Continuation of status

[opusman]

I've been wondering what I will do at the end of the year if QF offer me the WP for 120,000 points thing.
I've been WP for about 7 years in a row and had > 2000 SCs last year but this year am currently on 20
Not much travel planned next year either so on the face of it WP wouldn't be that useful in 2020 either but can I really stomach a drop to Scum!?

 

[VPS]

I've been wondering what I will do at the end of the year if QF offer me the WP for 120,000 points thing.
I've been WP for about 7 years in a row and had > 2000 SCs last year but this year am currently on 20
Not much travel planned next year either so on the face of it WP wouldn't be that useful in 2020 either but can I really stomach a drop to Scum!?

They didn't offer it to me until I rang and asked about it

 

[RichardMEL]

In theory QF only comp a status once per member.. in theory, and also over recent years the comp has been rarer with more often a price of 80,000-120,000 points being offered to buy the retention(as noted above) so either is possible I guess.

I wouldn't count on either as guaranteed to happen though.

 

[mrsterryn]

In theory QF only comp a status once per member.. in theory, and also over recent years the comp has been rarer with more often a price of 80,000-120,000 points being offered to buy the retention(as noted above) so either is possible I guess.

I wouldn't count on either as guaranteed to happen though.

That is my concern that I wouldn't be comp'ed or offer retention at 120,000

 

[JohnM]

I was comped last year a few weeks before my 31 Aug anniversary. At the time I was in the midst of a DONE5 and there were SCs in limbo with some of the slow-crediting airlines, but I was always going to comfortably requalify.

It was just interesting that they comped me without waiting for 31 Aug. On 31 Aug, I had 930 SC and it wasn't until 25 Sept that late/disputed crediting washed through - only to be immediately removed as expired .

I have been WP for at least the last 15 years, and have never dropped back after initially becoming WP - and I can't bear the thought . My average annual SC earn for the previous 3-5 years was around 1600-1800 SC (it used to be >>2400 in the days of the 20-sector DONEXs ).

It was the first time I had ever been in the situation of running so close to anniversary date to meet the 1200 SC requalify threshold. I was watching and wondering how it was going to play out - but QF KWIA .

Make what you will of all that....

 

[equus]

Make what you will of all that

One thing you could possibly make of that would be to wonder if there is indeed some manual review of some sort done on certain accounts (maybe long term status holders or the like). If you were mid way through a DONE, some legs had posted, and the ticket was still active and QF can see it, then they would know that you have flown those "missing" segments that have not credited - and so they just stop the status dropping, knowing that they will eventually post.

On the other hand, is is probably overly fanciful to think the QF would have such a proactive customer friendly process in place for "valued customers"

 

[JohnM]

One thing you could possibly make of that would be to wonder if there is indeed some manual review of some sort done on certain accounts (maybe long term status holders or the like). If you were mid way through a DONE, some legs had posted, and the ticket was still active and QF can see it, then they would know that you have flown those "missing" segments that have not credited - and so they just stop the status dropping, knowing that they will eventually post.

On the other hand, is is probably overly fanciful to think the QF would have such a proactive customer friendly process in place for "valued customers"

Exactly the same thoughts went through my head at the time - hence my 'make what you will' comment. Was it a comp or was it proactive?

We'll never know.

 

[RichardMEL]

So it may not have been a "comp" at all but merely seeing you'd make it from your RTW anyway?

anyway another thought comes to mind.. QF is clearly seeing a real slowdown in forward bookings and desperate to stimulate demand and they may be relaxing their line on status renewals a bit.

 

[mrsterryn]

@opusman are you still likely to not requalify ?
I am still umming about what to do next year with my status

 

[opusman]

@opusman are you still likely to not requalify ?
I am still umming about what to do next year with my status

I have 20 SCs for the year and year ends Nov 30, with nothing booked except award flights. So no, not likely

 

[sudoer]

I am still umming about what to do next year with my status

I'd suggest paying the 120k points if you regularly apply for international upgrades or rely on the unpublished classic award request benefit. The 120k is easy enough to recoup through a credit card sign-up.

As an added sweetener, you get a 200SC discount on the following year's SC target by only needing to retain (1200SC) rather than attain (1400SC)

 

[Pleb Status]

Using a 1.25c/pt conversion rate (the minimum to make playing around in the points space worthwhile), 120k QFF points would be worth $1500.

I would like to see an itemised list of actual amounts someone would really pay (not the fairyland amounts that the airlines charge and almost no one does) to make a $1500 one year upgrade from SG to WP worthwhile.

 

[sudoer]

120k QFF points would be worth $1500.

Real cost is a $200-400 annual fee though.

As someone who flies mostly Y/Y+ for work, I'd certainly pay that for F lounges, classic award requests and the discounted retain the following year (I tend to end up around 1000-1200 through regular flying habits and make up the shortfall with a cheap MH run)

 

[Pleb Status]

Real cost is a $200-400 annual fee though.

As someone who flies mostly Y/Y+ for work, I'd certainly pay that for F lounges, classic award requests and the discounted retain the following year (I tend to end up around 1000-1200 through regular flying habits and make up the shortfall with a cheap MH run)

If I am able to buy something for $400 and its actual value is $1500+, why would I sell it for $400 and leave $1100+ on the table?

How much would you actually pay for those 'benefits' if they were billed directly to your credit card? Would you pay say a $100 non refundable fee per pop just to get your SG J upgrade put up with the WP upgrades?

 

[CaptJCool]

It’s a puzzle

And like all puzzles, you can leave it aside for a time and work on it later.

I need check MY past records as to if my vague memory of a prior year comp is accurate as I previously bounced between WP, SG and LTS.

I know last year I was comped SG, BUT not this year so had to fly to go back to Gold. Close enough to LTG to keep going.... and paying for 3-4 other peoples airfares domestically and internationally.... suggests an informal family pooling may be part of the consideration.

The lack of Status credits on award flights means there’s no way to re-qualify as ultimately you gotta buy fares to get enough SCs.

That said CC churn with sign-on bonuses used for J or F flights means you don’t really need status anyway. Or as one of my friends did, buy the 4 year QC Membership when It was advertised with no joining fee and 40% discount

 

[CaptJCool]

Ok

Comp’d WP in 2013

Comp’d SG in 2018

 

[wandering_fred]

Any current thoughts on "soft landings" with QFF?

Actually wandering
Fred

 

[juddles]

Any current thoughts on "soft landings" with QFF?

Actually wandering
Fred

wandering fred, what exactly do you want to know? In the last decade I have had a few experiences that could be data points. But what I am learning is that nothing is firm or understandable. At the start of my epic travels, I begged for a simple bending of the rules in my first year to be able to get status silver even though 20 SC short. This was when I switched to QF. And they granted it! Meant a lot to me at the time as was travelling Y and seat selection was a wondrous thing. They gave me that. And I am hugely thankful, even though in later years it was trivial. I then did lots of flights, and made my way up to P1. Which is where I am currently sitting, even though this year I have attained about 200SC A few years ago I did a "significant" amount of flights, but failed to meet the 4 QF sectors as I only visited Australia once. They still let me keep my WP status at the time.
I just got sick of travelling, and with QF with their impossible-to-predict product. So here I am, at P1, but with only a handful of SC for this year. I will probably get a couple more SC through absolutely required travel where I cannot do something that is not QF. But this year I swore to do the minimum. So for your question, my status year ends at December 31. And on that day I will be able to tell you my experience. I expect that I will get a soft landing to WP. I did about average 4000 SC per year in the preceding years, so for those that still believe in the "3 yr average" I should get that WP anyway. Which means I will truly not know if I get WP next year if that is due to averaged over three years, or it is a true soft landing.

Anyway, at the end of the year will have been P1 for 2019, I will have about 300SC, and my yearly average over the last few years is clearly over WP level, but with P1 anything but the current year does not count. So IF I get WP, even though I will fall far short of any qualifying points, will that be understood to be a 3 year average, or a "soft landing"?

 

[sudoer]

If I am able to buy something for $400 and its actual value is $1500+, why would I sell it for $400 and leave $1100+ on the table?

Because you can buy another 120k for $400 and extract $1500 value from that, if you so desire.

It can also be significantly more difficult to use the 120k points if you are not WP, which is worth taking into consideration.

I expect that I will get a soft landing to WP.

According to your signature there won't be any soft landing for you!