Just Short of Platinum Status

[jterra]

Hi
Im currently short 150 SC from platinum with my credits expiring April 30.

I have a trip planned SYD-AKL-SYD in april which will get me another 40 SC.

I will also be booking two trips to HKG this week for travel in May & June.

Whats the chance Qantas will allow me to hit the next status level - Platinum?

Any tips or advice will be appreciated.

Thanks

John

 

[oz_mark]

Hi
Im currently short 150 SC from platinum with my credits expiring April 30.

I have a trip planned SYD-AKL-SYD in april which will get me another 40 SC.

I will also be booking two trips to HKG this week for travel in May & June.

Whats the chance Qantas will allow me to hit the next status level - Platinum?

Qantas are quite strict on the initial qualification, so if you are gold now, almost no chance of them giving it to you without doing the flying.

 

[serfty]

G'day jterra, welcome to AFF.

As posted you will almost certainly need to earn the additional 110 SC's you would require.

If you want WP status you could do a "Mileage/SC RUN" or MR. It's up to you if the required additional expenditure is worth it.


Within Australia, it's hard to earn 110 SC's for less than $1000.

Were do you live?

If in SYD, you could fly during Easter SYD-CBR-SYD in J for $660 and earn 80 SC's. Then do SYD-MEL-CBR-SYD for $300 and another 30 SC's.

 

[munitalP]

Hi
Im currently short 150 SC from platinum with my credits expiring April 30.

...

Bad luck eh?

My advice, grab a few flights and earn the status....



Mr!

 

[Bundy Bear]

Wouldn't it be easier to do the following.

Upgrade your existing SYD-AKL-SYD I think thats total 80.

JQ Star Class SYD-MEL 40:

MEL-ADL 10 in Economy

ADL-SYD 20 taking the flights via MEL in economy.

I think that's it.

 

[JohnK]

Unfortunately Qantas has not been known to be kind in granting Platinum status if you have not qualified and do not already have Platinum status.

If you really want Platinum status then you will have to earn the 110 SCs which is not going to be cheap considering that the majority of April is considered a holiday period.

 

[munitalP]

6 x JetFlex AVV/SYD/AVV - $249 each leg, ($1491), $12.42 per SC - + 2 days car parking (AVV $40 per day, SYD don't know)

A simple question.... What is the OP's perception of being a WP and is it worth the $$$ ?

Mr!

 

[serfty]

... JQ Star Class SYD-MEL 40: ...

The cost of upgrading a discount economy fare SYD/AKL/SYD to full Y can be huge.

e.g. a Q fare has a one/way base price of $119, a Y fare's base is $891.

On a cost/SC ratio, they would be better off upgrading to a D class fare with a base of $1042 and an 80 SC earn each way.

 

[jterra]

Unfortunately Qantas has not been known to be kind in granting Platinum status if you have not qualified and do not already have Platinum status.

If you really want Platinum status then you will have to earn the 110 SCs which is not going to be cheap considering that the majority of April is considered a holiday period.

Just spoke to Qantas and they confirmed that unless i attain 1400 point by end of April i aint getting Platinum.

Thats frustrating as most i my travel has been in the last 6 months and im about to double it this year.

Oh well - so much for loyalty.
Thanks for your advice

 

[JohnK]

Thats frustrating as most i my travel has been in the last 6 months and im about to double it this year.

Oh well - so much for loyalty.

When I first made Platinum a couple of years ago I got exactly 1400 SCs through some creative routings and status runs. Even then I was going to be 50 SCs short so I scheduled a SYD-CBR return and a SYD-CBR-MEL-SYD and finally made it with about 4 days to spare.

Qantas has repaid that loyalty to me in the last couple of years over and over with a number of upgrades to business, including long haul, and changes to later flights for free when I have missed the flight. I just wish they could get their scheduling right so that their aircraft are not as late as they are now....

 

[oz_mark]

Just spoke to Qantas and they confirmed that unless i attain 1400 point by end of April i aint getting Platinum.

Thats frustrating as most i my travel has been in the last 6 months and im about to double it this year.

Oh well - so much for loyalty.
Thanks for your advice

Qantas publish the hurdle requires to attain Platinum and you either achieve it, or not. They are not generally known for handing out shortucts to getting status*. Problem is, you may know you will do enough travel next year, but Qantas make you do it rather than taking your say so.

It would be nice if they had a rolling calendar so that you could get status if you achieved it in any given twelve month period, but alas they don't.

(* Nothwithstanding the odd promotion that happens from time to time)

 

[nlagalle]

Just spoke to Qantas and they confirmed that unless i attain 1400 point by end of April i aint getting Platinum.

Thats frustrating as most i my travel has been in the last 6 months and im about to double it this year.

Oh well - so much for loyalty.
Thanks for your advice

I don't think them not giving you WP status is a sign of not showing loyalty. 110SC is still a way short.. they repay the loyalty to you once you get WP by lowering the requirement to re-qualify.

I fell short of Gold a couple of years ago by 120sc i didn't get upset because they wouldn't comp me up to Gold.

 

[Flashback]

I don't think them not giving you WP status is a sign of not showing loyalty. 110SC is still a way short.. they repay the loyalty to you once you get WP by lowering the requirement to re-qualify.

I fell short of Gold a couple of years ago by 120sc i didn't get upset because they wouldn't comp me up to Gold.

Unlike AA where the re-qual is the same every year

 

[JohnK]

Unlike AA where the re-qual is the same every year

Unless you do an AA Platinum Challenge.

 

[medhead]

If you end up doing a status run, please do consider CBR-ADL via SYD return. This is available, even during the peak holiday period of April for as low as $157 each way and earns 25 SC (about $6.30 per SC). Two of these return trips will get you 100 SC for $628.

But I did a few weekend dummy bookings and the connections are not looking good so a hotel stay might also be needed.

 

[Flashback]

Unless you do an AA Platinum Challenge.

I didn't think you were able to do that for requalification? Only to qualify.

 

[JohnK]

I didn't think you were able to do that for requalification? Only to qualify.

I guess you are right. You would have to drop back to AA Gold (or lower) and then do an AA Platinum Challenge.

 

[medhead]

I didn't think you were able to do that for requalification? Only to qualify.

I thought I read the restriction was that you can't do it in 2 consecutive years. Wouldn't that mean that you could do the challenge to requal for plat in year 3, provided you requal for plat in year 2, after doing the original challenge in year 1?

 

[tuapekastar]

I thought I read the restriction was that you can't do it in 2 consecutive years. Wouldn't that mean that you could do the challenge to requal for plat in year 3, provided you requal for plat in year 2, after doing the original challenge in year 1?

This from the AA Wiki on FT does not exactly clear this up:

"Repeating a Challenge
Challenges may not be repeated back to back from one year to the next - that is, you may not use a challenge to requalify. If you do not requalify within the year, you will be downgraded one level, either to gold or no status. At the end of the downgraded year, you may complete the challenge again to regain your original status. (This info provided by AAdvantage rep on 10/10/2006.)"

I suspect if you've already requalified in the traditional fashion (ie. BIS) since the original challenge then you could challenge again to keep Platinum. But I am by no means sure!