How much did it cost you to attain/retain WP?

[HockeyMonkey]

Looks like I will attain WP for the first time this year with just one trip to go.

This year was quite unusual for me with
- Four long haul work trips, several with upgradable/flex fares
- Two vacations, one in J where I used points for a family member that doesn't care about status and they paid for my fare.

All up, I was only personally out of pocket for $2179.88 (The first flight plus $334.78 in award booking taxes for the CX one). Not a bad result given I wasn't really expecting to get there.

All Ex Melbourne in Y except upcoming CX in J. Many at short notice for work purposes.

$1845.10 120 SC Calgary (QF)
$3235.54 275 SC Seattle/Chicago (QF)
$1451.84 280 SC London (QF DSC offer)
$2693.31 195 SC Austin (QF)
$2010.52 140 SC Hamburg/Zurich (QF)
$6048.09 400 SC Paris/Zurich (CX)
$17274.39 1410 SC Total Cost

$12.25 per SC

Now that I'm nearly there, it got me thinking about future years. With a single DSC offer in J MEL-LHR, it looks like I could retain WP in future years for perhaps half this cost.

What is the cheapest way you have attained or retained WP status?

 

[Matt_01]

Who cares how much you spend, it is up to you!

 

[HockeyMonkey]

Who cares how much you spend, it is up to you!

At $17K of personal expenses I wouldn’t try. At half that during a DSC promotion, perhaps if tax deductible as I’m upgrading a Y work trip, it starts to get tempting.

 

[moa999]

Cheapest for me was in 2006.. something like $5.5k for a 20-segment (paper ticket) DONE4 from SriLanka - split into two Qantas years and three trips with positioning flights back.

Basically got me 2 yrs of Plat

 

[juddles]

Why chase the status? What is the real difference it will make to you?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Why chase the status? What is the real difference it will make to you?

DYKWIA ? Isn’t that the raison d’être of AFF?

(Probably should be DYKWTA. )

 

[Deleted member]

Why chase the status? What is the real difference it will make to you?

He who dies with the highest status wins ......

 

[Ansett]

Retained WP for $4798.00 all on Qantas.

 

[JohnK]

For some reason I have not been keeping the figures but I think it has been around $10,000-$12,000 in recent years with constant increase in domestic airfares. I am looking to book more and more flights with double SCs offers as I would like to travel a little less and stay in Brisbane with wife and daughter more.

Why chase the status? What is the real difference it will make to you?

It's not about chasing status. I do a lot of flying. Not as much as you and other Platinum One's but I do 125-150 flights/year and status is important.

- It is about being looked after while travelling
- I like the 40kg-50kg allowance for my luggage and golf clubs which are usually 40+kgs together. I hate packing light
- Better seat selection including bulkhead for international flights
- Occasional first lounge access

 

[Sdtravel]

In truth it cost me a crazy amount. Mainly did status runs in DSC
I think i have done some DSC runs with SYD-BNE-CNS-BNE-SYD in J which were about $6/SC
I did a DSC SYD-MEL-CHC-BNE-SYD in J for about $3.50/SC

During this years DSC i booked an actual holiday for $9K. A J trip to NYC so 1200 SC's in 1 trip. Which is about $7.50/SC.
The return part of a family wedding i went to earlier in the year fell in my new membership year so LAS-LAX-SYD in J for 200SC's and approx $2500.
The upcoming work trip i upgraded to Y+ personally paid $4200 but was able to book it during a 50% bonus promo so 300 SC's. $14/SC is just a terrible rate i know.
All this will land me at about 1600 SC's for $16K so far. With the rest of the year to go with things like Christmas holidays it will likely be more. But depends if you're counting that stuff or anything beyond qualifying.

WHY
- F lounges in SYD & HKG
- DYKWIA factor with airlines like CX who really look after OWE's onboard.
- Priority seating
- Extra & priority baggage when it works.
- Priority service.

For stories like this.
I once checked in 13 people at the CX F counter in Osaka. The J line was huge and most of my family were in it. I walked up to the F line and the agent originally tried to usher me away saying it was for priority customers. Flashed my QF WP card and the tune changed. She asked if i was travelling alone and i said i am with 12 others. She said they can also come over. So i waved them all over and we checked in. All bags checked under my name with First Priority.
Onboard the CSM greeted me all the way down the back (quite literally in the tail as that were tour group pax are seated). They asked me if i wanted pre take off drinks or something as soon as we take off. So i ordered something. They also asked me what i wanted to eat and took my meal preference so wouldnt miss out.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

DYKHMIP. Don't you know how much I paid?

 

[kpc]

$0

 

[HockeyMonkey]

Retained WP for $4798.00 all on Qantas.

Do tell

 

[Ansett]

DSC and two flights to ASIA in J Via SYD

 

[HockeyMonkey]

Why chase the status? What is the real difference it will make to you?

My employer has a Y travel policy. Even at SG I’ve noticed a big improvement with seat selection, upgrade success rate etc.

Dubai F lounge is also nice, however not really worth paying thousands for a meal. If my work trips get me halfway, I’d likely leverage DSC promotions to get the rest of the way.

 

[cove]

About $7,000 each a year and we get from Perth to New York with stops in Sydney and Los Angeles.

 

[codash1099]

About $200. That was the cost of the flight that got me the last 20 SC's I needed to retain WP.