Why arent "Top-up SC's" made available?

[MartinMemo]

So ive been thinking; Qantas gives you the ability to by top up points if you are just short of an award up to a certain percent, so why isn't something like this offered for SC's?

I see a lot of status run posts on here where people take pointless flights to re-qualify for their status, and it just doesn't make sense to me. I'm the first to admit, ive done MEL-BNE-MEL-SYD-MEL rather than MEL-BNE-SYD-MEL to get the few extra, as well as getting VA to move me onto a Via SYD flight when any of my MEL-BNE/BNE-MEL are cancelled, but is it really worth it to the airline to force people to jump on a return trip for no other reason than to re-qualify?

Wouldn't offering top-up SC's not only allow them to profit, but also sell the otherwise occupied seat to another customer? I cant be the only one thinking this.

 

[ckck]

Just my thoughts... methinks that SC's reflect more about time spent "bum in seat" on a plane flying somewhere as opposed to FF points that can be purchased and then used for anything from a JASA to an upgrade request to a toaster from the rewards store.

As far as purchasing SC's if you don't have the points, buy the points and then go on a JASA to get the SC's.

Also points can be earned from flying or you may never step on a plane but you shop at WOW every week and with your EDR card you have managed to collect a mass of points with which you can buy a new coffee machine that you have your heart set on.

I see points and SC's as two completely different things. SC's reflect how much you actually fly and points while you can earn a lot flying I am sure there are people out there who have a stash of points purely from credit card spend and by shopping loyally with one company e.g. WOW.

Just my 2c.

 

[MartinMemo]

I completely get it, but if you are gold or WP, and just shy of re-qualifying, does it make sense to make you fly or lose it? Not suggesting you should be able to jump a level by simply buying SC's, just not actually having to get in a plane to make up for 40 or 60 missing SCs

 

[Danger]

As ckck noted, status credits are about flying. There is already a plethora of options to earn QFF points; the last thing we need is people being able to buy status such that your (above) average Joe and Jane who put their multi-million dollar business's bills on their fancy FF earning credit card then being able to buy status that gives them better access to the limited number of awards.

Status is for those who fly and it should stay that way.

 

[bass_ke]

Gotta agree with the previous posts, SC's are about bum in seat time.

If I need to do a status run it helps that I quite enjoy flying and planespotting!

 

[knightman7]

Can't agree more. Status would be worthless if it could be bought. It's a reward for all the countless hrs spent with bums on seats. I would immediately cease flying with any airline or alliance that allowed SCs to be purchased.

 

[MartinMemo]

As someone new to the game ive worked very hard the last 6 months to get my status up. Im now stuck in a position where gold is close but I want to delay it till after xmas, because i know if i get it before xmas i will always fall just shy of re-qualifying without having to throw in an extra flight or two (based on my normal trips). it just seems frustrating to think that in the future if i do fall just short its either get on a flight, or earn it back again at 500, not 400.

 

[knightman7]

What do you mean? I think you may be mistaken on a crucial point. If you achieve SG during your membership year, then you get to keep it until the end of your current period plus the following full year, not the date on which you achieved it.

 

[ckck]

I completely get it, but if you are gold or WP, and just shy of re-qualifying, does it make sense to make you fly or lose it? Not suggesting you should be able to jump a level by simply buying SC's, just not actually having to get in a plane to make up for 40 or 60 missing SCs

Not having those 40-60 SC's means that you do not retain your tier of status e.g. Gold, Platinum and therefore unless you are "gifted" a requalification you rightly should drop down to the new lower tier that you have earned.

I am just a SG and while I understand that a WP should have priority over me when say an upgrade request has been placed but I would be very peeved if a fellow SG who "purchased their SC's" was upgraded over me who had done the required time bum in seat. Yes I know that I would probably never know that I had been pipped by someone who had purchased their status but the last thing I need as a self funded traveller is to be competing with a multi million dollar company who can afford to buy staff members a few SC's just to get them into competition for my rewards.

 

[MartinMemo]

I am just a SG and while I understand that a WP should have priority over me when say an upgrade request has been placed but I would be very peeved if a fellow SG who "purchased their SC's" was upgraded over me who had done the required time bum in seat. Yes I know that I would probably never know that I had been pipped by someone who had purchased their status but the last thing I need as a self funded traveller is to be competing with a multi million dollar company who can afford to buy staff members a few SC's just to get them into competition for my rewards.

.

That's a very good point - I did think about people "purchasing" status though, which in my opinion would be pointless as you could just by a J class ticket.

I will probably feel completely different this time next year when I am stressing about re-qualifying and forcing myself onto non-direct flights and status runs...

 

[MartinMemo]

What do you mean? I think you may be mistaken on a crucial point. If you achieve SG during your membership year, then you get to keep it until the end of your current period plus the following full year, not the date on which you achieved it.

I am VA - It was my belief that if i hit gold I get instantly upgraded and my review date changes to the date i qualified.

 

[knightman7]

Ah, I'm sorry. I read Qantas in your post and assumed you were referring to QFF.

 

[MartinMemo]

Nah, just generally speaking.

 

[ckck]

.

That's a very good point - I did think about people "purchasing" status though, which in my opinion would be pointless as you could just by a J class ticket.

I will probably feel completely different this time next year when I am stressing about re-qualifying and forcing myself onto non-direct flights and status runs...

When you start getting rewards, seats in more forward rows, more FF points as your tier goes up i.e. WP earns more FFP than a SG for the same leg, lounge access and all the other bonii that comes with increased status I think you will start to think differently about SC's and the status that comes with it. Once you have done the hard yards (not so hard in my case as I quite enjoy flying) and if you make the trip up the status tree come back to your original question and see how differently you think about it.

 

[bass_ke]

The last status run I did I witnessed a beautiful sunrise out of the OOL lounge, tucked into pancakes and a delicious coffee, another coffee in the SYD lounge before a stroll around the airport with my daughter and a quick falafel wrap before our flight back home.

We could of also made a day and got a ride in the harbour.

Make a status run fun!

Take a mate and enjoy the peroni on tap in SYD!

 

[MartinMemo]

When you start getting rewards, seats in more forward rows, more FF points as your tier goes up i.e. WP earns more FFP than a SG for the same leg, lounge access and all the other bonii that comes with increased status I think you will start to think differently about SC's and the status that comes with it. Once you have done the hard yards (not so hard in my case as I quite enjoy flying) and if you make the trip up the status tree come back to your original question and see how differently you think about it.

I ended up buying lounge for $300- as it was worth it the first month alone, and i can check in to row 6 on 737's now, so it is all starting to fall into place. I guess its just this one last thing. I suppose whenever i'm in row 6 i am wishing i was in 5 or 4 or 3...

 

[MartinMemo]

The last status run I did I witnessed a beautiful sunrise out of the OOL lounge, tucked into pancakes and a delicious coffee, another coffee in the SYD lounge before a stroll around the airport with my daughter and a quick falafel wrap before our flight back home.

We could of also made a day and got a ride in the harbour.

Make a status run fun!

Take a mate and enjoy the peroni on tap in SYD!

Ok, im actually almost 100% sold now. Take a flight to see mum and pretend it was just to see her, not (mainly)for the SC's... that sort of thing.

 

[bass_ke]

AFF meets make a good excuse for a status run as well!

 

[brett-au]

I'm going to swim against the current and say I'm with you startawar. I see little point of burning fossil fuels and taking seats from others who actually want to go from A to B, just to retain/gain a status level.

On the other hand, I see little difference in using points to buy status credits (as long as they are points acquired through flying and not other means) and getting a cheap/free upgrade and demanding the extra status credits/points. If you have to fly the miles to get the SC, then ODU and comps should also be excluded. Same goes to buying a seat with points and getting SC.

But I'm clearly in the minority.

 

[nlagalle]

The closest people have gotten to getting SC's without flying was when Virgin brought out their Credit card and you got up to 200sc's based on your status. that and family pooling.

Personally I think you should earn the SC's from bum in seat flying, but not by buying them. mind you the cost to buy them could very well be the same as just taking the flight!