Confused about my status credit expiry...

[Mwenenzi]

Aa ???

If my calculations are correct I'll earn 2925 SCs in the next 3 months.

Why not credit to AA after requalifying for Plat ?

 

[serfty]

Why not credit to AA after requalifying for Plat ?

Did I hear someone mention QF LT SG?

 

[Jobu]

I recall Kiwi Flyer calculating that had he flown exclusively on OneWorld last year he would have racked up in the order of 9000 status credits...

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Did I hear someone mention QF LT SG?

I'm still a long way from that, but on my patterns will get there much quicker than AA lifetime plat (on current qualification requirements and earning rates).

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I recall Kiwi Flyer calculating that had he flown exclusively on OneWorld last year he would have racked up in the order of 9000 status credits...

That was some time ago. My travel in the past 12 months has been higher. Ignoring that OW doesnt fly all the routes I take (or even have as destinations some places I have flown to), a hypothetical QFF SC earn in the 12 months Sept 05 to Aug 06 would be about 16,500 (from well over 400,000 flown miles ).

No - I will not be crediting everything to QFF just to try to get LTG in a year

 

[chrisbris]

Hi,

Sorry to drag up an older thread but thought this question will fit under it:

I know I could do the AA challange but I know I would not qualify for the next year...

So ... If I stay with Qantas and my understanding of Status credits is correct I think I will end up as gold for 2 years?

Currently I have 235 Status Credits

My status credit expiry date on December 31 and Before then I will fly (the numbers are how many status credits I think I will earn - doing a business class RTW)

60 TVS - BNE
40 BNE-SYD
120 SYD-HONG KONG
160 HONG KONG - LHR
10 LHR - Berlin (Seperate Economy BA)
40 Berlin - LHR
60 LHR - ROME

Resulting in 725 status credits (if my calcs on distance are correct) So thefore gold from qualifying date (Devember 29, 2006) till 31 December 2007?

Then after the 31 December 2006 as I continue my RTW I have calcualted next year I will earn 780 status credits.. which will get me gold until 31 December 2008?

Is that a correct interpretation/calc of the status credit situation?

Thanks
Chris

 

[JohnK]

So ... If I stay with Qantas and my understanding of Status credits is correct I think I will end up as gold for 2 years?

....

Resulting in 725 status credits (if my calcs on distance are correct) So thefore gold from qualifying date (Devember 29, 2006) till 31 December 2007?

Then after the 31 December 2006 as I continue my RTW I have calcualted next year I will earn 780 status credits.. which will get me gold until 31 December 2008?

Is that a correct interpretation/calc of the status credit situation?

Yes. Looking at your calculations you should be Gold until 31 December 2008.

 

[Febs]

Is that a correct interpretation/calc of the status credit situation?

Looks about right to me Chris.
You'll need 465 SC's between now and 31 Dec '06 (which you'll get on your RTW travel, according to your calculations), at which stage your SC balance will reset to 0.

You'll then need 600 SCs to re-qualify for Gold before 31 Dec 2007, which if you reach, will keep you at Gold until 31 Dec 2008.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[chrisbris]

Thanks for your help - can anyone confirm my status credit calcs - I did it using the Great Circle Mapper - Does that normally sync up okay to the Qantas calcs?

 

[Dave Noble]

Thanks for your help - can anyone confirm my status credit calcs - I did it using the Great Circle Mapper - Does that normally sync up okay to the Qantas calcs?

It is often slightly different, so if you have a flight which is right on the cusp of 2 zones, then I would check the distance with the appropriate airline. The mileage credited is based on the distance that the carrier being flown classes it as being.

If you are more than 100 miles within a zone according to GCM, then you should have no issues on SC calculations

As far as a platinum challenge goes , are you sure that you would not requalify. You would need to fly 33,000 miles next year in J to maintain the status for the following year. Given the significantly higher mileage you would earn and the lower redemption costs, I would do some calculations on whether you could.

Dave

 

[En Route]

Its a real shock to check your QFF account on line and see "Expired Status Credits -1425" or someting.

I must hold a new record then. As a Gold status QFF, I had 1350 status credits expire 30th Jun 2007. (Platinum is 1400 to attain and 1200 to retain).

To make matters worse, I had 60 status credits of flights booked and paid for the week ending 7th July 2007 and a further 60 status of a booked and paid for for the week ending 21st July (and a further yet to be booked 60 status worth for week ending 28th July).

I had accrued all these status credits in a 9 month period (not to mention $20,000 in airfares), and 1170 of those credits in a 6 month period.

I have been a QFF member for 8 years, but started a job that had extensive travel possability 9 months ago.

Looks like if my travel patterns continue, it will take till March 2008 (and another $17,000 worth of travel costs) to be treated as a priority.

I have appealed to the managament of the QFF program for fair treatment, but I fear I will just be a voice among the crowd. I may be off to join Velocity


Thanks for listening.

 

[NM]

I may be off to join Velocity

or AAdvantage .

 

[Dave Noble]

I have appealed to the managament of the QFF program for fair treatment, but I fear I will just be a voice among the crowd.

Im confused. What is unfair about the fact that they did not give you platinum status given that you failed to attain the status credits required?

Seems to me that you want special treatment and to be given a status that you hadn't actually earned rather than to be treated "fairly" .

Dave

 

[JohnK]

I must hold a new record then. As a Gold status QFF, I had 1350 status credits expire 30th Jun 2007. (Platinum is 1400 to attain and 1200 to retain).

That is a real shame. I had the exact same number of SCs and scheduled 5 short flights in May and made exactly 1400 SCs by 31 May 2007.

I have appealed to the managament of the QFF program for fair treatment, but I fear I will just be a voice among the crowd.

Good luck with this request but I don't think QF would be interested. I have not heard of anyone given Platinum status for the first time without qualifying for it.

I may be off to join Velocity

And just be one of the crowd?

 

[En Route]

That is a real shame. I had the exact same number of SCs and scheduled 5 short flights in May and made exactly 1400 SCs by 31 May 2007.

Good luck with this request but I don't think QF would be interested. I have not heard of anyone given Platinum status for the first time without qualifying for it.

And just be one of the crowd?

Im not asking for platinum without qualifying for it. I am asking for a change in my "membership year" by anything up to 6 months, then see if I qualify.

At least Virgin/Velocity don't pretend to care for those that have to fly often.

As for not earning status, I would consider $17K of expenditure, 16 return flights (including one international) in a 6 month period a frequent flyer.

When I meet the status critera within a calendar year thet does not happen to coincide with their membership year, it really grates.

I fly beacause I have to, not because I want to. I have a family I would like to see more than just occasionally. Status, in a small way, helps compensate for time away.


Still En Route.

 

[simongr]

It's the unfotunate thing about not having rolling qualification in a number of the airlines. For example I have flown about 100K miles in business class under AAs program and I am still OW Sapphire because I flew 60K of those in Nov-Dec last year and the other 40K in March/June this year.

If however I had booked those points to QF I would be Partner Gold - as it stands I am gold in QF and the same equivalent level in AA - them's the breaks...

 

[En Route]

It's the unfotunate thing about not having rolling qualification in a number of the airlines. For example I have flown about 100K miles in business class under AAs program and I am still OW Sapphire because I flew 60K of those in Nov-Dec last year and the other 40K in March/June this year.

If however I had booked those points to QF I would be Partner Gold - as it stands I am gold in QF and the same equivalent level in AA - them's the breaks...

simongr you have my sympathy.

NM mentioned that I should join AAdvantage. I wonder if you can double points by cress registering your Qantas boarding passes with AA (ie. accrue points in both programs from the same flight?)

Maybe a rolling total is what the airlines should be adopting in their FF programs. Track accrue and expire status on a month to month basis. Attain status if you are flying frequently, and lose it when you stop flying as frequently. This to my mind is a fairer system (no more complicated than the current one).

For example. First of the month. (batch process):

1) The FF program removes the status points of the previous month 1 year ago. (ie. 1 July 2007, remove status points from June 2006).

2) Check all accounts to see if status upgrade (bronze >= 350, silver >= 700, gold >= 1400, platinum >= 2100), all upgrading accounts get set and date attained also set.

3) Check all platinum accounts with status set date of 1 year ago for continuing partner gold (plat >= 2100) and resolve appropriately.

4) Check all status accounts with status set date of 1 year ago for failure to meet status points for retention (plat < 1200, gold < 600, silver < 300) and downgrade as appropriate. (ie. if you were plat and had 300 status in the year from when you attained plat, you drop to silver).

5) In upgrade or downgrade checks 2) and 4) ensure lifetime silver and gold members attains/retain at least the minimum status their membership has attained.

If the FF program wants to keep the instant upgrade option, they can run the 2) check on each account ststus transaction and set the date attained to day 1 of next month.


My case is/was:
- Membership year starts Jul 1
- Status credits attained to Sep 1 2006 - 0
- Status credits attained to Jan 1 2007 - 180
- Status credits attained to Apr 12 2007 - 360 (silver)
- Status credits attained to May 3 2007 - 845 (gold)
- Status credits attained to Jun 30 2007 - 1350 (balance zeroed)
- Status credits attained to Jul 4 2007 - 60 (note: 4 days, tickets paid in full mid june - > 1400 )
- Status credits to be attained by Aug 3 with planned flights - 240
- Status credits to be attained by Dec 31 with planned flights - over 950.
- With the same airline program, just because of when the year splits, I end up gold not plat + partner gold.

Please don't tell me I haven't "earned" platinum just because I havn't flown enough. Within a year bound strictly by my membership start date (which was 8 years ago) maybe true. Within an elapsed year of flying frequently not true.

In all my flights to date:
- I have never been upgraded (this I led to believe is not uncommon).
- I have always been seated at least 5 rows back from business.
- My preference is aisle, but I have had that only 5 times in over 40 flights.

My main argument is if you have a loyalty program based on frequency of use and spend, reward loyalty demonstrated by frequent use and spend.

I live in hope that if I ever attain platinum status, I may get better seat allocation and greater chance of upgrade. I'd still be part of the herd, but it would make flying that little bit more comfortable.


Thanks for listening.

Hope this all makes sense and is not just insane rampling.


Still En Route.

 

[JohnK]

NM mentioned that I should join AAdvantage. I wonder if you can double points by cress registering your Qantas boarding passes with AA (ie. accrue points in both programs from the same flight?)

No.

Maybe a rolling total is what the airlines should be adopting in their FF programs. Track accrue and expire status on a month to month basis. Attain status if you are flying frequently, and lose it when you stop flying as frequently. This to my mind is a fairer system (no more complicated than the current one).

I am happy with current system. Some of us plan on attaining/retaining status with the knowledge that it is a fixed period, eg membership year. It would almost be a nightmare for someone to track their own status based on a rolling 12 month period.

I don't think the system you are proposing is fair at all. Some people do the majority of their travel in 1 or 2 trips a year. Some even get top tier status in the first month of their membership and get to keep this status for at least another 23 months. Under your system someone in the space of a few months can drop from partner gold to bronze. And then they would need 1400 SCs just to qualify for Platinum again.

While I sympathise with your situation you should have planned it more carefully to reach Platinum instead of leaving yourself 50 SCs short.

 

[Evan]

I am in agreement with JohnK, simongr, and NM.
And i earn all my miles in discount economy, but i was almost within 200SC of plat and would have just taken a couple of quick flights to make it because i could use the benifits. 50SC is nothing to obtain.

Its the same as anything you have to understand the system to get the best value, like supermakets of petrol prices, i am sure you use there specials and cycles to your advantage ? why not an FF program. It also depends on how important it is to you, if you think its important you will amke the effort to understand it (as much as we can) and ensure the best result for you.

E

 

[Dave Noble]

Maybe they could adjust to a moving year which would work more nicely for some than others; it wouldn't bother me greatly one way or other

BA's scheme does have something slightly different ( as do some other schemes ) which might have assisted you

The year is fixed, however, the year resets on attainment of a higher status

e.g. person has Blue membership based in UK with membership year 1 july - 30 June; looking at your earning ( which would not be identical due to the different vlaues flights earn on BA )

In May, you would have attained Silver status ( having attained 600TPs), your Tier Points would reset to zero and your Silver membership year would have started. You now need to attain 1200 TPs to get Gold

You now have a membership year which will end at end of May 2008. By end of June you would have earned > 600TPs and so your silver status renewal for the next year would have been achieved and by end of year you would likely attain BA Gold

Regardless, the QF scheme works on a fixed year and this is hardly something that a member is unlikely to realise and the website is quite clear in stating how many SCs are needed by a specific date in order to attain status. At the end of year date, you had not attained the requisite 1400 SCs so you had not earned it.

If attaining Platinum status was something you wanted to do, then you had the opportunity to either take a quick trip one day or to perhaps take a slightly longer routing on one trip. ( e.g. if doing a SYD-HKG-SYD trip in J, then just do a SYD-MEL-HKG-MEL-SYD ) . Once you have a status, if you were to be likely to just miss renewal but have decent travel coming up, then QF is quite generous in extending status .

Dave