QF Platinum Recognition on flights

[SYD]

Of all the benefits of being a WP …. this is one I couldn’t give two stuffs about!

Sometimes they say hi, sometimes they don’t. Couldn’t care less either way.

If the ‘welcome’ came with some Dom Perignon or an upgrade to first, sure have at it! But “Hi, thanks for being WP” … my ego doesn’t need it.

That’s your chance to ask for a glass of bubbles if sitting down the back!

But as mentioned above, getting a greeting on Dom, it’s VERY rare but 90+ % likely on QFi.

Yesterday, we also had drinks and meal orders taken first flying QFi J.

I’ve flown 8x CX J flights this year, and yes they’re very good a greeting QF WPs. AS, AA, BA, IB - never or rarely. QR they generally say hello to everyone in the J cabin. Been a while but I recall being greeted on AY and JL. Don’t recall anything on MH and haven’t flown FJ since full OW membership.

 

[gaz0303]

I swapped seats with my wife on an AY flight. She got the special welcome and I got to sit behind having a laugh at her puzzled response. Second flight I swapped seats with my child and that caused more confusion for the bursar who ended up just walking away.

 

[mbe1510]

Even as a lowly Gold I'm impressed by how Emirates looks after you.
In Y I've always been greeted on every flight and in some cases my multiple crew. Certainly not uncommon to get a drink or meal ahead of everyone else.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’m not a fan of greetings… but I don’t have to worry as a lowly silver!

But if I’m ever next to a person who gets all smug with their greeting I casually mention that my [Chairman’s Lounge, Diamond, Global Services, other-airline-top-tier] membership has ‘strictly no greeting’ marked in the profile

 

[fletty]

I’m not a fan of greetings… but I don’t have to worry as a lowly silver!

But if I’m ever next to a person who gets all smug with their greeting I casually mention that my [Chairman’s Lounge, Diamond, Global Services, other-airline-top-tier] membership has ‘strictly no greeting’ marked in the profile

A warm greeting can be nice but when it's over the top I find it cringey.

I had a QF J flight from SYD to BNE and the CSM said when offering the meal "Now Mr Fletty our PLATINUM frequent flyer tonight".
She said it so loud I wanted to curl up and die
They did give me a bottle of red to take when we arrived though so that made it worth it.

 

[DrJ]

I have come to see that for the most part "plat is the new bronze" since covid, and therefore expect nothing, that way it's a nice surprise when it occasionally happens, as was the case on QF34 a week ago when CSM Adam treated me like a king.
Frankly, for me, QF getting their soft product standards in J back to the 2019 level on regular PER flights, is a higher priority.

 

[GDSman]

Even as a lowly Gold I'm impressed by how Emirates looks after you.
In Y I've always been greeted on every flight and in some cases my multiple crew. Certainly not uncommon to get a drink or meal ahead of everyone else.

Agree - I flew DXB-DUB in Y with EK as SG and received 3 personalised welcomes...totally confused the mostly Irish people around me who wondered which celeb I was...

 

[Flyerwin]

Int Y or J usually yes, the FSD come say to say hi.
Domestic Y basically a welcome back only. Domestic J yes.

 

[Invisible Monkey]

I'm Platinum and I've found Cathay are much more consistent and go to more effort compared to Qantas. Nine times out of ten I received a personal greeting on my flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong in both directions (I've done 12 this year, 11 of the flights in Y ) and there's usually a bottle of water waiting on my seat with a blanket and pillow.

I've flown the same number of flights Melbourne to Hong Kong and back this year - most flights booked in Y but upgraded to business using points - and I've had personal in-seat greetings on most of the flights and had my meal order taken before most others in the cabin. Quality of service differs widely from crew to crew as does the professionalism and warmness.

I don't fly domestic that often but based on past experience, the personal greeting is a rarity unless the flight is quiet.

 

[MelbFlyer]

The last time I flew QF, I was Bronze (now am Silver thanks to the ground status credits program, woohoo lol ) - I was in business and the only real greeting / chat was during meal service time when the CSM Roger (who was excellent BTW) had a quick chat with everyone whilst he was serving entrees.

For me, even if I was a Platinum member (which I'd never travel enough to even get to, even Gold would be a stretch), I think the most I'd want soft service wise is a quick hello, welcome back, then a short chat when serving food (if in business). How much more would you want? A D&M with the crew?

 

[TeaKozy]

CX and QR are unbelievably consistent (Y and J) for OWE's, not just in terms of recognition from the purser (which I couldn't care less about) but also taking meal and drink orders regardless of cabin class. QR I found to be incredibly programmatic, however CX seemed genuine and sincere, especially when you engaged with the more senior staff (what I seemed to remember pre-COVID).

QF differs - long-haul J as both WP and P1 I've always been asked first for my order (and watched the crew subsequently darting about the cabin, presumably based on status), however domestic and trans-Tasman was a toss up. In Y? Forgetaboutit. That said, some of the most human encounters have been with the Aussie long-haul crew - many years ago, I distinctly remember flying to LAX with a colleague whose upgrade had cleared to J but I was down the back in PE on the 380. Crew invited me to join him (and as it turned out Dave Hughes) in the front lounge/cabin/whatever it's called - and were super apologetic when asking me to leave because too many of us ended up camping out up front. Even offered to find me when some of the other passengers vacated, but by that point I was fast asleep. Some of the best places to explore have come from conversations where I've wondered up front/down back.

If it came down to getting the meal service started quicker, or a personal greeting, I can assure you which I'd rather (that said, QFi meals are hardly anything to write home about).

 

[RooFlyer]

A welcome on any airline where the CSM stands by your seat, peers into the iPad or whatever, peers some more and then addresses you is hardly worth it I think. It’s embarrassing just to sit there knowing that they haven’t a clue and then they’re trying to be an sincere and welcoming.

By far away my best greeting was on Lufthansa funny enough, in business with no status. The CSM came up with no iPad or anything, welcomed me by name straight off and then all the FA’s addressed me by name effortlessly throughout the flight.

 

[Mrsfefe]

No special greeting, but we also ( both WP) had our meal orders taken first on a late evening QFd flight ( J row 3). Still served according to row, which was fine.

 

[downgraded]

a personal greeting from numerous staff and have a short conversation

How does this enhance the flight or the experience? If the bot says go make inane platitudes does it really enhance the flight? If it leads to subsequent enhanced service perhaps some benefit but otherwise?

 

[SYD]

How does this enhance the flight or the experience? If the bot says go make inane platitudes does it really enhance the flight? If it leads to subsequent enhanced service perhaps some benefit but otherwise?

If I’m sitting in whY and handed better headphones and a “glass” (or three) of J wine, that enhances my experience a lot.

 

[Princess Fiona]

My recent experiences are
QF D 50% QF Link almost never. I don’t count the welcome back Princess Fiona on boarding.
QF I 99%
CX 100%
QR 25% J, 100% Y based on the one Y flight I took this year. The young Aussie couple sat next to me were quite puzzled
AA 0%
BA can’t say as the majority of my BA flights have had my BA Gold in there
JL 100%

 

[PERLHR]

BA Gold..(one world emerald)....I have been greeted heartedly by X3 male CSDs on QF 737s going across to SYD twice and once to ADL with hand shake. Also with AY even when right down the back on a A321 to LHR from HEL. Always greeted when on QR . When on JL and MH get normal greeting (in biz cabin) as all others...

 

[NSun]

With CX and EK it is always consistent even in economy. With BA and AA, I've never got one.

On Qantas, never on domestic flights. I always get it in F, J and Y...but not always in Y+ because it is deferred to the CSS rather than CSM and they sometimes forget in this post-COVID era where only platinums in Y+ get a greeting vs everyone.

 

[Lowjhg]

ive gotten it once or twice on MH, but I found QF Intl services a bit spot on more for greetings, especially in Y

That said, having EK SG vs QF WP on EK services were a world of difference! With EK SG on the BP I was the centre of attention. With QF WP on it, the experience was pretty ordinary. Then again it’s F service and is still better than J, W or Y regardless of FFP used.

 

[Traveller X]

Last year, I had an interesting experience with EK flights.:

We flew from DXB to CAI in Y.
I was in window seat. (QF Platinum)
And my travel companion is middle seat. (QF Gold)
Another passenger was in aisle seat. (EK or QF Gold).

A crew came around and greeted my travel companion, and then the passenger in the aisel seat.
But I did not get anything. We thought it is a new strategy by EK?