Is Qantas Platinum Status too easy to earn?

[FxTrader]

Re: [Repudiated by QF] QF removing Any Seat Awards (ASA) from 08 April

Things I would like to see with respect to WP qualification (and for all other elites as well) -

a) eliminate all DSC promotions. Some are getting two a year!
b) 50% of your required SC (earn/retain) must be earned on QF/JQ services (including codeshares).
c) be very strict on who gets 'comped' to/retains WP. At the moment QF throwing status away if what has been posted on this forum is correct.

This would get rid of the less valuable WP without adversely effecting those who have truly earned WP status. Also stops the KUPP runs on AA.

700 QF metal SCs + 700 other OW SCs to qualify WP.
600 QF metal SCs + 600 other OW SCs to retain WP.
No "~"s needed.

Works for me.

 

[amaroo]

Do you really think QF do not know that is going on?

Think what you want!

Very many examples throughout AFF where members have generously posted about success in earning points.......EDR, XS cards, ATO earn, etc, etc. They all get shut down or tighten up to a point where they are useless.

 

[medhead]

2) FLounge runs on very low cost JQ domestic flights that leave from the QF International terminal in Mel / Syd.

I guess they haven't implemented that solution because not everyone gets dirt cheap JQ flights, even if some do. Not to mention that the more obvious solution is to remove F lounge access on JQ flights. Or stop the JQ tag flights, which they are doing to some extent.

 

[oz_mark]

In my own personal opinion if it means that Platinum benefits would be retained or even increased by increasing the qualification levels then I am all for it.

What qualification level do you propose, and why do you propose that level?

 

[JohnK]

Be careful of what you wish for ...

If you don't believe we are already on that path then I am hallucinating.

Seriously....

 

[Kangol]

1) ATA being abused
Solution: Remove ATA

Possible future areas of WP change:

1) WP from a single AA SC run at maybe $4k cost and very little $ spent on QF metal.
Solution: Set a min SC earn on QF metal as was done for P1.

It's on QF flight numbers, not metal. In theory you could get to P1 without setting foot on a Qantas plane.

FWIW, ATA is still unofficially occurring. In dom lounges. By this I mean all the WPs (and SGs) who flash their FF card to enter the lounge without the dragon scanning it.

This doesn't happen at all lounges, but I cannot remember the last time in MEL that I had my card scanned in the past couple of years.

 

[JohnK]

Re: [Repudiated by QF] QF removing Any Seat Awards (ASA) from 08 April

I can't make sense of that one. Perhaps its my logical bent. Cue the Philosophers.

Last September I was downgraded from Virgin Platinum to Gold and with some cheap business class flights, using up the 4 complimentary upgrades on cheap flexible airfares and the cheap OOL-SYD flights on offer I decided to try and maintain Gold for another year.

Let's just say that is has been one disappointment after another including the Embraer "non" business class, the Sabre downgrade including seating stuff ups and the woeful cabin crew.

The last straw was a couple of weeks ago on a SYD-OOL flight when I was last to board and I had a laptop bag and was seated in 4D. I could have put the bag under the seat in front but checked for overhead locker space. None above. So asked cabin crew if I could put it above business class.

"Noooooo. That is for business class passengers only!" was her response. "There is some space over there" pointing behind me above row 5 or 6.

Wow! "No thanks" and put bag under the seat in front. The bag is a struggle to get down there and it does leave a little less legroom. But no problem. By the way there was only 1 person in business class.

When we were disembarking 3 economy class passengers in row 3 collected 4-5 bags from the overhead bins above business class. :shock: Business class only my @rse. There was still a heap of room in the overhead bin and my bag would have easily fit and not inconvenienced anyone.

I do not appreciate being spoken to like a child. And she must have thought I was stupid when she fed me the line about "business class passengers only". Am I really that dumb that I would forget or maybe I would not see from row 4? I should have made some remark when I was disembarking but held my cool.

Apologies for the rant....

 

[FxTrader]

It's on QF flight numbers, not metal. In theory you could get to P1 without setting foot on a Qantas plane.

FWIW, ATA is still unofficially occurring. In dom lounges. By this I mean all the WPs (and SGs) who flash their FF card to enter the lounge without the dragon scanning it.

This doesn't happen at all lounges, but I cannot remember the last time in MEL that I had my card scanned in the past couple of years.

Must be the outer colony / fringe lounge dragons are "by the book" kind of people or they don't get so much traffic as in the big smoke and so asking to SEE the BP gives them something to do.

Will however agree Mel is just a flash of the WP card.
Helps to look the part as well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: [Repudiated by QF] QF removing Any Seat Awards (ASA) from 08 April

business class[/B] passengers only!" was her response. "There is some space over there" pointing behind me above row 5 or 6.

but that space IS for business class. You should not expect to have access to that part of the aircraft. Maybe the crew thought you might need something out of the bag during flight?

Equally as important as preserving benefits for platinums so is preserving benefits for premium passengers. Premium pax don't want to see their benefits diluted if anyone can access the cabin and take their space and privacy. Anyone is free to purchase a seat in a premium cabin if they wish.

 

[Happy Trails]

Qantas will decide who becomes platinum and the circumstances in which they earn it.

 

[drsmithy]

Re: [Repudiated by QF] QF removing Any Seat Awards (ASA) from 08 April

The last straw was a couple of weeks ago on a SYD-OOL flight when I was last to board and I had a laptop bag and was seated in 4D. I could have put the bag under the seat in front but checked for overhead locker space. None above. So asked cabin crew if I could put it above business class.

One can only imagine what this post would look like if you were the one guy in business complaining about economy passengers coming up to the front to store their bags.

 

[JohnK]

What qualification level do you propose, and why do you propose that level?

My suggestion was 2,100 SCs to attain Platinum and 1,800 SCs to retain Platinum which is 50% above current levels.

It does sound a little high when you think about it but that level may weed out some of the people that go for Platinum simply because they have received their 2nd double SCs offer in 6 months and Platinum sounds too good to be true. Well eventually it does sound too good to be true as benefits are diluted.

I believe there should be a sizeable gap between Platinum and Gold not just in qualification levels but in benefits as well.

YMMV!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I believe there should be a sizeable gap between Platinum and Gold not just in qualification levels but in benefits as well.

YMMV!

just as there should be a sizeable gap between the benefits of business and economy class on the plane which should be enforced?

 

[ashleyn]

As someone who took 25 years to attain WP for the first time ever I totally disagree with the suggestion that it is too easy to reach. There is clearly a vast difference in the amount of flying by members on this forum and some can attain WP in 3 months of 'normal' flying. Those folks and I assume the OP is one of them might think that it is just too easy but I suspect there are many, many more who may never reach that level and certainly struggle to maintain it. I think the current levels are a good balance.

 

[JohnK]

Equally as important as preserving benefits for platinums so is preserving benefits for premium passengers. Premium pax don't want to see their benefits diluted if anyone can access the cabin and take their space and privacy. Anyone is free to purchase a seat in a premium cabin if they wish.

just as there should be a sizeable gap between the benefits of business and economy class on the plane which should be enforced?

I agree with you about Platinum benefits but she had no idea what status I had with Virgin. Just like I am sure the status of the passengers in row 3 was not checked when they put their bags in the overheads bins above business class.

As for business class I do not agree they deserve exclusive use of the overhead bins or the toilet. If the overhead bins are going to remain empty then why not use them?

This would not/does not happen on Qantas. The cabin crew could not be more helpful if I ever ask for assistance in finding space for my bag in front of where I am sitting not behind me somewhere. And when I am in row 23 on a 767 and the last to board I open the overhead bin just above row 5 and put my laptop bag in it.

And the cabin crew do not come rushing down the aisle shouting "business class passengers only". This where the term professionalism comes to mind and Virgin cabin crew are far from it.

 

[fersea]

Re: [Repudiated by QF] QF removing Any Seat Awards (ASA) from 08 April

but that space IS for business class. You should not expect to have access to that part of the aircraft. Maybe the crew thought you might need something out of the bag during flight?

Equally as important as preserving benefits for platinums so is preserving benefits for premium passengers. Premium pax don't want to see their benefits diluted if anyone can access the cabin and take their space and privacy. Anyone is free to purchase a seat in a premium cabin if they wish.

JohnK aren't you the person who started a thread that went for pages and pages about you not getting the full business class experience on Virgin, including something about no curtain separating you from economy class?

Surely you can't have it both ways. In one breath you are saying that business class should be exclusive and deny others then when you are denied something because they reserved it for business class then that is wrong too.

i flew Virgin a couple of times recently and was near the front of economy (was able to choose those seats when I checked in - not something I can normally do with Qantas) and was quite impressed however one thing I did find ridiculous was the rule about the front toilet. On the first flight there was 2 people in business and on the second flight there was one. I think it is a but silly to force everyone else to use the back toilets. I would expect that the flight attendants wouldn't really like it either because with Virgin now serving complimentary food and drink ( at least to Canberra they do) it means that everyone has to push past the meal trolley rather than going straight forward after the trolley has passed.

 

[FxTrader]

My suggestion was 2,100 SCs to attain Platinum and 1,800 SCs to retain Platinum which is 50% above current levels.

It does sound a little high when you think about it but that level may weed out some of the people that go for Platinum simply because they have received their 2nd double SCs offer in 6 months and Platinum sounds too good to be true. Well eventually it does sound too good to be true as benefits are diluted.

I believe there should be a sizeable gap between Platinum and Gold not just in qualification levels but in benefits as well.

YMMV!

It is called Qantas Platinum and not OW Platinum with 4 x QF "~"s.
So to fly the flag I suggest the following:

To Obtain QF Platinum:
700 SCs on QF/JQ METAL and 700 SCs on whatever else QF gives out SCs for.

To Retain QF Platinum:
600 SCs on QF/JQ METAL and 600 SCs on whatever else QF gives out SCs for.

If that violates the OW SC earn rules then QF needs to talk to OW about how QF Platinums need to be QF Platinums and not OW Platinums with 4 QF "~"s. Then just maybe as QF Platinums will have shown true loyalty to QF, we WPs will get some QF Love, Respect and maybe a few old benefits returned.

 

[fersea]

I agree with you about Platinum benefits but she had no idea what status I had with Virgin. Just like I am sure the status of the passengers in row 3 was not checked when they put their bags in the overheads bins above business class.

As for business class I do not agree they deserve exclusive use of the overhead bins or the toilet. If the overhead bins are going to remain empty then why not use them?

This would not/does not happen on Qantas. The cabin crew could not be more helpful if I ever ask for assistance in finding space for my bag in front of where I am sitting not behind me somewhere. And when I am in row 23 on a 767 and the last to board I open the overhead bin just above row 5 and put my laptop bag in it.

And the cabin crew do not come rushing down the aisle shouting "business class passengers only". This where the term professionalism comes to mind and Virgin cabin crew are far from it.

I think in the case you are talking about the pax probably got away with using the business class lockers because the FA missed it rather than any other sort of conspiracy.

Why on earth would you put your bag in row 5 when you are seated in row 23? You just said yourself the staff will always find you a spot if your locker is full.

 

[JohnK]

IMHO, this is the worst thread I've seen on AFF...........this stuff is the last thing QF need to see.

That is extremely unfair.

Think what you want!

Very many examples throughout AFF where members have generously posted about success in earning points.......EDR, XS cards, ATO earn, etc, etc. They all get shut down or tighten up to a point where they are useless.

If Qantas wanted to see what was going on then my spin-off thread is not the solution to their problems.

Just take one look at the Qantas frequent flyer forum and 2 of the stickies are

Firstly the thread on how do I book a J any seat award at classic levels with the best possible suggestions on how to maximise SCs earn for the least amount of QFF points and $.

Secondly the thread on best status run options - a quick overview.

Then any number of threads on double SCs offers for this and double SCs offers for that and even a thread about double SCs offer webpages before they were even ready to be launched.

All of the above make attaining Platinum status very easy and Qantas has not attempted to shut any of these avenues down. And you think my spin-off thread is going to bring down the sky?

 

[JohnK]

I think in the case you are talking about the pax probably got away with using the business class lockers because the FA missed it rather than any other sort of conspiracy.

Maybe they did. I don't know.

Why on earth would you put your bag in row 5 when you are seated in row 23? You just said yourself the staff will always find you a spot if your locker is full.

Row 5 is immediately in front of row 23 on a 767!