Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do???

[striking]

Well,

I fly between 2-4 domestic flight each week, I have already re-qaualified for Platinum Velocity and my review date is not until March 2014. Also sitting on 400 FF Points with them and have gifted Gold to my partner.

I am a Qantas Red, as I rarely fly with them, but the lustre of Virgin is starting to wear off. Should I start flying on Qantas metal and build up my SC there and gain access to Star alliance network or just keep flying virgin and maximising my FF points?

Only plans I have are to take my wife to Paris next May for our Anniversary using points to upgrade to business return for each of us.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[cove]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Virgin has a tie up with Etihad to get you to Europe.
Qantas is tied up with Cathay, Emirates and Malaysian in One World for getting you to Europe.

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Hi @Cove, yes I flew J return on VA/EY last year, great experience on the VA metal out of AUH. But is there any benefit to keep points and SC's to virgin? If they had a Platinum1 then I would without hesitation, but I like to see some kind of return for my flying, maybe QF Gold?

 

[JohnK]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

I am a Qantas Red, as I rarely fly with them, but the lustre of Virgin is starting to wear off. Should I start flying on Qantas metal and build up my SC there and gain access to Star alliance network or just keep flying virgin and maximising my FF points?

Qantas is part of Oneworld but there is no harm in building up status for domestic flights.

Only plans I have are to take my wife to Paris next May for our Anniversary using points to upgrade to business return for each of us.

Your Velocity points will not allow you to upgrade flights on other airlines so you will need to use Velocity points for a business class award with one of their partners such as Etihad or Singapore airlines. Could be expensive way of getting there though.

 

[esquire]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Well,

I fly between 2-4 domestic flight each week, I have already re-qaualified for Platinum Velocity and my review date is not until March 2014. Also sitting on 400 FF Points with them and have gifted Gold to my partner.

I am a Qantas Red, as I rarely fly with them, but the lustre of Virgin is starting to wear off. Should I start flying on Qantas metal and build up my SC there and gain access to Star alliance network or just keep flying virgin and maximising my FF points?

I think you have answered your own question - you are silly to waste excess SC - I was in the opposite boat - I made Plat1 with QF but had 3 months before the next renewal - I shifted 75% of these weeks flying to VA and achieved Platinum (much easier on VA!). It gives me coverage if I need to fly VA (or their partner airlines) - for example if a client books flights for me or VA has better scheduling or is significantly cheaper, or QF don't fly there (like a recent trip to Cocos Is and Napier). And having OW status with lounge access overseas is a great benefit especially if things don't always go to plan.

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

JohnK, I can use points to upgrade BNE-AUH though which is 15 hours and great in a lie-flat bed. So are you saying that from AUH-Paris will require the purchase of a Business ASA? with points? I have never done a JASA as I thought they were not great value for money, always just done Flexi-J upgrades.

Seems it may be worthwhile exploring Qantas as I was not aware of the upgrade restrictions on Virgin. I will not earn enough FF points though the the europre trip by next may as I only have 17k ff points

Current Status:BronzeStatus credits earned from 01 Sep 2012:20Additional Status credits required by 31 Aug 2013 to attain Silver:280Qantas segments flown:1

​

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

@esquire, your thoughts mirror my own. It's going to be hard starting at the bottom again though

 

[JohnK]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

JohnK, I can use points to upgrade BNE-AUH though which is 15 hours and great in a lie-flat bed. So are you saying that from AUH-Paris will require the purchase of a Business ASA? with points? I have never done a JASA as I thought they were not great value for money, always just done Flexi-J upgrades.

You are right. You will be able to upgrade Virgin Australia flights only with Velocity points.

Have you looked at what it will cost for 2 x business class awards BNE-CDG? If you already have 400,000+ Velocity points and potential to earn more between now and next year then this may well be the way to go.

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Yeh, 1 person 1 way is

539200 or 526600 and 100.37
$

Makes it very expensive and not viable. As it is over 2million velocity points unless I am doing something wrong?​

 

[madrooster]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

JohnK, I can use points to upgrade BNE-AUH though which is 15 hours and great in a lie-flat bed.

You can't use VA points to upgrade BNE-AUH which is EY operated.

 

[Gogo65]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Yeh, 1 person 1 way is

539200 or 526600 and 100.37
$

Makes it very expensive and not viable. As it is over 2million velocity points unless I am doing something wrong?​

Not sure where you got that figure from, it I just looked for dates for May 2014 syd-CDG and it is 125000 one way in business, so 500k return for 2.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

.... Should I start flying on Qantas metal and build up my SC there and gain access to Star alliance network.....
(<snip>
using points to upgrade to business return for each of us.

Qantas are a member of the oneworld alliance (not star). Qantas has a lot more partner airlines than VA.

Upgrades are only for flights marketed (flight number) & operated (metal) using points / miles of that airline. With other FFP's there a few exceptions, but none that apply or QF or VA.

You are better getting a full business award to Paris. Or a paid flight to Asia/wherever and then and an award flight Or to London then the chunnel train to Paris

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

@Gogo65 - Not sure what I am doing different to you, I just did SYD-CDG and come up with just over 2mil points for 2.

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

You can't use VA points to upgrade BNE-AUH which is EY operated.

@Madrooster, I flew BNE-AUH last September on a flight that was operated by VA and upgraded to Business. Are VA no longer running this route?

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Qantas are a member of the oneworld alliance (not star). Qantas has a lot more partner airlines than VA.

Upgrades are only for flights marketed (flight number) & operated (metal) using points / miles of that airline. With other FFP's there a few exceptions, but none that apply or QF or VA.

You are better getting a full business award to Paris. Or a paid flight to Asia/wherever and then and an award flight Or to London then the chunnel train to Paris

@Mwenenzi, say I get to Singapore, how then to I get a Business Award using Velocity points if it they are only available on VA operated flights?

 

[Jack_OC]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

I think you have answered your own question - you are silly to waste excess SC

The other way of looking at it is - if you start flying QF now, you waste your existing VA Platinum status.

 

[Jack_OC]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

@Madrooster, I flew BNE-AUH last September on a flight that was operated by VA and upgraded to Business. Are VA no longer running this route?

Do you mean via SYD? AFAIK, VA have only ever flown to AUH from SYD.

 

[Jack_OC]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

@Mwenenzi, say I get to Singapore, how then to I get a Business Award using Velocity points if it they are only available on VA operated flights?

You can use Velocity points to get award flights on other airlines, but you can only use them for upgrades on VA operated flights.

 

[striking]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Do you mean via SYD? AFAIK, VA have only ever flown to AUH from SYD.

Jack3193, no direct BNE-AUH, I just checked and this flight is still available and operated by VA.

 

[Jack_OC]

Re: Already Re-qualified for Platinum with my renew date March 2014. No what do I do?

Jack3193, no direct BNE-AUH, I just checked and this flight is still available and operated by VA.

Really? I can't find this flight on their website. What's the flight number?