retaining your current status. Win lose or draw, you have to fly somewhere eventually. I reckon having 12months to plan is better than the alternative.

 

[ALH]

I would value 80,000 QFF Points at around $ 1,300. Just using a really rough example of the Cash price of BNE/AKL return in J vs using points (72,000) plus taxes.

If I read your post correctly, the Qantas offer seems to result in you paying 80,000 points for the extra 5 SCs you need.

I believe you can still phone and ask Qantas for a complimentary waiver of the remaining few SCs when you are that close, but it’s a one time only deal. So I wouldn’t waste it for 5 SCs.

 

[opusman]

Use the bonus SCs, then do a day return to SYD for the other 5 (actually 20) Or a o/w flight MEL-MQL and come back by train!

 

[bsb]

QANTAS Club won't get you into Domestic Business or International First lounges and it won't get you into a lounge when not flying on a QF flight number. Also with status you can choose to go to a different Oneworld lounge if the lounge for QANTAS Club members is not up to your tastes e.g. in SFO. Anyway a member that is a WP if they refused to pay points to retain their status would soft land to SG which is superior to QANTAS Club.

There's more to having status than just lounge access. Things like better chance of being able to book classic reward seats, higher upgrade chance, higher points earn, higher priority in phone queue (especially noticeable when you level up to the WP level or above), better seats available for selection etc.

And neither does QF Gold status get you Flounge or Dom J access

 

[mviy]

And neither does QF Gold status get you Flounge or Dom J access

Indeed

 

[RichardMEL]

I would value 80,000 QFF Points at around $ 1,300. Just using a really rough example of the Cash price of BNE/AKL return in J vs using points (72,000) plus taxes.

If I read your post correctly, the Qantas offer seems to result in you paying 80,000 points for the extra 5 SCs you need.

I believe you can still phone and ask Qantas for a complimentary waiver of the remaining few SCs when you are that close, but it’s a one time only deal. So I wouldn’t waste it for 5 SCs.

hmm value is all relative isn't it? I mean a discount/sale J->F upgrade is I think around 72k points also for say SYD-LHR (or maybe it's SYD-LAX I forget).. that's "worth" more than $1,300 based on a sale J fare and full F. Or, one could value a QFF point at say 1 cent which would be the $800 mark.

At the end of the day the value is very subjective.. and the value of the proposition to retain status is just the same. Nobody would think 80k points for 5 (or even 55) SC worth of travel is "value" unless one is super points rich and super time poor BUT if one had say 55SC earned, and needed 545 SC to retain and were made that same offer, I think most would jump in a heartbeat (see earlier post).

btw I think since QF have made this offer, asking for a comp with 5 SC is probably off the table. You'd think common sense would kick in and they could drop the price to 5000 or 10k points.. but I doubt individual agents have that sort of leeway and it seems the leeway to make such common sense decisions as "Only 5 SC short of 600? yeah, retain Gold no worries" are probably on the way out, specially with "enhancements" like LB SC thrown into the mix.

Of course no harm in making the call and asking

IMHO.

 

[mannej]

120k points is J rt to Asia. You can buy Qantas club for a lot less.

As for 5/55 sc - fly to LCT or HBA and go to Mona.

Qantas Club is a moot point though, as a WP would have a soft fall to SG wouldn't they?

 

[BD1959]

I have approx 5 months to run on my membership year and am currently sitting on 620 SCs as a current WP. I'd like to retain WP as I'm doing a fairly extensive EU trip with Mrs BD in the first month of the new year and would like to avail her of the F Lounges in MEL, HKG, DXB as well as making use of the F check-in facilities at zoos like LHR.

I estimate I may get (at least) 150 additional SCs through work and I have a Status Run booked for the begining of May which will net me 265 SCs - so at the moment I'm predicting a shortfall of around 170 SCs to retain WP. I have some GVs purchased during the DSC period to (theoretically) help me there if needed.

However, if it was fairly likely that I could purchase close to 450 SCs through spending 120,000 - and cancelling the existing Status Run - then I'd seriously consider that. So my question is:

How widespread is the practice of offering the option to purchase status?

I seem to be one of those who (generally) misses out on targeted offers etc so if this is a pretty sporadic offer, I'll stick with my original approach.

Regards,

BD