Another question about Family Pooling ....

[ferntree]

I'll try to keep this simple.

I have a fair number of status credits (easily exceeding the requirement to keep platinum) for our current "Velocity year." My partner has none.

We have a number of flights coming up together. If before these we take out family pooling with myself as the beneficiary then after these flights I will have enough status credits to gift him platinum.

Is this allowed within the rules? Has anyone here done something similar to this? It does rather seem a bit like it might be considered as "gaming the system."

Thanks in advance for any information or advice.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

You can switch who is the recipient of family pooling. I gifted Mrs Hawk SG, and then we switched to her being the recipient so she can retain Gold before my status year restarts in May. You'll need to cancel Family Pooling, wait a day and then restart the Family Pooling in the opposite direction.

 

[ferntree]

Thanks that is helpful.

We actually would probably turn family pooling off after the flights I mentioned as our objectives would have been achieved.... I don't see that as a problem though.

 

[JohnK]

I attained VA Platinum and started pooling to wife from Nov 2023. She has never had any status other than Red as we have been pooling to me all of these years.

She now has 278 SCs, daughter and I will got to SYD in April so another 60 SCs then the 3 of us will travel SQ in June SYD-SIN-BKK which should be another 135 SCs. That will give her 473 SCs and just short of Gold. I may have to just book quick return to SYD between now and June to get her to Gold.

When will be my wife's review date? The day she attains Gold? May just keep pooling wife until she retains Gold by Christmas hopefully.

I soft drop to Gold in October and that leaves me Feb 25-Oct 25 to retain Gold.

This will be a challenge to try and keep both of us Gold each year.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Your wife will attain Gold either on the day or day after she passes the required number of SC's, and then she'll have 12 months from that date to obtain another 400SC to retain.

 

[serfty]

When will be my wife's review date? The day she attains Gold? May just keep pooling wife until she retains Gold by Christmas hopefully.

You don't mention eligible segments ... she needs four and these can't be pooled.

 

[ferntree]

I've always found that for Gold unless you build up your SCs from partner airline flights without a VA flight number, then the eligible sectors takes care of themselves.

Even for platinum I've not found it a problem.

 

[JohnK]

You don't mention eligible segments ... she needs four and these can't be pooled.

Thanks @serfty.

She currently has 6 sectors but I think 2 sectors will expire in March 2024, then 1 sector on 23 June 2024 and 1 sector on 26 June 2024. She should attain Gold on 17 June 2024 so that should be fine right?

 

[serfty]

Thanks @serfty.

She currently has 6 sectors but I think 2 sectors will expire in March 2024, then 1 sector on 23 June 2024 and 1 sector on 26 June 2024. She should attain Gold on 17 June 2024 so that should be fine right?

As long as there are 4 eligible segments travelled in the 365 days up to and including 17th June 2024, then yes.

 

[JohnK]

As long as there are 4 eligible segments travelled in the 365 days up to and including 17th June 2024, then yes.

We had 2 segments in January 2024 DPS-ADL-BNE and 2 segments from June 2023.

We'll be fine thanks.

I just realised best we keep pooling to wife for return flights from Thailand then Christmas trip to Thailand should get her Gold again. Then we can switch pooling back to me after I soft land to Gold.

 

[ferntree]

We had 2 segments in January 2024 DPS-ADL-BNE and 2 segments from June 2023.

We'll be fine thanks.

I just realised best we keep pooling to wife for return flights from Thailand then Christmas trip to Thailand should get her Gold again. Then we can switch pooling back to me after I soft land to Gold.

John -

If it helps, I keep a spreadsheet of all our bookings, SCs and sectors, with various permutations of how we can implement family pooling to get the best outcome.

It might sound like overkill, but it really helps. It's enabled us over the last couple of years to "thread the needle" for us both to get and keep platinum.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks @ferntree I do keep a copy of all flights/bookings but I think our flying is much simpler.

2 SQ trips to Thailand (one to BKK, one to CNX with some Scoot flights losing SCs), 2 trips to SYD to connect to SQ trips to Thailand and 6 return trips to SYD for my daughter and I.

The trips to Thailand are 270 SCs + 180 SCs and the trips to SYD with my daughter 360 SCs which gets us to 810 SCs each 12 months. The 2 trips to SYD to connect to SQ flights can be reward bookings or part paid bookings if we need SCs to make sure we both get 400 SCs.

 

[ferntree]

Looks like you've got it nailed! Except for the Scoot flights! Did no-one warn you that Scoot falls within the definition of "cruel and unusual punishment."

 

[JohnK]

Looks like you've got it nailed! Except for the Scoot flights! Did no-one warn you that Scoot falls within the definition of "cruel and unusual punishment."

Yes but we want to fly into and out of CNX at Christmas. How do we do it on SQ and avoid Scoot?

P.S. The 3 hour Scoot SIN-CNX and vice-versa flight is tolerable and we get to have New Years Eve in our house this year.

Need to plan a great New Years Eve party but can't convince wife yet. She just wants a quiet one.

 

[Cryptarcadian]

If before these we take out family pooling with myself as the beneficiary then after these flights I will have enough status credits to gift him platinum.

Have done this with no problem at all.

What makes it it seem like it's gaming the system? On the contrary, seems to be within the spirit of family pooling to make it easier to manage benefits within the family! The total SCs needed to retain + gift platinum is 800 + 1000 = 1800, same as if you did it individually.