315 SC until I get Platinum Status...is it worth going for?

[Adelaide_Flyer]

Hi, first time thread maker here...

Over the past 11 months I have accumulated 1,085 SC, and need 315 more SC to get to Platinum Status...this will be my only chance to ever get to Platinum Status...

I can get 140 SC for approx $860, route being Adelaide - Sydney - Cairns - Sydney – Adelaide. Done twice, this would give me 280 SC for $1720, then a return flight to Port Lincoln from Adelaide. $441 for the last 40 SC...$2161 for 320 SC....

In the members’ opinions, is it worth the $$$ to get to Platinum Status?? I will be flying to the US next year, and possibly Xmas this year, so maybe Platinum Status might help with upgrades, plus the Business Lounges are nicer....

Is there any better/cheaper way of accruing the SC?

Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards.

Adelaide_Flyer

PS Additional SC required by 30 Nov 2011

 

[danih88]

Have you got enough points to do an Any Seat Award flight? This might help offset any costs to you.

With all the trouble recently, I would be interested to see if there are suddenly a large number of available flights as people may not wish to fly with Qantas in the immediate future.

As for the benefits of WP, you could consider the cost of not paying $400 for an annual QP membership as an offset.

Regards
Daniel

 

[Kangol]

As for the benefits of WP, you could consider the cost of not paying $400 for an annual QP membership as an offset.

Multiply that by two, as I understand you will get a "soft landing" to Gold the following year if you don't requalify WP - which gives you free QP and international partner lounge access due to OWS. Plus depending on your flying patterns you will get extra points bonuses due to WP status which if enough could then be used to further offset prices of future QP renewal, Y/JASAs, etc.

The other benefits are obviously things like being given higher preference for: upgrades, classic award availability, seat preferences and in the event of groundings or natural disasters and whatnot, higher preference to be put on the next available flight over those who don't have WP..

Your circumstances will be different to others, it has been said here previously that the question you should probably be asking yourself is: "Is it worth $x to gain WP over SG?"

 

[nonpop]

"Don't be a girlie man" .... "RUN! GO! GET TO DA CHOPPA!"

Seriously though, if you have the spare cash or points, then do it.
But keep in mind that earning SCs is a game and not to be taken seriously.

If you have some flying coming up with the family, then it is always a nice treat to have lounge access, especially internationally. If things go 'wrong' internationally, then the lounge access is heaven and really takes the stress out. Plus we use lounge access to get more out of our holiday i.e I try to select night flights back home so we get maximum day time holiday, then use the showers at the lounge and sleep the way home. And if on a Jet* 'business' class flight, it's nice to use a lounge and not have to pay their silly extra fee for lounge access.

The family always gets a thrill using the lounge, which is nice to see their faces smile vs Dad who is sick of lounges and who would rather be at home with the smiling family.

And I think it also depends on where you are looking to travel ... if EU or USA or SEA, then Plat (OWE) is worth having IMHO.

So if Plat is in reach, then reach away. Plus as some have said, the soft landing back to Gold is always a treat. And who knows, you may even get an extra year comp as plat.

 

[Hvr]

Heck, go for it. You only live once and if travelling overseas then there is no better time to do it. The F lounges alone are IMHO well worth it.


However, a word of warning. Once you've tasted the sweet nectar of joy of the F lounge then you never want to go back. Also, do realise that attaining WP is an achievement, retaining it is a commitment.

 

[N860CR]

You could go:

ADL-BNE in Y ($209)
BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN in J ($764)
NAN-SYD-ADL in J ($1080)

and that will net you 335SC for $2053 which might be a more interesting trip. It can be done with just the one night in NAN (about $60) or you could make a weekend of it. It always feels a bit nicer going overseas if you're just flying for the hell of it! Add on 2.25L of spirits at NAN prices and a carton of smokes (if that's your thing) and it turns into a nice little weekend away.

If I were that close... I think I'd probably go for it.

 

[Kangol]

You could go:
BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN in J ($764)
NAN-SYD-ADL in J ($1080)

Are those JASAs? Sounds too good to be true, I might give it a try!

 

[N860CR]

They're fully paid tickets. Nadi is the place to go for cheap status!

The way to do it is ex BNE as Qantas.com lets you route BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN for no extra cost.

 

[awilcockson]

They're fully paid tickets. Nadi is the place to go for cheap status!

The way to do it is ex BNE as Qantas.com lets you route BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN for no extra cost.

And make sure you book the return legs on Qantas - flights to Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia. Book airfares at qantas.com., NOT Qantas - flights to Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia. Book airfares at qantas.com.

 

[Fantic125]

IMHO for the amount of cost and effort involved I wouldn't bother.

If you fly a reasonable amount of international travel each year then it's nice to have access to the F Lounges in SYD & MEL, but if you're connecting to them with a direct flight from ADL you'll only get a few hours (and with some connections, none at all) in the F lounge. Return Int flights you're straight over to the Dom lounges anyway, and last Friday the SYD F lounge was busier than the J lounge (no showers available, & the all mens toilets had run out of toilet paper!
Went to the J lounge, & immediate access to a shower (and toilet paper) .

If flying mainly domestic, then the only benefit I would see would be the additional points. Additional upgrades; not likely, and IMHO there's not enough differentiation between J & F domestic lounges to make it worthwhile.

YMMV.

 

[cove]

I am going from Gold to Platinum based on JASAs as there is an email to Platinums saying they will have improved access to upgrades and improved points flight availability. I read my partners emails on that subject seeing she is Platinum.

 

[HW]

Heck, go for it. You only live once and if travelling overseas then there is no better time to do it. The F lounges alone are IMHO well worth it.


However, a word of warning. Once you've tasted the sweet nectar of joy of the F lounge then you never want to go back. Also, do realise that attaining WP is an achievement, retaining it is a commitment.

So true. And it reminds me a little of the Frasier episode where the two brothers glimpse the next highest tier door and strive to get there, only to find the last door is ... <spoiler withheld!>

 

[pauly7]

I am going from Gold to Platinum based on JASAs as there is an email to Platinums saying they will have improved access to upgrades and improved points flight availability. I read my partners emails on that subject seeing she is Platinum.

This is my main driver. I already see a big diff between Plat and Gold and I have points to burn so it is very useful.

 

[Anna]

Far from being upgraded, my experience as a new platinum has been disappointing - including being seated in 25B on a 737. Not exactly the "forward aisle" preference I was used to when I was gold.

The dom J lounges have not impressed me as being better than the normal QP (in fact they are distinctly dirtier in my opinion - food mess all over the floor on every visit), and there is no F lounge in my main port of departure so unless I want to add hours to the journey time, my time in F lounges will be limited.

I won't be making any effort to retain platinum unless there is a considerable improvement on QF's part.

DJ, on the other hand, actually seems to want my business, judging by the number of emails they send me to remind me what they can do for me.

 

[el_rooto]

IMO yes. I mainly do international flying, I find the F lounges to be substantially better than the J ones, the extra points are a bonus, the help you get when cough hits the fan is also better. The premium desk also works wonders. I've also had a few op-ups...

Also if doing a bit of Dom flying ex ports with J lounges, I find them to be a lot quieter than the QP's.

 

[serfty]

If you were in the USA, 315 SC's is easily obtainable for ~$550.

Of course, you'd need to get there first.

In reality, only you can decide if it's worth it.

 

[Inver]

And make sure you book the return legs on qantas .com.fj, NOT qantas. com

I still can't post links yet even in quotes

I'm a FF noob so apologies, what's the advantage of booking the return flight seperately, I thought one way flights are usually more expensive?

Should I be checking all future domestic and international flights or is this only effective for certain routes?

 

[simongr]

Having done the status chase I would actually say that $2K is not really worth it unless you do a lot of int'l whY travel. $2k is a lot of money - I spent about $800 doing mine (four rtn to CBR from SYD) and it has proved very valuable (although I have easily made PLAT the past couple of years it gave me a kick start).

 

[TonyHancock]

I personally wouldn't pay $2k to reach WP. As others have said WP status is probably most use when you are traveling internationally a fair bit. F check in and the F lounges are good, as is seat selection and express cards for customs/security.

For me the VA/DJ WP status is better domestically. Priority boarding and the four complimentary upgrades are of real value.

 

[NM]

I personally wouldn't pay $2k to reach WP. As others have said WP status is probably most use when you are traveling internationally a fair bit. F check in and the F lounges are good, as is seat selection and express cards for customs/security.

and F check-in and F lounge are not really much help for hose of us that do not commence our international trips from SYD or MEL